The Residential Treatment Response of Disturbed Children Using Serial Ratings of Adjustment

Abstract

The response of twenty latency-aged children to residential treatment was measured by serial child-care ratings. Those who did not respond early made no gains during the latter half of hospitalization. A satisfactory outcome was best predicted by the total rating change within the first six months as a percentage of the treatment interval. Treatment success appeared to depend upon the extent to which the program modified the child's customary defences and behaviour within that period, irrespective of whether this resulted in an increase or reduction in disturbance. Possible reasons for lack of early change are discussed.

A Comparison of the Residential Treatment Response of Children'S Aid Society Wards and non-Wards

“…Although supervisory staff remained very constant this was not so for the child-care students or recently graduated workers who had the greatest contact with the children; thirdly, these units were designed for the treatment of pre-adolescents. Children who were older at admission would therefore be more likely to be discharged before treatment was completed, due to the onset of adolescence and treatment needs which could no-longer be met; fourthly, considerable fluctuation in ratings may take place in the early months of admission (4). Therefore real differences in admission ratings might be masked if the Nineteen pairs of subjects met these criteria, and matching was very close.…”