| In many ways, impaired self-esteem, behavioral difficulties, anxiety, depression (Levinson, Stricker, & Levinson, 2001), and even a higher risk for suicide (Baron, 1989) may be the most devastating symptoms associated with learning disabilities. Prior studies by Levinson (1980) showed that dyslexics with and without ADD responded favorably to cerebellar-vestibular enhancing or anti-motion sickness medications.; In this study, it was hypothesized that children's self-concept and comorbid psychiatric disorders would improve with the use of medications, which treat the academic symptoms of dyslexia. Also, it was expected that the behavioral difficulties of dyslexic children would lessen and that the parental reports of such behavioral problems would diminish as well. Additionally, it was hypothesized that these self-report scores of self-concept and behavior would approach those of the pre-test control group.; Thirty-eight learning disabled students (31 males and 7 females, ages 7–16) and thirty-seven “non learning disabled” control subjects (29 males and 9 females, ages 7–16) were individually matched for age and were recruited from the general population in the Arnold Lodge School. Students in both samples were all from suburban areas of England surrounding Leamington Spa. One year after the initial treatment and completion of the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale and the Behavior Assessment for Children's Self Report Scale, the learning-disabled children repeated the forms once again. In addition, mothers of the original 38 learning-disabled children filled out the Parent Rating Scales for a second time.; This research endeavor found that anti-motion sickness medications, such as meclizine, improved suffering students' self-concept (behavior, intellectual and school status, physical appearance and attributes, anxiety, popularity, happiness and satisfaction) and reduced negative behaviors such as attitude to school, attitude to teachers, atypicality, locus of control, social stress, anxiety, depression, sense of inadequacy, interpersonal relations, and self-reliance. However, no significant differences were found on children's perceived relationship with their parents and self-esteem. Furthermore, parental reports demonstrate that their learning-disabled children advanced in hyperactivity, aggression, conduct problems, anxiety, depression, atypicality, withdrawal, attention, adaptability, social skills, and leadership. Students reported that their happiness and satisfaction, physical appearance and attributes, anxiety, popularity, attitude to school, attitude to teachers, atypicality, locus of control, social stress, anxiety, clinical maladjustment component, depression, sense of inadequacy, relations with parents, interpersonal relations, self-esteem, and self-reliance levels approached that of the control group.; However, the cerbellar-vestibular enhancing medication alone does not seem to alleviate all of the secondary psychological symptoms. Although children's self-report of their behavior did improve with medication they remained significantly poorer than the control group on behavior as well as intellectual and school status. These lingering feelings of inferiority and dissatisfaction need to be addressed and ameliorated. Thus, psychologists are needed to help children, adolescents, and their families cope with the many stressors resulting from dyslexia. |
