2-YEAR GROUP TREATMENT FOR CHILDREN WITH LEARNING-DIFFICULTIES - ASSESSING EFFECTS OF TREATMENT DURATION AND PRETREATMENT CHARACTERISTICS

The results of a 2-year treatment study of children with learning prob lems are reported. During the first treatment year, half of the childr en participated in a multifaceted neurocognitive treatment and the oth er half in a treatment that provided supervision of school tasks and p eer group support. During the second treatment year, all children part icipated in the neurocognitive treatment. The participants were 74 Chi lean children 6 to 11 years old. The issues under investigation were t he effect of treatment duration, and the relationship between pretreat ment neurocognitive and behavioral characteristics and academic treatm ent outcome. The results indicated that significant gains occurred dur ing both the first and the second treatment year. No major differences were found between the treatment groups. Pretreatment negative behavi oral traits were associated with lesser academic growth in the group p articipating in the homework supervision treatment but not in the neur ocognitive treatment group.