Concerns of secondary students with a history of learning disabilities: a pilot study.

Abstract

was administered to 21 subjects, aged 15 to 17 yr. Ten of the subjects had histories of identified learning disabilities since at least Grade 6 and had been receiving remedial educational services. There were no other identified handicaps or medical problems. The Scholastic Testing Service Youth Inventory is a problems checklist (167 items) giving subjects an opportunity to express personal, social, and academic concerns. Alternative responses to each item permit the subject to indicate the intensity of the concern: serious, moderate, occasional or non-existent. Subjects were tested simultaneously, and the 167 items were read aloud by the examiner to compensate for deficient reading skills. A two-tailed t test was performed to compare the mean responses to each of the 167 items. Fourteen items were identified as statistically significant and indicative of the problems of the learning disabled subjects. These items were: I am a slow reader (t 4.31, df = 19, p < .01); I have trouble taking notes in class (t = 2.81, df = 19, < .05); I have trouble keeping up with my homework (t = 2.25, df = 19, P < .05); I would quit school now if I could (t = 2.49, df = 19, p < .05); I have trouble writing good essays (t = 2.49, df = 19, p < .01); I wish my teachers would make assignments more clear (t = 4.25, df = 19, p < .01); I would like to take courses that are not offered in my school (t = 2.64, df = 19, p < .05) ; I need more information about trade schools (t = 2.98, df = 19, p < .01); I have trouble keeping my temper (t = 2.27. df = 19, p < .05); I am too nervous (t = 2.17, df = 19, p < .05); I am always thinking up alibis (t = 3.01, df = 19, fl < .01); I get sick too often (t = 2.91, df = 19, p < .01); I want to become a leader in my group (t = 2.35, df = 19, p < .05); Many people