Neurodevelopmental disorders

Question 1

Define learning disability

Answer 1

refers to problems in mastering one or more of these skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, reasoning, and mathematics. Doesn’t include visual, hearing, or physical impairments

Question 2

Define specific learning disorder

Answer 2

A diagnostic term that refers to specific problems in learning and using academic skills. There are only 3.
1. Reading
2. Mathematics
3. Writing
All 3 overlap and build on the same brain functions. 2-10% of population

Question 3

Diagnostic Categories of communication disorder

Answer 3

Language disorder: problems using language to communication

Speech sound disorder: deficits in productive speech sound

Childhood onset fluency: problems with speech fluency (stuttering)

Social: pragmatic communication disorder

Question 4

Unexpected discrepancy

Answer 4

A basis of learning disorders that denotes a discrepancy between an individuals measure intelligence vs. Their actual performance

Question 5

Strauss and Werner

Answer 5

Pointed out that children learn in individual ways, challenging the original concept that learning is uniform

Question 6

Two major factors with language development

Answer 6

Innate ability and environmental opportunities

Question 7

Define phonology

Answer 7

The ability to learn and store phonemes and combine the sounds into meaningful units or words

Question 8

Define phonemes

Answer 8

Basic sounds that make up a language

Eg. Ee’s ss’s ba’s and da’s

Question 9

Major cause in communication and learning disorders

Answer 9

Phonological awareness: the recognition of the relationship between sounds and letters.

Eg. Rhyme, alliteration, and awareness that sound

Question 10

DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for language disorder

Answer 10

A. Persistent difficulties in the acquisition and use of language
B. Language abilities are drastically below expected for age
C. Onset of symptoms is in early developmental period
D. Difficulties are not attributed to hearing, sensory impairment, motor dysfunction, or other conditions

Question 11

Define language disorder

Answer 11

A communication disorder characterized by difficulties in the comprehension or production of spoken or written language

Question 12

What is the role of genetics in communication and language disorders

Answer 12

Can be heritable, 50-70% show positive family history of learning disability. Temporal processing deficits occur more in children with related to those with similar disabilities.

Question 13

Bishop 1999

Answer 13

Found variation in temporal processing was due to environmental factors and not genetics. However genetic causes are related to deficits in phonological short term memory

Question 14

Main part of The brain and language

Answer 14

Primarily left temporal lobe, a circular feedback loop helps strengthen the developmental process. Issues with phonological awareness is associated with less brain activity in the left temporal region

Question 15

Frontal lobe

Answer 15

Personality, emotions, motor behavior

Question 16

Pareital lobe

Answer 16

Perception and sensory experiences

Question 17

Temporal lobe

Answer 17

Involved with hearing and speaking

Question 18

How signals are sent

Answer 18

From the nucleus -> axon, the signal travels away from the body down the axon to the axon terminal and then the synapse

Question 19

Are deficits related to a specific dysfunction in the brain?

Answer 19

No, deficits in phonological awareness and segmentation are related to concerns in the functional connections between brain areas, not a specific dysfunction of any single area in the brain

Question 20

Home environment and communication disorders

Answer 20

Parental speech and language stimulation may affect pace and range of development, but not specific impairments that characterize disorders\

Question 21

DSM-5 Criteria for Childhood Onset Fluency disorder (stuttering)

Answer 21

A. Disturbances in fluency and pattern are inappropriate for the individuals age and persist over time
B.disturbances cause anxiety about speaking
C. Onset of symptoms is in early developmental period
D. Disturbance is not attributed to speech motor or sensory deficit, or associated with stroke, tumor, trauma or other medical concern

Question 22

Social communication disorder (pragmatic) (SCD)

Answer 22

A new disorder, involves persistent difficulties with the social use of language and communication - Similar to autism

Question 23

DSM-5 criteria for social communication disorder

Answer 23

A. Persistent difficulties in the social use of verbal and nonverbal communication
B. Deficits result in functional limitations, social participation, relationships, academic achievement etc.
C. Onset of symptoms is in early development
D. Symptoms not attributed to another medical or neurological condition

Question 24

Causes of communication disorder

Answer 24

Genetic influences, and slow or abnormal brain maturation. Early communication disorders are developmentally connected to the later onset of learning disorders

