Chapter 17 - Specific Learning Disorders

Question 1

Learning Disabilities

Answer 1

• child does not academically achieve at expected age and ability levels
• discrepancy btwn a child’s achievement in one or more of the following areas:
  
  • Oral expression​
  • Listening comprehension​
  • Written expression ​
  • Basic reading skills​
  • Reading comprehension​
  • Mathematics calculation​
  • Mathematical reasoning​

Question 2

Dyslexia

Answer 2

• unexpected difficulty w/ reading, abilities are below that of their age group
• word retrieval and ID is slowed
• spoken and written lang affected
• genetic component
• can be acquired via a TBI
• spelling, word recognition affected

Question 3

Dyslexia at different ages

Answer 3

• kindergarten: lang delay, pronunciation, difficulty writing names
• elementary: reading out loud, mixing letters
• high school: don’t want to engage, misspelling words in diff ways, diff writing longer assignments, diff learning new lang

Question 4

Visual processing model of dyslexia

Answer 4

• less activation in the magnocellular pathway
• correlate w/ reading speed
• visual perceptual deficit
• surface and deep dyslexia

Question 5

Surface dyslexia (Visual processing model of dyslexia)

Answer 5

• impaired whole-word reading and unimpaired ability to sound out words
• difficulty w/ whole word recognition
• can sound out words

Question 6

Deep dyslexia (visual processing model of dyslexia)

Answer 6

• intact whole-word reading and impaired ability to sound out words
• if word is unknown, they cannot pronounce it
• can’t sound out new words

Question 7

Phonological processing model of dyslexia

Answer 7

• application of codes for translating letters and letter sequences into the appropriate speech sound equivalents
• deficits in word decoding (which sounds go together)
• early deficits in phonological processing is predictive of later reading achievement
• most supported theory

Question 8

Neuropathogenesis of Dyslexia

Answer 8

• smaller left hemisphere (supports phonological theory)
• planum temporale is implicated
• disorganized and smaller cell bodies in the magnocellular system

Question 9

Nonverbal learning disorder

Answer 9

• deficit in: visual-perceptual, tactile-perceptual, psychomotor and nonverbal problem solving skills
• dyscalculia: trouble with arithmetic
• lang develops more normally than in dyslexia

Question 10

Neuropsychological pathogenesis of NVLD

Answer 10

• R hemisphere damage/dysfunction via:
  
  • damage to white fibers,
  • damage to connecting cortical regions,
  • OR,
  • damage to link btwn cortical to subcortical regions

Question 11

Neuropsychological assessment of NVLD

Answer 11

• errors in:
  
  • spatial organization (mental math)
  • failure to apply mathematical procedures (PEMDAS)
  • struggle w/ pragmatic language and nonverbal cues
  • struggle w/ writing numbers and words
• verbal language is enhanced, nonverbal is impaired

Question 12

Infants/Toddlers w/ NVLD

Answer 12

• exploratory behavior and motor skills lag behind lang development
• require more dependence

Question 13

Elementary children w/ NVLD

Answer 13

• prone to acting out, impulsive, hyperactive, difficulty maintaining attention (resembled ADHD)

Question 14

Adolescents w/ NVLD

Answer 14

• avoided by peers, will make friends w/ younger or older peers instead
• become socially withdrawn and isolated
• can develop depression

Question 15

Tx of NVLD

Answer 15

• goal is to develop verbal language via word processing
• learn problem-solving strategies
• develop necessary communication skills
• engage and interact appropriately w/ others (social cues)
• gain realistic view of his or her strength and weakness