Visual motor performance of psychotic children.

Abstract

Visual motor deviations of psychotic children were explored by means of a Childhood Psychosis Scale applied to the Primary Visual Motor Test protocols of 130 psychotic children, ages 6-12 years, and 507 normal and retarded controls. Differences were highly significant, with 45.4% of the psychotic sample achieving critical scores on the scale as compared to 1.7% of the 300 normal children and 12.9% of 193 children with IQs below 80. It was possible to match 94 of the psychotic children with nonpsychotic controls on the basis of chronological age (CA) and mental age (MA). Significantly more psychotics than matched controls were high scorers. There was no correlation between critical scores and CA for either group. Correlations with MA were moderately significant for each group; that is, children with lower MAs were more apt to show critical scores on the scale. In IQ comparisons significantly more psychotics who were retarded had critical scores than did normal-IQ psychotics; there was no relationship between critical scores and intellectual level in the control group. Age at diagnosis, type and length of treatment, recency of diagnosis, and degree of organicity did not discriminate between high-and low-responding psychotics. Base rate problems and theoretical aspects of the scale items are discussed. The scale appears useful as a screening device for normal and retarded children under the age of 13 years, with particular utility in detecting psychotic aspects of functioning among the retarded.In the 40 years since Bender (1938) first called attention to the deviant productions Appreciation is extended to the directors, supervisors, teachers, staff, and the children in the children's units of the following institutions for their cooperation and assistance: Nebraska Psychiatric Institute; Lincoln