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A learning disorder is identified in 6-7% of all school-aged children, and twice as many boys as girls are diagnosed. The disorders may developmental learning disorders, learning disorders, autism, autistic, dyslexia, atism, ahtism be identified as early as the preschool years. Learning disorders are
Clinical Definitions
Learning disability is defined as difficulty in the acquisition and use of basic reading skills, reading comprehension, oral expression, listening comprehen sion, mathematical reasoning, and mathematical comprehension. This definition requires a 2-year discrepancy between the child's expected level of achievement and the child's level of
Learning disorders include all disorders that cause a persistent deficit in function of the brain, including mental retardation, acquired disorders (eg, traumatic brain injury), and difficulties with fine motor coordination (dysgraphia, dyspraxia), modulation of sensory modalities (ie, tactile defensiveness, hyperacusis), social cognition (autism), and executive functioning. Attention deficit disorder is also included.
Disorders of Speech and Language
Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a disorder of phonologic processing and decoding of words. It is the most common developmental language disorder. Dyslexia frequently is familial, occurring more often in sons (35-40% risk) than in
Dyslexic children do not appreciate that speech is composed of sounds that join together to form words. When reading or writing, the child has difficulty in decoding or
Preschool children who have dyslexia manifest delays in acquisition of speech, poor articulation, difficulty with learning the names of letters and colors, and persistent missequencing of syllables (eg, "aminals" for "animals").
These children have difficulty following multi-step directions. They are unable to express frustration by "using words" and, therefore, are prone to develop secondary behaviors such as hitting, kicking, or throwing tantrums.
Dyslexia can be diagnosed confidently by the end of the second grade. Children will be slow and halting in their oral reading and have difficulty in reading comprehension. They have poor word retrieval and frequently use more fillers ("um," "like," "you know") in their speech.
Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
ADHD is a heritable disorder characterized by an inability to sustain attention, impulsivity, distractibility, and overactivity. Symptoms must be manifested in multiple settings (eg, in school and at home). ADHD affects 3-6% of school-aged children.
Preschool children may be hyperactive or disinhibited, judge danger poorly, and be physically aggressive with peers. They often move rapidly from toy to toy in a chaotic fashion, and play skills are
Treatment