Learning Disability & DCD

Question 1

What are learning disabilities?

Answer 1

• refers to a number of disorders which may affect the acquisition, organization, retention, understanding or use of verbal or nonverbal information.

Question 2

What is a key aspect of learning disabilities compared to intellectual disabilities?

Answer 2

• affect learning in individuals who otherwise demonstrate at least average abilities essential for thinking and/or reasoning.
• IQ is average

Question 3

Basic key points of learning disability

Answer 3

• heterogeneous group of disorders
• not due to other disabilities
• identifiable or inferred CNS dysfunction
• not an intellectual disability

Question 4

Results from impairments in one or more processes related to….. which effects?

Answer 4

• perceiving, thinking, remembering or learning.

ex. ) language processing; phonological processing; visual spatial processing; memory and attention

Question 5

What are some examples of severity that can interfere with the acquisition of academics?

Answer 5

• oral language: listening, speaking, understanding
• reading: decoding, phonetic knowledge, comprehension
• written language: spelling and writing
• mathematics: computation, problem solving

Question 6

Do learning disabilities go away?

Answer 6

• no they are lifelong

Question 7

Can people with learning disabilities experience motor disabilities?

Answer 7

• yes, they can experience perceptual motor, motor coordination, movement related problems

Question 8

What is DCD?

Answer 8

• developmental coordination disorder

Question 9

What is the definition of DCD?

Answer 9

• coordination is substantially below that expected given the person’s chronological age and measured intelligence

Question 10

How can DCD be flagged?

Answer 10

• may be marked delays in achieving motor milestones, dropping things, poor performance in sports, or poor handwriting, psychosocial difficulties, withdraw from physical activity

Question 11

What is the diagnosis of DCD?

Answer 11

• condition significantly interferes with academic achievement or ADL
• the condition is not caused by a general medical disorder or PDD
• if ID is present, the motor difficulties are in excess of those usually associated with it

Question 12

What are some specific problems and physical considerations related to learning disabilities/DCD

Answer 12

• immature body image and agnosias
• poor spatial orientation
• overflow movements
• dissociation and figure background
• motor planning and sequencing

Question 13

What does it mean to have an immature body image and agnosias?

Answer 13

• inability to identify body parts
• inability to recognize objects by use of sense
• difficulty in making judgment about body shape
• temporal organization, rhythm and force

Question 14

How can we improve immature body image and agnosias?

Answer 14

• through action songs, dances and games that refer to body parts

Question 15

What does it mean to have poor spatial orientation?

Answer 15

• unsure of direction, difficult to estimate height, distance, width…bump into things, hard to duck or step over.

Question 16

How can we improve poor spatial orientation?

Answer 16

• recommended games must involve obstacle courses, mazes and maps. orienteering, and treasure hunts are good.
• include cue detection as well as self-talk and rehearsal

Question 17

What does it mean to have difficulty with overflow movements?

Answer 17

• inability to keep opposite limbs motionless when performing tasks with other arm

Question 18

What does it mean to have difficulty with dissociation and figure background?

Answer 18

• problems perceiving and organizing parts into wholes,

easier to engage in whole body activities so focus only on one thing

Question 19

How can we improve dissociation and figure background?

Answer 19

• figure background…inability to pick out figure out of complex background

Question 20

What does it mean to have difficulty with motor planning and sequencing?

Answer 20

• difficult to initiate movement, stop movement,

put movement into correct order.

Question 21

How can we improve motor planning and sequencing?

Answer 21

• intervention involves games, dance, water play and gymnastic routines, in which an increasing number of movements must be remembered and chained into sequences

Question 22

What does it mean to have difficulty with temporal organization, rhythm and force?

Answer 22

• difficult to organize parts into wholes, lack of

rhythm to dance

Question 23

How can we improve difficulty with temporal organization, rhythm and force?

Answer 23

• include early instruction to music, rhythm, and dance.

- use background music or a strong percussive beet.

Question 24

What are some instruction strategies and considerations?

Answer 24

• modality
• matching cognitive style
• self-talk and verbal rehearsal
• motivation and self concept enhancement

Question 25

What is modality?

Answer 25

• the way or mode in which something exists or is done

- for teaching, visual vs audio

Question 26

What does it mean to be field dependent?

Answer 26

• strongly influenced by the visual field

- fast conceptual tempo, spend little time planning, and need external structure.

Question 27

What does it mean to be field independent?

Answer 27

• focus on details, analytical, reflective

Question 28

What are some aspects of self-talk and verbal rehearsal in regards to instruction?

Answer 28

• successful in helping children learn motor
  sequences, improve performance and control impulsivity.
• self talk usually refers to talking oneself through an activity or sequence.

Question 29

Why is it important to assert motivation and self concept enhancement?

Answer 29

• may have lower self concept and esteem due to repeated failures or bad experiences
• provide opps for success and activities that are meaningful