Children with Learning Disabilities

Question 1

At what age do social and emotional advancements tend to occur?

Answer 1

from 3 months

Question 2

When does movement greatly improve?

Answer 2

from 7 months

Question 3

When do hand an finger skills tend to improve?

Answer 3

from 1 year

Question 4

When do cognitive capabilities tend to improve?

Answer 4

from 2 years

Question 5

When do hearing, speech, vision and language tend to greatly improve?

Answer 5

2-5 years

Question 6

When is developmental delay present?

Answer 6

when development in one or more domains (social, motor, language, cognitive or emotional) are delayed compared to expected level for age

Question 7

What is Global Developmental Delay?

Answer 7

a significant delay in 2 or more of the developmental domains

Question 8

What are primary care assessment tools for developmental delay?

Answer 8

• ASQ (ages and stages questionnaire)
• PEDS (parental evaluation of developmental status)
• M-CHAT (checklist for autism in toddlers)
• SOGS-2 (schedule of growing skills)

Question 9

How is developmental delay classed?

Answer 9

as isolated or global

Question 10

SOGS-2

Answer 10

• information about child’s development over a range of ages

- 0-5 years

Question 11

What are examples of secondary care assessment tools for a child with development delay?

Answer 11

• Griffiths mental development scales
• Bayley scales of infant development
• Wechsler preschool and primary scales of intelligence

Question 12

What are features on examination of the chid that you would look for when assessing developmental delay?

Answer 12

• Head circumference
• Dysmorphic features
• Skin abnormalities
• Movement quality
• Ability to sit and stand from supine
• Eye movements and eye examination
• General examination: CVS, Respiratory
• Abdominal examination
• Observation of behaviour

Question 13

What are 3 common syndromes that are associated with developmental delay?

Answer 13

• Down syndrome
• Fragile X syndrome
• William’s syndrome

Question 14

What are some facial features of William’s syndrome?

Answer 14

• elfin facies
• broad forehead
• medial eyebrow flare
• flat nasal bridge
• malar flattening
• shot nose with long filtrum
• full lips
• wide mouth

Question 15

What are red flag symptoms that may point to a developmental delay?

Answer 15

• Loss of developmental skills
• Concerns re vision
• Concerns re hearing
• Floppiness
• No speech by 18-24 months
• Asymmetry of movement
• Persistent toe walking
• Head circumference >99.6th C or < 0.4th C

Question 16

What are reassuring sigs that a child is unlikely to have a developmental delay?

Answer 16

• Sit unsupported by 12 months
• Walk by 18months (boys) or 2 years (girls): Check creatinine kinase
• Walk other than on tiptoes
• Run by 2.5 years
• Hold objects in hand by 5 months
• Reach for objects by 6 months
• Points to objects to share interest by 2 years

Question 17

What tests might you consider doing on identifying developmental delay?

Answer 17

• genetic testing e.g. FISH, chromosomal analysis, Fragile X
• creatinine kinase
• thyroid screening
• metabolic testing e.g. amino and organic acids, lactate etc
• opthalmological examination
• audiology examination
• consider congenital infection
• neuroimaging

Question 18

What are first line examinations in to developmental delay?

Answer 18

• chromosomes
• Fragile X
• Us and Es
• creatinine kinase
• lead
• TFTs
• urate
• FBC
• ferritin

Question 19

What are second line investigations in to developmental delay?

Answer 19

• neuroimaging
• EEG
• genetics

Question 20

What are 3 common motor problems?

Answer 20

• delayed maturation
• cerebral palsy
• developmental coordination disorder

Question 21

What are 3 common sensory problems?

Answer 21

• deafness
• visual impairment
• multisensory impairment

Question 22

What are 2 common language/cognitive problems?

Answer 22

• specific language impairment

- learning disability

Question 23

What are3 common social/communication problems?

Answer 23

• autism
• asperger syndrome
• elective mutism

Question 24

What are some local services for developmental problems?

Answer 24

• community paediatric clinics
• child development teams
• multidisciplinary assessment
• therapy services

Question 25

Why might a child have additional support needs?

Answer 25

• Difficulties with mainstream approaches to learning
• Disability or health needs, such as motor or sensory impairment, learning difficulties or autistic spectrum disorder.
• Family circumstances e.g. young people who are carers or parents.

Question 26

What is Personal Learning Planning? (PLP)

Answer 26

a way of thinking about, talking about and planning what and how a child learns. It’s also a way of assessing their progress and acting on the results of that assessment.

Question 27

What is an Individualised Educational Plan? (IEP)

Answer 27

• not a legal document
• detailed plan for child’s learning
• sets achievable targets and sets out how they will be reached

Question 28

What is a coordinated support plan (CSP)?

Answer 28

• a legal document

- detailed plan on how a child’s support will be provided

Question 29

What is GIRFEC’s (getting it right for every child) ‘Child Plan’?

Answer 29

contains information about:

• why child needs support
• type of support needed
• how long they will need it for and who should provide it

may include an IEP and CSP