Piloting 'Clever Kids

A randomized-controlled trial assessing feasibility, efficacy, and acceptability of a socioemotional well-being programme for children with dyslexia

Bibliographic Data

ID5262137
AuthorsMark E Boyes (0000-0001-5420-8606, School of Psychology Curtin University Perth Western Australia Australia, corresponding author), Suze Leitão (0000-0003-3229-3226, School of Occupational Therapy, Social Work and Speech Pathology Curtin University Perth Western Australia Australia), Mary Claessen (0000-0002-1087-5041, School of Occupational Therapy, Social Work and Speech Pathology Curtin University Perth Western Australia Australia), Peta Dzidic (0000-0002-8608-3825, School of Psychology Curtin University Perth Western Australia Australia), Nicholas A Badcock (0000-0001-6862-4694, School of Psychological Science University of Western Australia Perth Western Australia Australia), Mandy Nayton (School of Occupational Therapy, Social Work and Speech Pathology Curtin University Perth Western Australia Australia)
Year2021
Volume91
Issue3
Pages950-971
Publication date2021-09-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueBritish Journal of Educational Psychology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0007-0998 • E-ISSN: 2044-8279
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/bjep.12401
PMID33368190
OpenAlexW3113551883
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited40

Children with dyslexia are at elevated risk of internalizing (emotional) and externalizing (behavioural) problems. Clever Kids is a nine-week socioemotional well-being programme developed specifically for upper primary school children with dyslexia. In a small randomized-controlled trial, we tested the feasibility, efficacy, and acceptability of the Clever Kids programme.'Forty children (Mage = 10.45 years, 65% male) with clinically diagnosed dyslexia too part in the study. Children were randomized to either attend Clever Kids (n = 20) or to a wait-list control condition (n = 20). Coping skills, self-esteem, resilience, emotion regulation, and internalizing and externalizing symptoms were measured at pre-programme, post-programme, and at three-month follow-up.Recruitment and retention rates indicate high feasibility for further evaluation of the programme. There was a significant interaction between intervention condition and time for non-productive coping [F(2, 76) = 4.29, p = 0.017, f2 = 0.11]. Children who attended Clever Kids significantly reduced their use of non-productive coping strategies, and this was maintained at three-month follow-up assessment. For all other outcomes, the interactions between intervention condition and time were non-significant. The programme appears acceptable to children with dyslexia and their families, but may be improved by further reducing the number of activities involving reading and writing.Clever Kids improved the coping skills of children with dyslexia; however, a larger trial is needed to replicate this finding and investigate whether programme attendance is associated with additional improvements in children's socioemotional well-being

Attendance · Coping (psychology) · Developmental psychology · Dyslexia · Randomized controlled trial · Reading (process) · Socioemotional selectivity theory · Clinical Psychology · Early Childhood Education and Development · Educational and Psychological Assessments · Medicine · Psychology · Youth Substance Use and School Attendance

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