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Biomedical subjects

S R Forness

Publications and source records attributed to S R Forness.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Stimulant medication and reading performance: follow-up on sustained dose in ADHD boys with and without conduct disorders.

The study examined the sustained effects of methylphenidate on reading performance in a sample of 42 boys, aged 8 to 11, with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Two subgroups were formed based on the presence or absence of co-occurring conduct disorders. Subjects were selected on the basis of their positive response to methylphenidate as determined in a series of original medication trials (Forness, Cantwell, Swanson, Hanna, & Youpa, 1991). For the purpose of this study, subjects were placed on their optimal dose of medication for a 6-week period and then tested on measures of oral reading and reading comprehension equivalent to those used in the original trials, retested after a week without medication (placebo), then tested again the following week after return to medication. Only the subgroup with conduct disorders responded, and this response was limited to reading comprehension improvement in only those subjects who also demonstrated improvement in oral reading on original trials. No response differences were found between subjects with or without learning disabilities.

Achievement↗
PubMed1991

Differential effects of stimulant medication on reading performance of boys with hyperactivity with and without conduct disorder.

Controversy surrounding stimulant medication, particularly its effects on reading performance, continues to obscure the issue of the use of this drug in classroom situations. The present study emphasized careful differential diagnosis, double-blind and placebo approaches, and curriculum-based dependent measures to address these concerns. Methylphenidate was administered to two groups of boys, ages 8 through 11. The two groups included 27 subjects meeting criteria for attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder but not conduct disorder, known as hyperactive disorder (HD), and 28 subjects meeting criteria for both diagnostic categories, known as hyperactive-aggressive (HA). Only four subjects in each group met a discrepancy criterion for learning disabilities (LD). Methylphenidate was administered to both groups at three levels of dosage, along with baseline and placebo conditions. Dependent measures involved both reading recognition and reading comprehension, equivalent across all conditions. No significant results were found for the group with HD in either reading recognition or comprehension, due largely to unusual placebo reactions. Results were generally in the direction predicted for the group with HA, but only significantly so in reading comprehension, and no dose effect was found on this variable. Implications for reading as a dependent measure of medication effects are discussed.

Achievement↗
PubMed1989

Identification and diagnostic issues in special education: a status report for child psychiatrists.

Education of children with learning, behavioral, or emotional disorders in the public schools has been rather remarkably transformed over the past decade by implementation of Public Law 94-142, Education of the Handicapped Act. Although children with learning disabilities have been served in far greater numbers than before, children with other disorders, including serious emotional disturbance, have either declined in numbers served or are being served in numbers far smaller than current prevalence rates would suggest are adequate. This paper reviews these trends, along with diagnostic criteria used to determine special education eligibility for such children, and discusses selected interdisciplinary and related trends.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Behavioral disturbance in mentally retarded children in TMR and EMR classrooms.

The frequency with which disruptive behavior actually takes place in ongoing classroom settings was examined. Disruptive behavior of 646 subjects in TMR and EMR classrooms was observed over a 4-day period. Although mean disruptive behavior occurred at relatively low levels, considerable variability was evident with some differences observed in the nature of disruptive behavior between TMR and EMR subjects. This variability was further examined within a subsample of "high" and "low" disrupters.

Child↗
PubMed1982

Status of interagency cooperation between interdisciplinary clinics or hospitals and the public schools.

Since public schools are now mandated to provide a large and varied range of clinical services to handicapped school children, a survey was conducted of 26 interdisciplinary UAF clinics and hospitals in regard to the types of services which they offer to public school children and the extent in which coordination of such services has been developed. Results suggest that diagnosis of evaluation is the primary reason for referral but that a wide variety of community outreach services are both requested by the schools and offered by interdisciplinary hospital and clinic staff. These services are described and the implications for future interagency cooperation are discussed.

Child↗
PubMed1979

Relationship between classroom behavior and achievement of mildly mentally retarded children.

Although the relationship between classroom behavior and academic achievement is well established for nonretarded children, the nature of this relationship is not clear for retarded children. Behavioral observations of 177 students in classrooms for educable mentally retarded children and for educationally handicapped children were compared to their achievement scores. Although significant correlations were found between some categories of behavior and achievement in arithmetic, the general absence of strong correlations was noteworthy when compared to previous findings on nonretarded subjects. Implications for academic instruction were suggested by the particular patterns of significant correlations.

Achievement↗