The effects of four treatment modalities upon the pattern recognition ability of young children

This research was undertaken in order to investigate the effects of four treatment methods upon the pattern recognition ability of young children. This research employed two phases utilizing a single organism design for each phase. The four treatment methods were: (1) pattern recognition treatment program; (2) motor treatment program; (3) pattern recognition and motor treatment program; and (4) motivational treatment program. Children, ages five and six years old, were selected from schools in the area of Denver, Colorado. The children were presented with both a standard English alphabet system and arabic number system as well as an invented symbol system. After the presentation of the four treatment programs during both presentations of the patterns, the following results were reported. It appeared that the pattern recognition and motor treatment program seemed to provide the treatment program in which the subjects experienced some success in the ability to recognize patterns presented to them. More specifically, the results found in Phase II seem to support the theory that "reading disabilities" may be the result of an interaction between biological and environmental factors. Fisher's Skill Theory (1980) was applied to the pattern recognition and motor treatment in order to interpret the results found. In the pattern recognition and motor treatment program, the children were stimulated in the area of sensory-motor development as well as pattern recognition skills. This may be related to or may have interacted with the children's increased ability to recognize patterns presented to them.