Question 25

DSM-5 diagnostic criteria of specific learning disorder

Answer 25

Difficulties learning and using academic skills Affected academic skills are quantifiably below expected Learning difficulties begin during school age years Not accounted with other intellectual disabilities

Question 26

Decoding

Answer 26

Breaking a word into parts rapidly enough to read the whole word - a problem with those with specific learning disorder

Question 27

SLD: Written expression

Answer 27

Within specific learning disorders, asking to copy images, such as a triangle etc. Is very hard and those viewing are unable to tell what the shape is after drawn. Despite strong language and reasoning abilities. Difficulties are with spelling, punctuation, and clarity

Question 28

Dyscalculia

Answer 28

A learning disorder causing impairment in mathematics, includes difficulites in number sense, memorization of arithmetic facts, accurate of fluent calculation, and accurate math reasoning

Question 29

3 domains of Specific learning disorders

Answer 29

Writing, mathematics, reading and communication

Question 30

How the brain processes speech

Answer 30

primary auditory cortex receives electrical signals from receptors in the ear and transforms these signals into sound sensations. Then the sound sensations are sent to another area in the temporal lobe called the auditory association area It transforms basic sensory information such as sounds into recognizable auditory information and matched into existing patterns previously formed and stored

Question 31

Two findings for people with reading disorders

Answer 31

1. Language difficulties are specifically associated with the neurological processing of phonology and store of such information 2. Behavioural and physiological abnormalities are found in the processing of visual information

Question 32

Attention-deficit disorder

Answer 32

A neurodevelopment condition that causes differences in the brain related to attention, where a child shows innapropriate behavior in two general categories of inattention and ADHD

Question 33

Types of impulsivity

Answer 33

Cognitive: disorganization, hurried thinking Behavioural: difficulty inhibiting responses; intrusion s into others activities Emotional: impatience, low tolerance, hot temper

Question 34

DSM-5 for ADHD

Answer 34

A. Persistent pattern of inattention or hyperactivity B. Onset before age 12 C. Symptoms present in two or more settings and for longer than 6 months

Question 35

Boys vs. Girls and ADHD

Answer 35

The ratio for referrals to clinics is 6:1 male to female, many girls go unrecognized as they display more inattentive rather than hyperexcitability

Question 36

Hyperactivity impulsivity

Answer 36

Involves the under control of motor behavior, poor sustained inhibition of behavior

Question 37

Genetic influences for ADHD

Answer 37

ADHD runs in families, within twin studies, 75% of heritability estimate for hyperactive impulsive and inattentive behaviors

Question 38

Executive functions

Answer 38

Processes in the brain that activate and manage other brain functions, they include: Cognitive, language processing, motor processing, emotional processes

Question 39

Childhood onset fluency disorder

Answer 39

Also known as stuttering, issues with repeated sounds. Gradual between 2-7 and peaks at age 5. And affect males more than females (3:1). 80% stop after a year of school, the other 20% most likely have it for a while

Question 40

Outcomes and causes of reading SLDs

Answer 40

Heritability accounts for 60% of variance in reading disorders. Many receive low levels of support and recognition of the disability

Question 41

Neurobiological causes of SLDs

Answer 41

Associated with cellular abnormalities in left hemisphere (temporal). Behavioural abnormalities in processing of visual information Nonverbal learning disabilities associated with deficits in the right hemisphere

Question 42

Percentage of genetic factors contributed to Childhood onset fluency disorder

Answer 42

70%

Question 43

Possible treatments for childhood onset fluency disorder

Answer 43

Habit reversal (reading poetry) Parent changes (speaking slower) Contingency management (getting kids do to things they’re shy of)

Question 44

Percentage of those with reading SLD and reasoning

Answer 44

5-17% May be part of reading continuum, rather than discrete phenomenon

Question 45

Percentage of those with Mathematics SLDs

Answer 45

20%

Question 46

Percentage of social deficits in those with SLDS

Answer 46

75% (3/4)

Question 47

Social and psychological causes of SLDs

Answer 47

Reading disorder: same deficits in phonological awareness ADHD: effects on cogntive functioning in verbal learning and memory. Some children with LDs show symptoms similar to ADHD

Question 48

Percentage of school age children with ADHD

Answer 48

Estimates 6-7% in North America and 5% world wide. One of the most common referral problems at clinics

Question 49

LDAC definition of Learning Disabilities

Answer 49

Refers to a number of disabilities that may affect organization, retention, verbal and nonverbal information.