NCJ Number
56546
Journal
CLINICAL PEDIATRICS Volume: 17 Issue: 10 Dated: (OCTOBER 1978) Pages: 775-780
Date Published
1978
Length
6 pages
Annotation
THIS STUDY EXAMINES THE INCIDENCE, CHARACTERISTICS, AND SIGNIFICANCE OF LEARNING DISABILITIES IN A SAMPLE OF 44 MALE DELINQUENTS, AGED 13-18, WHO HAD BEEN REFERRED TO RESIDENTIAL HOMES BY A JUVENILE COURT.
Abstract
ALL THE SUBJECTS HAD HISTORIES OF MULTIPLE LEGAL OFFENSES, RANGING FROM HABITUAL DISOBEDIENCE AND VANDALISM TO MORE SERIOUS FELONY CONVICTIONS. THEIR GENERAL INTELLIGENCE SCORES WERE MEASURED WITH THE WECHSLER INTELLIGENCE SCALE, AND AUDITORY AND VISUAL PERCEPTUAL SKILLS WERE ASSESSED BY ANALYZING THE PATTERN OF VERBAL AND NONVERBAL SUBTEST PERFORMANCES ON THE SCALES. THE RHODES SCATTER PROFILE PROCEDURE WAS USED TO EVALUATE PERCEPTUAL DEFICITS AND THE BENDER-GESTALT VISUAL-MOTOR TEST WAS EMPLOYED TO DISCERN VISUAL-PERCEPTUAL AND VISUAL-MOTOR DEFICITS. READING, SPELLING, AND ARITHMETIC SKILL LEVELS WERE DETERMINED WITH THE WIDE RANGE ACHIEVMENT TEST, AND MEASURES OF SELF-CONCEPT WERE OBTAINED FROM THE TENNESSEE SELF-CONCEPT SCALE. ANALYSIS OF SUBJECTS SCORES SUGGESTS THAT MOST OF THESE JUVENILE DELINQUENTS, EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE AVERAGE INTELLECTUAL CAPACITY, PRESENT PROFILES IN THE VARIOUS TESTS INDICATING SIGNIFICANT VISUAL AND AUDITORY DEFICITS, VISUAL-PERCEPTUAL DEFICITS, AND A HIGH INCIDENCE OF MIXED EYE-HAND DOMINANCE. WHEN THE INFLUENCE OF VISUAL AND AUDITORY PROCESSING DEFICITS ON READING, SPELLING, AND ARITHMETIC SKILLS WAS ANALYZED, RESULTS SHOWED THAT DEFICIENCIES IN THESE SUBJECTS WERE OBSERVED IN JUVENILES WITH MULIPLE AUDITORY AND VISUAL-PERCEPTUAL DEFICITS. RESULTS OF THE SELF-CONCEPT SCALE REVEALED THAT THE SUBJECTS HAVE SIGNIFICANT DEFICITS IN SELF-CONFIDENCE. CHILD HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS ARE ADVISED TO LOOK FOR LEARNING DISABILITIES EARLY IN CHILDREN AND REFER SUCH CHILDREN TO PSYCHOLOGISTS, SPEECH PATHOLOGISTS, OR SPECIAL EDUCATORS AS THEY THINK NECESSARY. TABULAR DATA AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (DAG)