"I'm not the only one!" group therapy with older children and adolescents who have learning disabilities

Children and adolescents with learning disabilities (LD) are vulnerable to psychosocial difficulties. Both the detrimental impact of LD on social adjustment and the significance of peer relations for developmental needs make group therapy a natural intervention. Despite modifications that are required due to their cognitive deficits, many students with LD fit the criteria and can benefit from group psychotherapy. In this paper, a model of group therapy for older children and adolescents with LD is presented. The approach is informed by a combination of self psychology, mutual aid, and interpersonal group therapy. The leaders use special techniques to accommodate the LD and to foster the group process. Examples are presented to illustrate the approach.     

Drawing self and others: How do children with autism differ from those with learning difficulties?

When children draw pictures of human beings, they reveal things not only about their general intellectual and artistic abilities, but also about their awareness and conception of themselves and others. What might the human figure drawings of children with autism reveal about their images of self and other – and what might they disclose about social factors that shape the drawings of children who do not have autism? On the basis of an hypothesis about the restricted social awareness of children and adolescents with autism, we predicted that there would be little differentiation between their drawings of themselves and other people. To test this prediction, we investigated a group of children and adolescents with autism and a group with learning difficulties but not autism (N = 14 per group) who were individually matched for both chronological age and verbal mental age. Participants with autism mostly drew human figures that were little distinguished from one another, but introduced clear contrasts among their houses, whereas most of those with learning difficulties drew distinctive human figures as well as houses. These different profiles of performance occurred despite similarities in the numbers and kinds of feature included in the drawings, and the individuality of participants' drawing styles. Although the results were in keeping with our hypothesis that human figure drawings might reflect abnormalities in the way that children with autism mentally represent themselves and others, we conclude by stressing our tentativeness over this interpretation of the findings.     

The application of self psychology principles to long-term group therapy with schizophrenic inpatients

Concepts derived from a self psychology model are applied to an intensive long-term group therapy with hospitalized chronic schizophrenic patients. The clinical data suggest that initially patients' needs for safety and security predominate group process. Once an atmosphere of safety has been developed, patients begin to display needs for recognition and confirmation of themselves as unique, worthwhile individuals and for solace and consolation in regard to their traumatic life histories. A case study of the development of two group members reveals that these patients progressed from unshared, isolated, sometimes delusional visions of reality to the sharing of playful fantasies within the group and finally to an acknowledgement of painful life experiences. In their relationship with each other the patients moved from mutual isolation to a primitive relationship based on unconditional support, admiration and togetherness to a friendship in which they became increasingly able to confront each other with empathic failures and tolerate one another's separateness without withdrawal or decompensation.     

Assessment of self and others during treatment for anorexia nervosa

Abstract

Repertory grids were used to compare a group of anorexic women (n = 12) with normal-weight (n = 12) and dieting (n = 10) control groups. Anorexics differed from both control groups in their perceptions of themselves and others. The constructs used were more meaningful to anorexics than to either control group. The way in which anorexics saw themselves differed from the way in which clinicians have indicated in the literature that they see their anorexic patients. Some constructs adopted a differential meaning and relevance for observer and observed when applied to the anorexic condition. The discrepancies between internally defined and externally imposed interpretations of construct meaning may help to explain why resistance to treatment and high relapse rates are encountered in anorexic women.     

Psychometric properties of the Sutter-Eyberg Student Behavior Inventory with rural middle school and high school children

This study examined the psychometric properties of the Sutter-Eyberg Student Behavior Inventory (SESBI) in a rural sample of children and adolescents. Thirty-eight 5th- through 12th-grade teachers completed the SESBI on 726 children in their classrooms. High Cronbach's alphas supported the reliability of the SESBI scales in this population. Higher SESBI scores were obtained by boys than girls and by African American students than Caucasian students, more so at lower grades. Teacher's race did not affect SESBI scores. In contrast to children with developmental delay, children with learning disabilities obtained higher scores than others on the SESBI Intensity scale but not on the Problem scale. This suggests that teachers of children with learning disabilities recognize the higher frequency of problem behaviors in their students but do not consider these behaviors to be problems for themselves. On both SESBI scales, children with developmental delay were not distinguishable from peers without developmental delays.     

Visual-motor problems of adolescents who attempt suicide.

