SUMMARY
Using the data from five epidemiological studies of the total child population, the traditional distinction between general reading backwardness (i.e. reading below average for age, regardless of I.Q.) and specific reading retardation (i.e. a disability in reading relative to the child's age and general intellectual level) is put to the test. The concept and measurement of underachievement are discussed and it is shown that severe degrees of specific reading retardation occur at a rate above that predicted on a statistical basis, suggesting a “hump” at the lower end of the distribution. Reading retardation is shown to differ significantly from reading backwardness in terms of sex ratio, neurological disorder, pattern of neuro‐developmental deficits and educational prognosis. It is concluded that the concept of specific reading retardation is valid, but evidence is discussed which shows that this does not support the view of a genetically distinct syndrome of dyslexia.
In recent years there has been an increasing interest in the observation that rates of psychiatric disorder and of educational problems in children may vary considerably according to area and to types of living conditions. However, very little is known concerning the extent to which rates actually differ, and even less about how particular area characteristics co-vary with the rates of different types of child disorder. Gath et al. (1972) found that child psychiatric referral rates were higher in areas of low social status, but data were not available to determine whether the difference lay in the preyalence of disorder or in the likelihood of detection or referral. Reading backwardness has also been associated with low social class areas (Miller et al., 1957; Eisenberg, 1966). In addition, it has been found that reading standards are lower in England than in Scotland (Davie et al., 1972). None of the studies of reading have taken IQ, into account, and it is not known whether the correlates are mainly with IQ or with a specific disability in reading. The present investigation was designed to examine these issues by determining if there were differences in the rates of child psychiatric disorder and of specific reading retardation between an inner London borough and the Isle of Wight. If differences were found, it also sought to examine the reasons for them, in order to elucidate possible causal or precipitating factors.
This study evaluated the effectiveness of a school-based group intervention designed for children who have experienced trauma. Twenty-six children (aged 11-15 years) who were refugees or asylum-seekers from war-affected countries participated. The manual-based intervention consisted of cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) techniques and was implemented within secondary schools. The treatment group (n = 15) received six sessions of group CBT over a 6-week period, while the control group (n = 11) were placed on a waiting list for 6 weeks and then invited to enter treatment. Children in the CBT group showed statistically significant, but clinically modest improvements following the intervention, with decreases in overall severity of post-traumatic stress symptoms. Significant improvements were also found in overall behavioural difficulties and emotional symptoms. Children in the waiting list control group did not show any improvements over the same period. However, follow-up data, which were only available for a small subset of eight children, suggest that gains in the CBT group were not maintained at 2-month follow-up. K E Y W O R D S children, group CBT, PTSD, refugees, school C I V I L I A N P O P U L AT I O N S H AV E been increasingly targeted during recent wars, ethnic-cleansing campaigns and periods of political unrest. This has resulted in an estimated 21 million refugees and displaced people worldwide, almost half of whom are children (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees [UNHCR], 2003). According to government statistics, an estimated 103,080 individuals, including dependants, applied for asylum in the UK in 2002. Of these applicants 6200 were unaccompanied children, aged 17 and under. Figures such as these demonstrate that there is a significant and growing number of young refugees now living in the UK, the majority of whom live in London. Many young refugees are extremely resilient despite the variety of hardships they
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