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SUMMARY Four groups of boys (totalling 129) with and without reading retardation and antisocial behaviour were compared and contrasted on many items related to current behaviour and family background in order to study the degree and nature of the association between the two disorders. The results show a strong association between the two disorders but that boys with both disorders do not closely resemble either boys with only reading or boys with only antisocial problems. This differs from other findings and the reason for this and the possible nature of the association are discussed.

We studied the school attendance of 113 children and adolescents (mean age 11 yr, S.D. 3.8, range 3-18 yr) with juvenile chronic arthritis (73 with pauci- and 40 with polyarthritis). The mean attendance rate for the group was 92% (equivalent to 15 absent days a year) with a median of 97%. Attendance was significantly lower in the more severely affected poly group (90% vs 98% in the pauci group; P = 0.03). We found associations of school absence (i) with decreased compliance with physical treatments (r = -0.35, P < 0.05 for compliance with physiotherapy) in the poly group and (ii) with child psychological deviance (r = 0.36 for parentally rated and r = 0.42 for teacher-rated psychological deviance; both P < 0.05) in the pauci group. We conclude that school attendance can be good in severely affected children. Severity of illness, treatment compliance and psychological problems in the child may affect school attendance.

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This paper reviews the literature on the effect on children of continuing parental conflict following parental separation, but is largely based on the author's clinical and forensic experience of such cases. The approach to assessment has developed over 25 years of providing expert evidence to Courts in the UK.