A NORTH Yorkshire conference is today and tomorrow debating the latest research into the needs of children with dyslexia or communication problems.

The research has been carried out by experts from the University of York. More than 200 delegates were expected to attend The British Psychological Society's Division of Education and Child Psychology's annual conference, at the Moat House Hotel, in Harrogate.

During today, the first day of the conference, Dr Poppy Nash from the University of York, was discussing a programme to target the pyschosocial needs of children with persistent communication difficulties. She said: "Persistent communication difficulties in school-aged children are frequently accompanied by psycho-social problems, such as low self-esteem and poor self-image, which can hamper further progress.

"The longer the difficulties persist, the longer help is required, the more the child's school is disrupted for clinical appointments and the more likely the child is to be victimised and stigmatised by peers for appearing different to them.

"A vicious circle can ensue, which not only contributes to the child's cycle of disadvantage, but also to continuing costs to health, education and the social services."

Dr Nash, along with other experts, has developed a programme to help teachers, speech and language therapists, parents and others caring for children with such difficulties. The programme looks at strategies for coping with bullying, improving communication, relaxation and improving social skills.

Dr Nash said: "The research-based programme has proved to be a highly successful means of enabling the child to cope effectively with dysfunctional communication on a daily basis.

"It promotes the value of intensive individual and group work for boosting communication, specific speech difficulties and social competence within a supportive environment."

Dr Nash will also discuss the relevance of the programme for other groups of children who may be underachieving and experiencing failure at school. Over the course of the two-day conference more than 40 papers will be presented, looking at the role of the educational psychologist in education, the relationship between feelings and learning, and the use of psychology.

Meeting the needs of pupils with severe emotional, behavioural and mental health difficulties will be discussed by Debra Potel and Peter Fuggle from the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service in Islington.

A project to take under seven-year-olds, with anti-social behaviour, out of school and give them a 12-week period of intensive training will be discussed by Irene Miller from Kirklees Psychological Services in Huddersfield.

Research by educational psychologists Jeremy Swinson and Richard Melling will show how it is possible to include children with emotional and behavioural difficulties in the local mainstream school.

Other issues to be discussed at the conference are bullying, the transition from primary to secondary schools, the link between crime and early experiences, and sports psychology.

Updated: 10:42 Wednesday, January 08, 2003