Aspects of Childhood Disorders of Thinking and Behaviour

Abstract

This chapter serves to identify for the reader the type of children with whom the present study is concerned, their characteristic histories and behaviours and how they generally differ from other broad groups of grossly subnormal children. In this context the enigma of whether there is a consistent meaningful relationship between the members of the group to be studied is raised. The chief characteristics which distinguish all children described as mentally handicapped are a marked slowness to learn new material in both formal and informal settings, and an inability to solve simple problems even when all of the facts necessary for their solution have been learned. The more common manifestations of intellectual subnormality are characterised by these features which, furthermore, reflect themselves in a lack of adaptability appropriate to chronological age (Heber,1961,p.3) and in other signs arising naturally and obviously out of them, such as immature social and emotional behaviour. Although it is claimed that such children do exhibit qualitative differences in their thinking (Luria,1963) signs which are said to indicate these differences do not become evident or crystallised until a child reaches a mental level equivalent to that of a normal child of chronological age of six or more years. Others maintain that, in fact, there may be no qualitative difference at all (Furneaux, 1961).