Using the Canter Background Interference Procedure with the Bender-Gestalt Test, a group of 18 adolescent suicide attempters earned test scores indicating they had significantly more problems with visual-motor coordination than did a control group of 21 adolescents. There were also a greater number of school failures and behavior problems among these suicide attempters. The findings suggest that learning disabilities may be an unrecognized factor which increases the risk of suicide attempts by adolescents.     

Comprehension of Ambiguous Sentences in Non-Disabled and Disabled Adolescents

If students are to effectively comprehend a text, they must be able to resolve ambiguities. Recent studies of adolescents with learning disabilities suggest multiple reasons for failure to resolve ambiguous structures. Furthermore, previous research does not clearly indicate the age at which syntactic ambiguities can be resolved consistently. The present study investigated similarities and differences in the comprehension of ambiguous sentences in adolescents with and without learning disabilities. Four groups representing four ability levels were sampled in a public high schools. Two additional groups of students with learning disabilities were sampled at a private residential school. The public school group that attained academic honors was superior to all other groups in paraphrasing the meanings of ambiguous sentences. Two other college bound public school groups were superior to a non-college bound group in the public system. These findings suggest a continuum of ability to interpret amiguous structures across a range of 16 year old subjects. The learning disabled private school group with stronger verbal than non-verbal abilities was also significantly better than the non-college bound disabled public school gorup. This superiority of the learning disabled over the non-college bound group suggest a continuum of ability to interpret ambiguous structures in a population of students with various disabilites. The study found associations between knowledge of syntax and knowledge of lexical meaning and interpretation of ambigous materials. There also was a strong relationships between the ability to paraphrase the meanings of ambiguous sentences and overall ability in reading comprehension.     

学习不良青少年与一般青少年学业情绪特点的比较研究

本研究采用问卷法调查了1034名青少年(学习不良青少年506名),比较了学习不良青少年与一般青少年的学业情绪的特点。结果表明:(1)学习不良青少年的积极学业情绪显著低于一般青少年;学习不良青少年的消极学业情绪显著高于一般青少年。(2)学习不良青少年与一般青少年在学业情绪上的差异主要表现在初一、初二和高二、高三年级。(3)总体来说,男生的积极学业情绪多于女生,女生的消极学业情绪多于男生。     

Should we create a niche or fall in line? Identity negotiation and small group effectiveness

A prospective study of 423 MBA students examined the interplay of identity negotiation and group functioning. The findings revealed that self-verification effects (through which group members brought others to see them as they saw themselves) heightened participants' feelings of connection to their groups (i.e., more identification and social integration and less emotional conflict) and improved group project grades on creative tasks (tasks that benefit from divergent perspectives). Appraisal effects (through which groups brought members to see themselves as the group saw them) facilitated group project grades on computational tasks (tasks that require deriving one correct answer). In addition, self-verification effects were more prevalent than appraisal effects. The authors discuss the implications of these findings for understanding the links among self-verification, self-categorization, and group outcomes.     

语文学习困难儿童汉字记忆编码的神经机制研究

采用事件相关电位方法,探讨语文学习困难儿童汉字记忆编码过程的特点.研究发现:语文学习困难组和对照组在编码过程的300-700ms均存在显著的相继记忆效应.语文学习困难组与对照组的Dm效应存在着显著的时间与空间上的差异.在Dm效应出现前,语文学习困难组加工的P2潜伏期显著晚于对照组.同时还发现,不同能力组加工的N2和LPC差异与Dm效应十分相似,对照组比语文学习困难组更正,与Dm效应不同,不同能力组加工的分离明显大于Dm效应的分离,且持续时间更长,一直持续到1000ms之后,远远晚于Dm效应的分离时间,对照组比语文学习困难组有一个更正的晚正成分.语文学习困难组与对照组在加工程度上存在差异,使编码项目的记忆痕迹呈现出不同特点.     

Adolescents with Poorly Controlled Type 1 Diabetes can Benefit from Coaching: A Case Report and Discussion

Traditional interventions aimed at improving patient self-management and at motivating the patients to change behaviour seem to be insufficient in adolescents with very high HbA1c. In this paper we present a case consisting of nine adolescents with poorly controlled diabetes type 1. They had previously shown continuously high levels of HbA1c for 2 years despite intensive follow-up and were therefore invited to participate in a coaching program. The coaching program was conducted by professional certified coaches and consisted of two group and eight individual coaching sessions. After completing the coaching sessions, HbA1c had decreased significantly in six out of nine of the adolescents. The participants were interviewed twice following the coaching sessions. All participants reported that they found the sessions very rewarding, and several explained that they now saw themselves differently and had gained more self-esteem and more energy.     

