Variability and Instability in Perceptual and Reading Functions of Brain-Injured Children

Abstract

Thirty-four children diagnosed as brain-injured and enrolled in a school for brain-injured children and 40 children in regular classes took part in a study of variability and instability in perceptual and reading functions. The children were divided into an older group (10 to 11 years old) and a younger group (6 to 7 years old) and were matched for age, IQ, and socioeconomic background. Three perceptual functions were tested — auditory sequence, spatial relationships, and visual-motor coordination. Reading was tested by means of a four-part examination composed of single consonants, nonsense syllables, words, and sentences. All children were individually examined three times over an interval of two months two weeks.

The three major hypotheses investigated were (1) brain-injured children would display more instability in repeated task performance over time than normal children; (2) brain-injured children would display more variability in level of performance from task to task; and (3) instability in perceptual functioning is not developmentally related, whereas instability in reading level is developmentally related.

The results indicate that both older and younger brain-injured children display instability in various perceptual areas. Young brain-injured children appear not to differ significantly in this respectfrom their normal peers. Only in the case of older brain-injured children is such instability of diagnostic significance.

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