The adolescent with a learning problem. Experience and insight with delinquent boys

Twelve teenaged boys referred by a juvenile court clinic because of delinquent behavior and academic failure were examined by an experienced team of pediatricians, neurologists, psychologists, social workers, nurses, and occupational, physical, recreational, speech and hearing therapists. Two boys came from troubled families with long histories of legal problems, had behavior problems antedating their school difficulties and had no evidence of perceptual handicaps. The remaining ten were the family blacksheep whose academic problems began early and whose behavior decompensated later. They all had perceptual handicaps and both groups of boys had intense psychological reactions to their school difficulties. The learning disabled require a flexible team approach in school together with individual, group and family therapy in order to achieve success.