SPAU 4308 - Ch. 3 Pt. 1

Language Disorders in Children. Catalina_Celemin

Approximately how many children are diagnosed with LD annually?

3 Million

The NJCLD and USOE definitions of LD are essentially parallel, with only minor wording differences. (True/False)

False

The Regular Education Initiative (REI)

Action taken by federal government in the 1980's that allowed mainstreaming children with LD in the general education classroom.

Response to Intervention (RTI)

An educational strategy that uses early intervention to help children who demonstrate below-average achievement. There is instructions for a general classroom without the need of any formal therapy.

Why are definitions of Learning Disabilities important?

- Determines children's place in educational system
- Influence govt funding and school district funding
- Guide professional programs & curriculum design
- Assist/hinder collaboration among parents and professionals

National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities (NJCLD)

Learning disabilities is a general term that refers to a Heterogeneous group of disorders manifested by significant difficulties in the acquisition and use of listening, speaking, reading, writing, reasoning, or mathematical abilities. These disorders are intrinsic to the individual, presumed to be due to central nervous system dysfunction, and may occur across the life span.
Although learning disabilities may occur concomitantly with other handicapping conditions or extrinsic influences (e.g., cultural differences), they are not the direct result of those conditions of influence.

- Vary not only across individuals but also within an individual
- Results in a wide gap between children's effort and achievement.
- Inadequate or poor instruction is not the primary cause of learning disabilities.

Constructs Underlying Definition of LD (NJCLD)

- Due to a deficit in the central nervous system, persist throughout the lifespan of a person, and may vary within the individual in their nature & severity.
- Sensory impairments, cognitive impairment or auditory processing disorders are not a primary cause of LD.

Constructs Underlying Definition of LD (NJCLD)

- Understanding or using spoken language
- Language learning disorder
Issue of gap in effort and achievement.

Classification of Learning Disabilities

- Understanding or using written language
- Reading disorder
- Writing disorder

Classification of Learning Disabilities

- Mathematical Calculations
- Coordinating Movements
- Visual-perceptual disorder
- Directing + Maintaining attention ADHD (ADD)

Classification of Learning Disabilities

Most common subtype of learning disability

Dyslexia

- Characterized by difficulties with accurate or fluent word recognition
- poor spelling and decoding
- deficit in phonological component of language

Dyslexia

5-10% of kids are affected

Dyslexia

- Problems in reading comprehension
- Reduced reading experiences (impedes growth of vocabulary)

Dyslexia

Prevalence Rate

- Federal State Guidelines has changed overtime
- 77' - 01' increase by 267% in LD children receiving special-ed
- More boys than girls diagnosed
- Since 1990, rate slowed by 3.4% due to eligibility requirements

Risk Factors of LD

- Presence of ADHD
- Hearing Loss
- Heredity - 8X more likely

Children with LD Recovery

- Some continue improvement over time, no obvious signs

Linguistic and Communication problems in children with LD

- Metalinguistic Skills
- Semantics
- Grammar (Reading/Writing)
- Narratives
- Pragmatics

Discourse Analysis

Analyzing written or spoken language. May record conversation while asking for a narrative.

Problems in Children with LD in Pragmatics

- topic management
- conversational repair
- understanding of scripts and routines

Linguistic & Communication Problems in Children with LD: Reading

Lack of phonological awareness and semantic representations

Linguistic & Communication Problems in Children with LD: Writing

Lack of productivity, text structure, sentence, lexicon, spelling, handwriting

Implications for Intervention: Professionals involved

Assessment & treatment involving teacher, SPL, team lead

Implications for Intervention: Regular Education

Impact overall organization of classroom. Curricular changes from one grade to the next.

Implications for Intervention: Psychological

Problems with self-esteem, kids may be anti-social or act out.

Implications for Intervention: Service delivery models

- Collaborative by working with interdisciplinary team (e.g., reading specialist)
- Traditional by working with kid one-on-one or in group but not consulting with a team

Intervention Strategies

- Cognitive Linguistic Training
- Semantic Skills
- Narratives
- Reading & Writing

Strategy for Cognitive Linguistic Training

Overall Organization
- Visual graphic organizer
- verbal strategies

Strategy for Semantic Skills

Creating word webs

Strategy for Narratives

Breaking down narratives and utilize visual aids to break down story

Strategy for Reading/Writing

Point out important pieces in the reading. When writing improving content and organization in a story.