Joe: A Durham-Oxford Trial Case Study
In reviewing the testimonials page on the Durham-Oxford Trial web site, I came across the following case study:
“[Joe’s] parents described him as a ‘difficult child from birth’. He had been born two weeks prematurely and was small for dates. He screamed constantly and following referral to a paediatrician was admitted to hospital at 9 months for investigation into his poor weight gain. He was allergic to milk products and had red patches of dry, flaky skin at the back of his knees. Unlike his older brother he avoided constructional toys - he hated jigsaws and Lego - and he was 20 months before walking independently. He slept only a few hours each day until he was 4 years old. His sleeping patterns continued to be erratic even after starting school. His diet was limited: he ate large quantities of dry bread, smoked sausage and bananas - the only fruit he would tolerate.
At 8, Joe was still unable to dress himself, had problems coordinating a knife and fork, could not ride a bike and his parents said “If there is anything at all he can bump into or trip over he’ll find it”. Despite his difficulties, Joe was popular in his peer group and children in the class were very supportive. In the infants, Joe presented as a happy child but by the age of 8 he was becoming frustrated by his problems. He was very irritable and had frequent mood swings. He was described as ‘hysterical with excitement’ one minute and ‘tearful and withdrawn’ the next.
Neuropsychological assessment highlighted discrepancies between his verbal and non-verbal ability. His reading was measured at a level 18 months above his chronological age, his comprehension skills were also very good. Verbally he was very imaginative but he struggled to put anything on paper. In the classroom he was becoming increasingly distractible, not concentrating sufficiently to finish the tasks set. As part of the assessment, he was given a piece of writing to copy (See Fig 1)
Figure 1. Extract copied from ‘The Twits’ by Roald Dahl
Joe had accessed school-based programmes to improve his motor skills and perception. Progress was slow and during a review mum said that she had noticed him drinking more and having very sweaty palms and feet. His eczema was particularly bad at the time. The G.P. had seen him and blood tests had revealed nothing unusual. Joe started on a course of EFA supplements and within a week his parents believed he had become less excitable and by the end of a month his class teacher reported significant improvements not just in his attention to task but also in the presentation of his work. On occasion, particularly when feeling stressed Joe had developed a slight tremor in his hand when writing. This had completely disappeared. More importantly, Joe said “My head feels clear” and he had noticed changes in his handwriting. A month after Joe began his ‘treatment’ he was asked to rewrite the piece previously copied from Roald Dahl’s book. The results were remarkable (See Fig. 2)
Figure 2
Joe continues to make good progress. In school the staff believe that the most obvious effect is a difference in his concentration. The quantity of written work he is able to produce has increased and the content of his stories , which are now legible reflect his ability. His parents report that he is now keen to come to school and he no longer claims to have headaches and stomach pains towards the end of school holidays. Ω
SOURCE: Durham Research Site