THE SUBJECTS WERE 79 JUVENILE DELINQUENTS HANDLED BY TIDEWATER, VA., JUVENILE COURTS. ALL WERE AT LEAST 2 YEARS BEHIND IN READING, AND 90 PERCENT WERE AT LEAST 1 YEAR BEHIND IN GENERAL ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT. THERE WERE 47 BLACKS AND 32 WHITES; 58 WERE MALE AND 21 WERE FEMALE. FOR 48 OF THE DELINQUENTS, MEAN AGE 15 YEARS AND 3 MONTHS, NO REMEDIATION WAS PRESCRIBED. HOWEVER, THEY HAD INTENSIVE PROBATION SUPERVISION. FOR 31, MEAN AGE 13 YEARS AND 1 MONTHS, SPECIFIC ATTENTION WAS GIVEN TO THE LEARNING DISABILITY: 10 WERE PLACED IN SPECIAL EDUCATION IN A PRIVATE SCHOOL, 10 WERE PLACED IN SPECIAL EDUCATION IN A PUBLIC SCHOOL, 8 WERE GIVEN VISUAL-PERCEPTUAL-MOTOR TRAINING TO OVERCOME DIAGNOSED DISABILITIES, AND 6 WERE TUTORED. THE UNTREATED GROUP HAD A RECIDIVISM RATE OF 41.6 PERCENT; THE TUTORED GROUP 6.5 PERCENT (P LESS THAN .01). THE TOTAL JUVENILE RECIDIVISM RATE IN THE TIDEWATER AREA IS 55 PERCENT. IT IS POINTED OUT THAT THE REDUCTION IN RECIDIVISM WOULD MORE THAN PAY FOR A PROGRAM TO DIAGNOSE LEARNING DISABILITIES AND PROVIDE APPROPRIATE REMEDIATION. REFERENCES ARE APPENDED. (GLR)