Social Competence and Behavioral Problems of Learning Disabled Boys Aged 6–11.

Abstract

Parents' reports on social competence and behavioral problems were obtained for 123 learning disabled boys aged 6-11 who were referred for a psychoeducational assessment at the Center for Disorders of Communication at the University of Vermont. One parent of each boy completed the Child Behavior Checklist developed by Achenbach and Edelbrock (1983). On average, the parents of LD boys reported significantly lower levels of social competence and more behavior problems than normative samples of parents. On the social social competence scales, the LD boys were significantly lower than the normative samples in their participation in activities, their social involvement and school performance. On the behavior problem scales, the LD boys had significantly higher scores for both "externalizing" and "internalizing" types of problems, including problems related to depression, uncommunicativeness, obsessive-compulsive behaviors, social withdrawal, hyperactivity, aggressiveness and "delinquency." Compared to a sample of other clinically referred boys, a significantly larger proportion of LD boys showed a hyperactive profile pattern, and small proportions showed profile patterns indicative of depressed-social withdrawalaggressive behavior and delinquency. There were significant, but low, positive correlations between IQ scores on the Weschler Intelligence Scale for ChildrenRevised and social competence scores and negative correlations between IQ scores and behavior problem scores.

Sociometric Status and Social Behaviour of Children with and without Learning Difficulties

“…Gottlieb (1981) suggested that behavioural differences between disabled and non-disabled children, visible in integrated settings, contribute to this. For example, some studies report a high level of aggressive and disruptive behaviour in children with learning or intellectual disabilities (Forster, DeLawyer & Guevremont, 1985;McConaughy & Ritter, 1986). There is a body of evidence Accepted manuscript received 26 April 1993 University of Sheffield, U K Requests for reprints to Peter K Smith, Department of Psychology'.…”

Use of Auditory and Visual Stimulation to Improve Cognitive Abilities in Learning-Disabled Children

“…Findings from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (2000) found that adolescent children in grades 7 through 12 are at significantly higher risk than non-LD peers for emotional distress, suicide attempts, and violence. Other studies indicate that adolescents with LD have a higher incidence of emotional distress (Svetaz, Ireland, & Blum, 2000), significantly higher rates of depression (Goldstein & Dundon, 1986) and symptoms of anxiety (McConaughty & Ritter, 1985;McConaughty, Mattison, & Peterson, 1994). These findings suggest that earlier intervention to aid in addressing the core deficits of LD appears to be imperative to the future well being of the child diagnosed with learning disabilities.…”

Children who experience difficulties with learning: Mother and child perceptions of social competence

“…Research results present a conflicting picture. Some studies indicate that parents of children with LD describe similar deficits in social skills at home to school, including fewer social contacts with friends (McConaughy & Ritter, ). Conversely, other studies have identified that although some children with LD have poor social skills in the classroom, they perform well in games or have well‐developed social networks outside the classroom (Haager & Vaughn, ).…”