Intervention in School and Clinic

Our hypothesis that alpha biofeedback training would make a significant difference in a clinic subject's reading gain scores was rejected. Table 4 shows these gain scores.

As in Nail's initial study, most of our subjects gained in amplitude and duration of alpha waves with the biofeedback training. There was also a slight improvement in hyperkinetic and maladaptive behavior, and there was a significant increase in comprehension.

Oral reading and comprehension scores were separated and no significant differences in gain were found. Perhaps one semester and ten sessions were not enough to demonstrate a significant difference in reading improvement by learning-disabled children using alpha biofeedback training. The results did show, however, that the control group made better oral gains while the experimental group made better comprehension gains—and that was our original target.

The Denver Developmental Screening Test was ”positive“ in only 17 percent of children who were identified by physical examination to have organic neurological disorders, while 56 percent of those with neurologic disorders passed all four subtests of the DDST.

Contrary to previous reports, young children in this study were able to perform successfully on the double simultaneous stimulation test with eyes closed. Only about one third of the group of children under five years of age failed the test. Overall, 36 percent of all children under six years of age failed the test. Of the 64 percent that were able to succeed with the test, 41 percent performed all items with no difficulty, and an additional 23 percent succeeded but showed some type of problem in doing so.

To many teachers, the application of operant techniques to the classroom suggests bribery or giving candy. Better understanding, however, and creative application of that understanding, can suggest many constructive and culturally acceptable techniques to better serve the needs of children, especially those children who experience difficulty in learning.

In the study reported, the children were introduced to a contingency program that was effective in helping them to learn to read. The program involved the introduction of structure that resulted in better responses. Behaviors that were desirable were made clear, and success in small units was visually recorded as it occurred. The children were able to see their success accumulate toward both short-term (smiling faces) and long-term (mural completion) goals. They were able to see themselves grow—daily, and over a course of weeks. The program required that learning be rewarded in the best possible way: by seeing one's self grow. Children who might be said to be immature or distractible were helped to attend by being given structure and feedback of the kind they needed most. At the same time, a classroom bulletin board became increasingly attractive and interesting—and perhaps more important to the children than it had ever been before.