ABSTRACT
There is a rich heritage of psychoanalytic literature that has addressed the whole spectrum of learning problems in children. Beginning with Blanchard’s (1946) delineation of the pertinent dynamics of reading disabilities in children, numerous psychoanalytic studies have made important contributions to the understanding of the learning process. The comprehensive survey by Pearson (1952), the clinical studies of Hellman (1954), the etiological studies of Buxbaum (1964), and the sophisticated observations of DeHirsch (1975) and of Berger and Kennedy (1975) have been instrumental in the understanding of what interferes with the child’s competent performance in school. In spite of these contributions there has been a noticeable hiatus in the psychoanalytic exploration of learning disabilities in children.
