PARENT-DIRECTED TREATMENT OF LEARNING DISABILITIES

LEARNING DISABILITIES, HYPERACTIVITY, AND OTHER DEVELOPMEN- TAL DISORDERS ARE STRESSFUL AND OFTEN PRODUCE SERIOUS EMOTIONAL DISTRESS AND BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS. LEARNING DIS- ABILITIES ALSO HAVE KNOWN NATURAL HISTORIES AND SPECIFIC REHABILITATIVE APPROACHES THAT ARE REMEDIAL AND THAT TEACH THROUGH COMPENSATORY AVENUES THAT HAVE BEEN USED FOR FIFTY YEARS, YET MANY PROBLEMS EXIST. LEARNING DISABILITY SERVICES ARE OFTEN TOO FEW, TOO EXPENSIVE, AND TOO LATE TO HEAD OFF EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIORAL DISTRESS IN THE CHILD. BECAUSE PUBLIC SUPPORTED SERVICES ARE TOO LIMITED AND PRIVATE SERVICES TOO EXPENSIVE, ALONG WITH PROBLEMS OF PARENT SUPPORT AND COMPLIANCE, MANY CHILDREN NEVER RECEIVE ADEQUATE ATTENTION OR CARE. THERE IS A NEED TO PROVIDE COST-EFFECTIVE TREATMENT SERVICES AND TO ASSESS THE MOST EFFECTIVE MIX OF SERVICES FOR DIFFERENT TYPES OF LEARNING DISABLED CHILDREN. TREATMENT APPROACHES HAVE NOT ALWAYS BEEN SPECIFIED IN OBJECTIVE AND RELIABLE UNITS THAT CAN BE REPLICATED. THE RESEARCH PROPOSED HERE IS THREEFOLD: (1) IDENTIFY AND CATEGORIZE THE TYPES OF TREATMENT APPROACHES WHICH ARE CURRENTLY IN USE. (2) STANDARDIZED INSTRUCTIONS, TRAINING MATERIALS, AND INDIVIDUAL EXERCISES THAT CAN BE USED BY THE NONPROFESSIONAL WILL BE COLLECTED OR DESIGNED. (3) ONCE SPECIALIZED TREATMENT PROGRAMS ARE DEVELOPED TO MEET THE SPECIFIC NEEDS OF EACH CHILD, THE MOST EFFECTIVE, INCLUDING THE MOST COST-EFFECTIVE, MIX OF SERVICES WILL BE DEVELOPED, UTILIZING PARENTS AND TECHNICIANS TO DELIVER THESE SERVICES.