The nature of visual-motor problems in learning disabled children was examined in four conditions designed to determine whether more errors were made by learning disabled children, and whether the errors were primarily perceptual, conceptual, motoric, or some combination of these in nature. The same two groups of children were used in each condition. One group contained 20 children (mean age = 10 years, 7 months) who had been diagnosed as learning disabled. The control group contained 20 children who were matched with the learning disabled children on age, sex, IQ, and SES. The learning disabled children evidenced visual-motor problems under a visual-motor condition that was modeled after the Bender Visual Motor Gestalt Test. In three other conditions, the visual-perceptual, perceptual-conceptual, and motor-coordinative components of the visual-motor condition were examined separately. The results of these conditions indicated that the visual-perceptual and perceptual-conceptual components of the visual-motor system were intact for the learning disabled children; however, both the motor-coordinative component and the integration between the visual-perceptual and the motor-coordinative components were disturbed. The implications of these results for the visual-motor problems of learning disabled children were discussed.

Learning disabled and normal control boys were compared in a reaction time task that required same-different judgments about the size or shape of visually presented geometric forms. In one condition, the subject was told which aspect (either size or shape) to judge before the presentation of the forms; in the other condition, the subject was told which aspect to judge after the forms were presented. The results indicated that the reaction times of the learning disabled boys were significantly slower than those of the normal controls in both conditions. Evidently, deficits in selectivity are characteristic of learning disabled boys at the levels of both sensory-perceptual input and short-term memory.

ABSTRACT The assessment of preschool children who are at risk for having specific language/learning disorders when they enter school is a complex undertaking which must involve examining a wide variety of developmental processes. In addition to a thorough medical, developmental and academic history, the clinician should obtain data regarding perceptual‐motor functioning, language and cognitive development, nominal recall, cerebral dominance and directionality, sequential memory, and the integrity of basic sensory modalities. Although the diagnosis of potential learning disorders in preschool children 1s difficult because of the variability in developmental rate of young children, a systematic evaluation of the developmental functions which are classically associated with learning disabilities allows the psychologist to make a responsible and generally accurate statement of the child's current functioning and future potential

This paper provides a general outline of the principles of behavioral management of the hyperactive child. The use of stimulant medications and special considerations in school are briefly discussed and then suggestions for initial parent counseling, family assessment, and the analysis of specific behavior problems are reviewed. Techniques of behavioral management are presented for the younger hyperactive child (3 to 7 years) and for the older hyperactive child (8 to 13 years). Among management techniques discussed are positive reinforcement, extinction procedures, and punishment through isolation. The problems involved in the use of corporal punishment are outlined as well as specific guidelines for parents as to when and how corporal punishment can be used effectively. A step-by-step summary of how to employ a token economy to manage both home and school behavior problems in older hyperactive children is presented.

The diagnosis of specific learning disorders is a complex undertaking that requires the examination of a number of psychological dimensions. The “learning disabilities” label has often been abused and is frequently used to explain a wide range of school and behavior problems with little understanding of the criteria necessary for differential diagnosis. A complete evaluation for learning disabilities must assess cultural, structural, and emotional variables as well as intellectual functioning and academic achievement. Examination of the functional integrity of the various perceptual processes, including visual, auditory and kinesthetic modalities, is necessary, The clinician must establish that a delay in achievement does actually exist and that poor school performance is not a result of poor motivation or an unwillingness to demonstrate acquired skills. If a significant delay is found in the acquisition of secondary language symbol skills, then the examiner is pressed to determine which specific psychological, perceptual-associational, memory, or motor deficits are responsible for the learning disorder.