A study was undertaken to determine the relation of verbal expression and pragmatics to classroom behaviors of 36 boys with learning disabilities, grades three through six. Subjects were administered a test of verbal expression and observed during a play activity to assess pragmatics. Teachers of the sample completed a child behavior rating scale. Correlational analyses showed moderate correlations among the independent and dependent variables. Although With few correlations reaching a level of significance, a general trend indicating a negative correlation between verbal expression and classroom behaviors of students with learning disabilities was found. Correlational and regression analyses of the data revealed that a level of significance was found between Formulating Sentences and Acting Out behaviors. The level of significance between these two variables was maintained in the full regression, however, the regression equation did not reach a level of significance. Subjects with higher abilities to create sentences with one or two word prompts were less likely to exhibit acting out behaviors in classroom settings. Regression analyses also revealed that Shy/Anxious behaviors were predictive of pragmatic measures.

Additionally, it was determined that racial differences were found only under measures of pragmatics with no significant differences observed by age, I.Q., verbal expression and classroom behaviors.