Clinical Study as a Method in Experimental Education

Abstract

The paper presents some reflections upon the relationship between group study and individual study as a method of educational investigation. As an illustration an analytical study of a case of alexia is described. The patient, a girl of 9½ years was in the fourth grade. She was unable to read and unfit for to do the work of the grade. The child was found to be of normal intelligence. No difficulties were observed in auditory speech and she was able to reproduce from auditory presentation. The child showed difficulty in the visual language tests. The words the, and, and tone were spelled correctly and fairly readily, but there was difficulty with horse and house. The difficulty seemed to be connected with the translation between visual and sound symbols. Photographic records of the eye movements in reading both before and after treatment are reproduced. The conclusion drawn was that phonetic drill had been used beyond the point where it was useful. The treatment attempted to develop more direct associations between sight of words and their meaning. For a time phonetic analysis was abandoned. The treatment is described in detail. The conclusion is that it is justified to raise a serious question whether there is such a thing as specific congenital word blindness or alexia. We should keep in mind continually that it is individuals with whom we are to deal and that our conclusions should always be in terms of individuals. From Psych Bulletin 18:01:00098. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)