WEEK 3: LEARNING DISABILITIES Flashcards
Define learning disabilities
Academic achievement at a level less than expected for the individual’s intellectual potential
Unexpected failure of individual to acquire, retrieve & use information competently
Are disorders that affect a child’s ability to learn, think, and process information.
State the characteristics of learning disabilities
Learning disability is a descriptive diagnosis. It does not infer a particular etiology
Learning disabilities are neurologically-based processing problems
These processing problems can interfere with learning basic skills such as reading, writing and/or math
They can also interfere with higher level skills such as organization, time planning, abstract reasoning, long or short term memory and attention
It is important to realize that learning disabilities can affect an individual’s life beyond academics and can impact relationships with family, friends and in the workplace
What are learning disabilities often misinterpreted to as?
a lack of effort
reflection of weak intellect
disobedience
lack of respect
State 4 facts about learning disabilities
Approximately 6% of Botswana primary school population have learning disabilities
Most common learning disability is dyslexia: an unexpected difficulty in learning to read
Children with disabilities are at higher risk of abuse
You cannot correct a learning disability with glasses
State the areas of deficit in people with learning disabilities
Attention abilities
Memory skills
Language skills
Neuromotor skills :
Ability of the brain and nervous sysyem to control and coordinate movement
Executive function:
are the abilities in our brain that help us complete everyday tasks. These skills include planning, organization, time management, metacognition, working memory, self-control, attention, flexibility, and perseverance.
Visual-spatial ordering skills :ability to tell where objects are in space.
Temporal-sequential ordering skills : help us interpret, retain, or create information that is in a serial order
What is intellectual diability?
A static encephalopathy with multiple etiologies
a neurodevelopmental condition that develops in childhood.
It affects your capacity to learn and retain new information, and it also affects everyday behavior such as social skills and hygiene routines.
List the characteristics of intellectual disability
Limitations in intelligence (reasoning, learning, problem solving)
Limitations in adaptive skills
Onset before 18 years of age
What is the old term used for intellectual disability?
Old term = ‘Mental retardation’
≤ 5 years of age = “Global developmental delay” (since IQ testing less reliable in this age group)
Distinguish between intellectual disability and learning disability
*Intellectual disabilities affect a child’s ability to learn and function at levels considered typical for their age.
An IQ score of 70 or below may indicate an intellectual disability.
Examples of intellectual disabilities include Down syndrome and fetal alcohol syndrome.
*Learning disabilities affect a child’s ability to master specific skills, like reading, while overall intelligence levels remain unaffected.
Examples of learning disabilities include dyslexia and dysgraphia.
State the symptoms of IDs in children
difficulty understanding and following social rules and norms
difficulties with problem-solving
delays in sitting up, crawling, or walking
delays or difficulties with speech and language
trouble using tools like pencils or utensils
trouble interacting with others
naivety and gullibility, trouble understanding time and money, and difficulty performing basic tasks like dressing or playing games.
What are the symptoms of a learning disability?
trouble reading, spelling, or sounding out words
trouble writing clearly
difficulty with math calculations or word problems
trouble remembering things
trouble paying attention or focusing on schoolwork
trouble following directions
difficulty telling time
trouble staying organized at home or at school
List causes of Intellectual disability
genetic mutations or alterations of some kind (as in Rett syndrome)
chromosome abnormalities (like Down syndrome, or trisomy 21)
exposure while in utero to certain substances, like fetal alcohol syndrome
infections during pregnancy, like cytomegalovirus
issues during childbirth, like the cord around the neck
causing a lack of oxygen
traumatic brain injury (TBI)
Bacterial meningitis
preterm birth
State the learning disabilities associated variety of risk factors.
a family history of learning disabilities
exposure to alcohol or drugs while in the womb
poor nutrition
exposure to lead from water or paint
HIV infection
Very-low-birth-weight
ADHD :Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
Poor social skills
Psych behavioral problems
What are some examples of intellectual disabilities disorders?
Down syndrome
fragile X syndrome
fetal alcohol syndrome
Rett syndrome
some disorders like phenylketonuria (PKU) can lead to an ID
Prader-Willi syndrome
What are some examples of learning disabilities?
dyscalculia: this impacts a person’s ability to understand numbers and learn math facts
dysgraphia: this affects someone’s handwriting ability and fine motor skills
dyslexia: this affects reading and language-based processing skills
nonverbal learning disabilities: this causes trouble interpreting nonverbal cues like facial expressions or body language
oral/written language disorder and specific reading
comprehension deficit: these impact someone’s ability to understand what they read or to understand or use spoken language
Define adaptive skills
Skills of daily living needed to live, work, interact, play in the community:
State examples of adaptive skills
Communication
Social & interpersonal skills
Self-care, home living
Use of community resources
Self-direction
Functional academic skills (reading, writing, basic mathematics)
Work, leisure, health and safety.
How to determine if the child is impaired?
Impaired = deficit in at least 2 of the areas compared with child of same age & culture in adaptive skills
What is IQ?
IQ is a type of standard score that indicates how far above, or how far below, his/her peer group an individual stands in mental ability.
It is a total score derived from a set of standardized tests or subtests designed to assess human intelligence.
What does IQ stand for?
Intelligent Quotient
Describe the distribution of IQ
IQ scores between 90 and 109 indicate a normal range or average intelligence.
Individual adults usually score somewhere in between the 70-130 range,
with 100 being the theoretical average.
If you score above 130, then you would have a score higher than the average population,
and below 70 would be lower than the average population
What are the red flag indicators of people with intellectual disability?
*Regression is never normal:
*Small head size may indicate intrauterine infarction/infection
*Anatomic abnormality such as cleft palate should prompt further evaluation for genetic syndrome.
WHAT IS A CLEFT PALATE?
1.A split in the lip and roof of the mouth (palate) that affects one or both sides of the face.
- A split in the lip that appears as only a small notch in the lip or extends from the lip through the upper gum.
What are the syndromes associated with depression?
1.Rett Syndrome:
*Initial normal development
*Gradual loss of speech & purposeful hand use
*Head growth deceleration is an early sign
*Stereotypic hand movements, seizures, autistic features, ataxia & breathing abnormalities subsequently develop
2.Landau-Kleffner
Acquired aphasia
Abnormal EEG
3.Childhood Disintegrative Disorder:
*Normal development till age 3 to 4
*Then over a few months, they lose language, motor, social and other skills they had already learnt
4.Factor X
5.Hypothyroidism
6.Lead poisoning
7.Fetal alcohol syndrome
8.Depression
Outline management of learning disabilities
Early Diagnosis
Classroom adaptation
Social integration
Vocational training
6 mo old male with
Large anterior fontanelle
Short stature
Large tongue
Hypotonia
Prolonged neonatal jaundice
Umbilical hernia
WHAT DISORDER IS THIS?
Factor x
4 yo male who moved into 1930s era house 6 months ago
Inability to sit still, vomiting, constipation
Haemoglobin 6; MCV 75
NAME THE DISORDER
Hypothyroidism
Flattened midface3 yo male born to unemployed Mother
Small head
Short palpebral fissures
Thin vermilion border of the upper lip
Smooth philtrum
NAME THE DISORDER
lead poisoning
6 yo female who periodically stares into space during class.
Child does not respond to teacher when she speaks loudly to her.
Staring episodes can be provoked by hyperventilation.
WHAT DISORDER IS THIS?
Fetal alcohol syndrome
13 yo male who has been sleeping more, eating less x 3 months.
Change in his behavior started when his parents separated.
He speaks slowly and avoids eye contact
NAME THE DISORDER
Absence seizure
