A developmental-organizational perspective was employed to explore underlying risk for problem behavior in children with language learning disabilities. The independent and relative influences of social discourse and social skills on problem behavior were examined in 50 children with language learning disabilities (LLD) and 50 control children (children without LLD) aged 8 to 12 years. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that when examined independently, both impaired social discourse skill and poor social skills accounted for the negative effect of LLD status on children's problem behavior. When social discourse and social skills were examined simultaneously in relation to problem behavior, social discourse no longer retained its predictive value. This result suggests that children's impaired social interactional functioning is central to the development of behavioral symptomatology. However, the importance of social discourse cannot be overlooked, given the significant correlation between social discourse and social skills ratings. Though these results are correlational in nature, it is argued that the impaired communicative competence of some children with LLD may contribute to poor social skills that ultimately manifest themselves as more clinical problem behaviors characterized by internalizing and externalizing symptomatology. Finally, differences were confirmed in social discourse performance, social skills, and problem behaviors between the children with LLD and the control group children. Findings emphasize the importance of the routine assessment and monitoring of broader social discourse skills, in addition to social competence, in children with LLD.

Our previous 1-year evaluation (Kershner, Cummings, Clarke, Hadfield, & Kershner, 1986) of the school-based Tomatis Program (LTP) failed to support its purported remedial effectiveness. Children with learning disabilities (LD) had been assigned randomly to an LTP plus direct instruction group or to a placebo group receiving only direct instruction. The purpose of the present study was to address the argument that favorable treatment effects of such process-oriented, neuropsychological training programs may occur over a longer span of time. Retesting the original sample one year after cessation of treatment revealed only a single group effect; the placebo children were superior on the Seashore Rhythm test, a measure of auditory discrimination. These results more firmly substantiate our earlier negative conclusions. But, more importantly, the longitudinal achievement gains observed in both groups of children, irrespective of their original treatment assignment, strongly support the efficacy of less exotic currently available remedial procedures.

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La premigre pal-tie d6termille les 616rnellts de base darts la th6orie de d6cisioll, qui sont communs /~ toutes ses applications (explicatives et 6valuatrices), quelle que soit l'institution ou l'organisation qui prend les d6cisions. Darts la deuxi~me pattie, un module de d6cision est expos6 comme 6rant le cadre servant ~ l'analyse explicative des propres illvestissements (darts les 6coles et ailleurs). La discussion colnpreltd quelques commentaires relatifs g "l'analyse margillale" et aux relatiolls entre les micro-d6cisiolls ind6pendalltes et les ~quilibres 6conomiques totaux. Dans une troisi~nle partie, la perspective a trait A la soci6t6, et on souligne quelques problglnes importants darts les 6valuations (relatives ~ la soci6t6) des investissemerits darts les ~tres humains, .comportant des problgmes techniques, tels que: par ex. la v6ritable identification des fonctiollS de production avec de grands changements (supra-marginaux) darts le m61ange des aptitudes humaines, mais aussi les probl~mes fondamelltaux associ~s /t la r6partition des chances, et aux conflits d'int6rSts.L'article se termine par quelques roots relatifs aux aml~es 1970, ~ quelques probl~mes de d6veloppement humaill et ~ leur d6fi, et ~ quelques probl~mes de recherche illterdisciplinaire darts ce domaine.

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