Psychological adjustment in learning disabled, hyperactive, and hyperactive/learning disabled children as measured by the personality inventory for children

Abstract

The present study evaluated the personality adjustment of 15 learning disabled, 15 hyperactive, and 15 hyperactive/learning disabled boys between 6 and 13 years of age by means of the Personality Inventory for Children (PIC). Results indicated that 6 of the 16 scales significantly differentiated these groups. These were the Frequency, Adjustment, Delinquency, Psychosis, Hyperactivity, and Social Skills scales. Subsequent pairwise comparisons indicated that the learning disabled group was less deviant on these 6 scales than either the hyperactive or hyperactive/learning disabled groups. The latter two groups both demonstrated deviant profiles but were not significantly different from each other. Acutuarial analysis revealed that hyperactive/learning disabled children had a higher percentage of clinical elevations on the scales of Achievement, Intellectual Screening, and Development than the purely hyperactive or the purely learning disabled groups. Both groups of hyperactive children had a significantly greater percentage of clinical elevations on the Hyperactivity Scale than did the purely learning disabled group.