DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia

- Enrolled on COG-AALL0434 or COG-AALL0232

- Patients must have received either high-dose methotrexate or escalating-dose
methotrexate during interim maintenance.

- No CNS-3 disease

- Patients must enroll within 8-24 months after completion of therapy on COG-AALL0232
and no evidence of relapsed or secondary malignancy

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

- No known significant neurodevelopmental disability unrelated to cancer diagnosis
including, but not limited to, any of the following:

- Down syndrome

- Fragile X mental retardation

- Autism

- Pervasive developmental disability

- Seizure disorder

- Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder or specific learning disability (e.g.,
dyslexia) allowed

- No sensory impairment (e.g., pre-existing uncorrectable vision impairment or
deafness)

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

- See Disease Characteristics

- No cranial radiation therapy


Gender: Both

Minimum Age: 1 Year

Maximum Age: 17 Years

Accepts healthy volunteers: No