Specific Learning Disorder Flashcards
What is the diagnostic criteria for SLD
Difficulties learning and using academic skills and substantially lower than the chronological age of the child.
Describe difficulty learning academic skills diagnostic criteria for SLD.
A. Difficulties learning and using academic skills, as indicated by the presence of at least one of the following symptoms that have persisted for at least 6 months, despite the provision of interventions that target those difficulties:
- Inaccurate or slow and effortful word reading
- Difficulty understanding the meaning of what is read
- Difficulties with spelling
- Difficulties with written expression.
- Difficulties mastering number sense, number facts, or calculation.
- Difficulties with mathematical reasoning
Describe severity for SLD
Mild: Some difficulties learning skills in one or two academic domains, but of mild enough severity that the individual may be able to compensate or function well when provided with appropriate accommodations or support services, especially during the school years.
Moderate: Marked difficulties learning skills in one or more academic domains, so that the individual is unlikely to become proficient without some intervals of intensive and specialized teaching during the school years. Some accommodations or supportive services at least part of the day at school, in the workplace, or at home may be needed to complete activities accurately and efficiently.
Severe: Severe difficulties learning skills, affecting several academic domains, so that the individual is unlikely to learn those skills without ongoing intensive individualized and specialized teaching for most of the school years. Even with an array of appropriate accommodations or services at home, at school, or in the workplace, the individual may not be able to complete all activities efficiently.
What associated features support diagnosis in SLD?
Specific learning disorder is frequently but not invariably preceded, in preschool years, by
delays in attention, language, or motor skills that may persist and co-occur with specific learning disorder. An uneven profile of abilities is common, such as above-average abilities in drawing, design, and other visuospatial abilities, but slow, effortful, and inaccurate
reading and poor reading comprehension and written expression. Individuals with specific learning disorder typically (but not invariably) exhibit poor performance on psychological tests of cognitive processing.
Specific learning disorder is associated with increased risk for suicidal ideation and suicide attempts in children, adolescents, and adults.
What is the Prevalence of SLD?
The prevalence of specific learning disorder across the academic domains of reading, writing, and mathematics is 5%-15% among school-age children. Prevalence in adults is unknown but appears to be approximately 4%.
What are environmental risks for SLD?
Prematurity or very low birth weight increases the risk for specific learning disorder, as does prenatal exposure to nicotine.
What are genetic and physiological risks for SLD?
Specific learning disorder appears to aggregate in families, particularly when affecting reading, mathematics, and spelling. The relative risk of specific learning disorder in reading or mathematics is substantially higher in first-degree relatives of individuals with these learning difficulties compared with those without them. Family history of reading difficulties (dyslexia) and parental literacy skills predict literacy problems or specific learning disorder in offspring, indicating the combined role of genetic and environmental factors.
There is high heritability for both reading ability and reading disability in alphabetic and nonalphabetic languages, including high heritability for most manifestations of learning abilities and disabilities
What are sex related diagnostic issues?
Specific learning disorder is more common in males than in females (ratios range from about 2:1 to 3:1) and cannot be attributed to factors such as ascertainment bias, definitional or measurement variation, language, race, or socioeconomic status.
What other diagnoses are comorbid with SLD?
Specific learning disorder commonly co-occurs with neurodevelopmental (e.g., ADHD,
communication disorders, developmental coordination disorder, autistic spectrum disorder) or other mental disorders (e.g., anxiety disorders, depressive and bipolar disorders).