学习困难青少年认知控制特点研究

本研究基于双重认知控制理论,通过比较学困组和对照组在持续性操作任务上的表现来探究学习困难青少年的认知控制特点。结果发现：（1）在反应性控制的指标上,学困组和对照组的反应时和正确率不存在显著差异,但学困组对探测刺激的辨别力指数更低,显示学困组的反应性控制能力存在一定不足;（2）在主动性控制的指标上,学困组的反应时更长、正确率更低,且对线索刺激的辨别力指数更低,显示学困组在对线索刺激保持的各项指标上都比对照组更差,说明学困组在主动性控制上的缺陷更为明显。     

How College Students With and Without Disabilities Perceive Themselves and Each Other

This study explored how college students with (n = 80) and without disabilities (n = 76) rated themselves, how each group rated members of the other group, and how each group perceived that the other group would rate them on a 24-item personality instrument that was designed to assess five factors of personality: extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability, and culture. Results revealed that the two groups rated each other in a stereotypical manner: Students with disabilities were seen as more conscientious and cultured than were students without disabilities, whereas students without disabilities were seen as more extraverted and emotionally stable than were students with disabilities. When the students rated themselves, however, no such differences between the two groups emerged. Implications of the results for clinical practice are discussed.     

Why we are fairer than others

Subjects wrote lists of either fair or unfair things that they or others did. A pervasive tendency was found for subjects to associate themselves with fair behaviors and others with unfair behaviors. When different subjects rated samples of the written behaviors for fairness and frequency we found that fair behaviors were rated as more frequent than unfair behaviors and self-ascribed behaviors were rated as fairer than behaviors ascribed to others. These findings and others are shown to result from a tendency for subjects to perceive a stronger link between the fairness and frequency of their own behavior than between the fairness and frequency of the behavior of other people. A final analysis showed that the subcategories of unfair behavior that subjects associated with others were different from those associated with themselves.     

Conversation and Communication by J. A. M. Meerloo

Recent research shows that adolescents are a high-risk group for HIV infection, and that educational campaigns designed to reduce risk taking concerning HIV/AIDS have been largely ineffective with this population. It is probable that irrational psychodynamic processes underlie this risky behavior. In order to explore these behaviors, a sample of low-risk high-school adolescents and one of high-risk institutionalized juvenile offenders were formed into small groups for psychodynamic group therapy. This article presents preliminary findings based on qualitative analysis of the group process. Several sources of participants' difficulties in forming realistic appraisals of HIV/AIDS risk and of acting in accordance with them were unidentified, especially attempts to cope with experiences of loss, developing sexuality, and sexual identity and changing relations with adults. Certain problems were developmentally salient with all adolescents, whereas others were especially marked for the high-risk population of developmentally disturbed adolescents.     

First‐Person Shooters and the Third‐Person Effect

A sample of 118 U.S. 6th and 7th graders was used to examine early adolescents’ views of whether video games negatively influence themselves, others of the same age, and younger others. Six specific games ranging in rating from E for Everyone to M for Mature were listed for the early adolescents to respond to, with questions asked about both potential influence and whether young people should be allowed to play the games. Results support a third‐person perception that grew as the rating of the game became more restrictive and as the “other” group in question became younger. The presence of rules set by parents about video game use was a positive predictor of perceptions of influence on self and others.     

Using Self-Directed Video Prompting to Teach Students with Intellectual Disabilities

This study examined the effects of self-directed video prompting presented via an iPod Touch on teaching four adolescents with moderate-to-severe intellectual and developmental disabilities two daily living tasks. Students were taught to wash a table using instructor-delivered video prompts. After reaching 80 % correct for at least three consecutive sessions, a system of most-to-least prompts was used to teach them to use the iPod Touch and a video prompting app (inPromptu) independently. In the final phase, students used inPromptu on the iPod Touch to teach themselves to vacuum with self-directed video prompts. Results of the study demonstrate that all four students learned to wash a table with instructor-directed video prompts, they all learned to use inPromptu on the iPod Touch independently, two students used inPromptu on the iPod Touch to teach themselves to vacuum, and a third student was learning to vacuum using inPromptu.