None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Reading impairment (dyslexia) is the most common specific learning difficulty in Australia. Approximately 10% of Australian children have substantial difficulties in reading and spelling, and these children are at elevated risk of developing mental health problems: both internalising disorders (e.g. anxiety, depression) and externalising disorders (e.g. attention and conduct problems, delinquency). The transition from primary to secondary school is a particularly stressful period for children with dyslexia due to the increased educational demands and expectations placed on children regarding the quantity and quality of reading and writing. We will conduct a randomised controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy of a mental health promotion program (Clever Kids) in improving coping, emotion regulation, perseverance, assertiveness, and self-esteem, as well as both internalising and externalising symptoms for children with dyslexia in their final two years of primary school. We predict that program attendance will be associated with improvements in coping and emotion regulation skills, self-esteem, perseverance, assertiveness, as well as internalising and externalising symptoms. Additionally, we predict that these improvements will be maintained over the three month follow-up period. Acceptability of the program will be assessed using in-depth qualitative interviews with program attendees. The research will be conducted in partnership with the Dyslexia-SPELD Foundation (DSF).
Interventions
Participants will have a diagnosed reading disability and will be in Year 5 and Year 6 (i.e., in the last two years of primary school or first year of high school). Participants will be recruited through the Dyslexia-SPELD Foundation and other clinical service providers, as well as via social media (facebook and twitter). Participants will be randomly allocated into either the intervention or wait-list control condition.
The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the program in:
Participants will have a diagnosed reading disability and will be in Year 5 and Year 6 (i.e., in the last two years of primary school or first year of high school). Participants will be recruited through the Dyslexia-SPELD Foundation and other clinical service providers, as well as via social media (facebook and twitter). Participants will be randomly allocated into either the intervention or wait-list control condition. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the program in: 1) Developing effective coping and emotion regulation strategies 2) Improving self-esteem, perseverance/goal setting and assertiveness 3) Improving child mental health by reducing internalising and externalising symptomatology The Clever Kids program is implemented by a registered psychologist and conducted in small groups (n~10). The program targets child self-esteem, assertiveness, perseverance coping, and emotion regulation strategies. Group sessions are conducted once a week at DSF clinics. The program consists of nine weekly sessions attended after school over a school term. Each session lasts one hour and fifteen minutes. Session content has been informed by evidence-based socioemotional programs and adapted for children with reading difficulties. The program concentrates intensively on three key skill areas: 1) awareness and strengthening of current coping methods, 2) challenging self-defeating thoughts, and 3) assertion skills to discover needs and ask appropriately for support. Session 1 establishes group and confidentiality rules and considers the experience of dyslexia, with a specific focus on resilience and a multidimensional approach to self-esteem. Sessions 2-5 focus on coping, emotion regulation, and positive/optimistic thinking. Session 6 focuses on setting and pursuing achievable goals. Sessions 7 and 8 focus on developing assertive verbal and non-verbal behaviour. Session 9 revises and integrates program components. Sessions include the direct teaching of educational information by the psychologist, sharing and discussing individual experiences of living with dyslexia, small group work and games, goal-setting, and role-playing. Adherence to the intervention will be assessed by monitoring attendance at each session.
Sponsors
Curtin University
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Prevention
Masking
Blinded (masking used) (Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
9 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
Participants in the Clever Kids program are children with a diagnosis of dyslexia who are in Year 5, Year 6, (i.e., in the last two years of primary school). Depending on the uptake, we may include Year 7, first year of high school. One primary caregiver will need to be involved in the study. The primary caregiver will report on the child's emotional health, using the parent-report version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and the Revised Children's Anxiety and Depression Scale. Participants must be willing to provide informed consent (parent consent and child assent).
Exclusion criteria
Participants will be excluded from the study if they are currently receiving psychological treatment or have additional complex needs. There are no exclusion criteria for parents.
Outcome results
None listed