Psychic Pain in Chronic School Failure/Learning Disabilities: Evidence from a Projective Technique

Abstract

The present study attempts to investigate the existence of psychic pain in young learners experiencing chronic school failure/learning disabilities. Using a projective technique, the participants were asked to express the thoughts, feel- ings, dreams and wishes of an 'imaginary' child of their own age. LD individuals: a mentioned terrifying nightmares, and b. did not 'admit' their LD, even though in subsequent questions the majority admitted a projection of their own thoughts and feelings onto the 'imaginary' child. A high proportion of 'average/good' academic performance individuals answered more positively. The response pattern of LD individuals in our projective task not only reveals the magnitude of the psy- chic pain experienced by LD individuals but also offers a unique depiction of the way in which each of these individuals experience the psychic pain. The feeling of 'helplessness' stemming from chronic LD, combined with other related nega- tive experiences during the sensitive years of personality development, add up to severe psychological pressure like that described in the psychological trauma literature.