Psychosocial functioning of children with learning disabilities at three age levels

Abstract

In this study, the relationship between age and patterns of psychosocial functioning was investigated in a sample of 728 children with learning disabilities (LD). In the first part of the study, Young (7-8 years), Middle (9-10 years), and Old (11-13 years) children were subtyped by cluster analysis applied to scores on the Personality Inventory for Children (PIC). The subtypes that emerged at each age level were similar to those found in our previous research, and were comparable at each age level. In the second part of the study, children were classified within a PIC-based psychosocial typology developed in previous studies. When the subtypes were broken down by age category, the mean PIC profiles of Young, Middle, and Old children did not differ substantially in shape or elevation, and the proportions of Young, Middle, and Old children in each subtype were comparable. These results suggest that patterns of psychosocial functioning of children with LD are stable across ages 7-13 years and, overall, do not show increased psychopathology with increased age.