Integrative Trbatment of Undesirable Behavior

Very often children with learning difficulties show undesirable forms of behavior, which means any of the forms of behavior considered by the society to be striking and unacceptable, or in other words, those which disturb or hinder the process of education and rehabilitation. The objective of this research was to examine the possibilities of applying integrative therapy in the treatment of mental disorders and undesirable behavior in children with learning disabilities. The sample consists of 13 children with learning disabilities, aged 7 to 11. In this research, the term learning disabilities <overs children whose problems in academical skills are primady caused by the low cognitive abilities. The lQ range, measured by Wisc is scaled from lQ 54 to lQ 84. The AAMD adaptive behavior scale (Part ll) was applied (Nihira, Foster, Shellhaas and Leland, 1974; Croatian adaptation: lrgi(, Fulgosi-Masnjak, 1991). The results show that children involved in the integrative group therapy, after the experimental period, have shown statistically significant decreases in the frequency of undesirable forms of behavior. The change in the behavior of children, as perceived by the parents, suggests that the decrease has been influenced mostly by the decrease in psychological disturbances which are related to withdrawal and/or violent and destructive behavior. According to the teachers assessment, the decrease is noticable in those forms of undesirable behavior which hinder classroom work.