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PubMed1984

Negative air ionization improves memory and attention in learning-disabled and mentally retarded children.

The effect of increased concentrations of ambient negative air ions on incidental visual memory for words and purposive auditory memory for dichotic digits was investigated in 20 normal grade 4 children, 8 learning-disabled children, and 8 mildly mentally retarded children. Half in each group were assigned randomly to an unmodified air-placebo condition under double-blind testing procedures. All of the children breathing negatively ionized air were superior in incidental memory. In dichotic listening, the negative ions produced a counter-priming effect in the two learning-impaired groups, offsetting the difficulties that they showed under placebo in switching attention selectively from one ear to the other. The action of negative ions on the neurotransmitter, serotonin, may be the mechanism by which negative ions produce such behavioral effects. In view of the important environmental and remedial implications of these novel findings, interpretations should be made cautiously pending larger-scale replications.

Air Ionization↗

PubMed1979

Ocular aspects of learning disabilities in children.

A total of 160 children were investigated to establish the role of ocular problems in children with learning disabilities. Thirty-eight per cent were found to have associated ocular problems. Eight per cent (8%) of these showed improvement in scholastic achievement after the elimination of the ocular defect. When there was evidence of brain dysfunction, correction of errors of refraction or muscle balance problems failed to improve scholastic achievement. A multidisciplinary approach to the problem is mandatory.

Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Assistive technology and learning disabilities: today's realities and tomorrow's promises.

Many forms of technology, both "high" and "low," can help individuals with learning disabilities capitalize on their strengths and bypass, or compensate for, their disabilities. This article surveys the current status of assistive technology for this population and reflects on future promises and potential problems. In addition, a model is presented for conceptualizing assistive technology in terms of the types of barriers it helps persons with disabilities to surmount. Several current technologies are described and the research supporting their effectiveness reviewed: word processing, computer-based instruction in reading and other academic areas, interactive videodisc interventions for math, and technologies for daily life. In conclusion, three themes related to the future success of assistive technology applications are discussed: equity of access to technology; ease of technology, use; and emergent technologies, such as virtual reality.

Computer-Assisted Instruction↗

PubMed1989

Teaching complex content to learning disabled students: the role of technology.

A program of research has combined the effectiveness of Direct Instruction curriculum design and mastery learning with the efficiency of technology to teach more cognitively complex skills. This article explains one example of this comprehensive intervention in detail. Findings from several studies are briefly reviewed. The purpose of this article is to document how such a comprehensive intervention reduces performance differences between students with learning disabilities and their peers, while using technology to minimize, or even reduce, the demands placed on the teacher.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1993

Preparing the advanced practitioner in learning disabilities nursing.

This paper aims to describe the practical, therapeutic and educational dimensions of professional preparation in the field of Learning Disabilities Nursing. Through an exploration of the primary, secondary and tertiary dimensions of care, the authors identify the range of skills and competencies which they consider necessary for the achievement of advanced practice in this specialist field. Arguments are proposed which demonstrate the essential and continuing role of the nurse through a consolidation of the three dimensions of care. In so doing, an educational foundation for advanced practice which enables the nurse to work effectively within present and future health and social care initiatives is proposed.

Clinical Competence↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Autonomy and competence as motivational factors in students with learning disabilities and emotional handicaps.

Over 450 students (136 elementary, 321 junior and senior high school) with primary handicapping codes of learning disability (LD) or emotional handicap (EH) completed several questionnaires. All participants were from self-contained classrooms of a state-operated special education system. Questionnaires assessed students' self-perceptions and perceptions of home and classroom contexts, with all variables theoretically reflecting either the competence or the autonomy aspects of internal motivation or students' personal adjustment. Math and reading standardized achievement test scores were obtained from school records. Using multiple regression analyses, students' achievement and adjustment were predicted from the motivationally relevant self-perception and perception-of-context variables. Interestingly, different patterns of relations emerged for the students with LD and EH.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed1997

Learning disability and epilepsy. 2, a review of available outcome measures and position statement on development priorities.

People with epilepsy plus learning disabilities pose a challenge in terms of clinical management and research investigation, and, to date, the measurement of outcomes in this population has been limited. There have been uncertainties concerning both the 'what' and the 'how' of assessment. This paper presents a comprehensive review of available outcome measures across nine domains, i.e. relating to seizures, drugs, cognitive function, behaviour, social functioning, carer functioning, attitudes, motivation and 'quality of life'. This last domain reflects more global measures designed to encompass several assessment strands. The uses and limitations of each scale is discussed and, where data are available, psychometric properties are also presented. The paper concludes with suggestions for the further development of outcome measures in this population.

Epilepsy↗

PubMed1997

A comparison of three approaches to delivering a speech and language therapy service to people with learning disabilities.

This research aimed to compare three different approaches to delivering a speech and language therapy service to people with learning disabilities, in order to make recommendations for future service delivery. The three approaches all involved working with key communication partners in the environment. They were: (i) working directly on a one-to-one basis with the person and partner; (ii) working indirectly by providing teaching for partners; and (iii) a combination of these two approaches. A teaching course called 'Talkabout' was used. Talkabout aims for staff to reach a recognised level of knowledge and competence in communication skills, thus facilitating the communication skills of their service users. The results indicated that whilst communication changed in all three approaches, overall changes were greater in the combination approach. Only the combination approach demonstrated statistically significant differences following intervention, in terms of staff initiations, service user responses, and their use of additional modalities.

Delivery of Health Care↗

PubMed1998

Psychopharmacology of severe self-injury associated with learning disabilities.

BACKGROUND: Many sedative and antipsychotic agents have been used in the management of severe self-injury associated with learning disabilities. Their efficacy has been questioned. Recent research has identified some biological abnormalities associated with severe self-injury and allowed a more rational selection of treatment. METHOD: Review of published literature, including trials, previous reviews and case reports. REPORTS: There is evidence for the efficacy of opiate antagonists in the management of severe self-injury, and recent research has identified potential methods of predicting treatment response. Dopamine D1 antagonists and some agents affecting serotonin turnover may also be of benefit. CONCLUSIONS: More rational psychopharmacological treatments for severe self-injurious behaviour may become available. Such treatments are difficult to evaluate for methodological and ethical reasons. They usually involve the clinical use of compounds for unlicensed indications, rather than trials of agents developed specifically to treat severe self-injurious behaviour. Combining psychopharmacological and psychological interventions may provide additional benefits.

Humans↗

PubMedDate not supplied

A synthesis of research on effective interventions for building reading fluency with elementary students with learning disabilities.

Fluent reading, often defined as speed and accuracy, is an important skill for all readers to develop. Students with learning disabilities (LD) often struggle to read fluently, leading to difficulties in reading comprehension. Despite recent attention to reading fluency and ways to improve fluency, it is not clear which features of interventions that are designed to enhance fluency are beneficial for the most struggling readers. The purpose of this study is to synthesize research on interventions that are designed primarily to build reading fluency for students with LD. The search yielded 24 published and unpublished studies that reported findings on intervention features, including repeated reading with and without a model, sustained reading, number of repetitions, text difficulty, and specific improvement criteria. Our findings suggest that effective interventions for building fluency include an explicit model of fluent reading, multiple opportunities to repeatedly read familiar text independently and with corrective feedback, and established performance criteria for increasing text difficulty.

Child↗

PubMed1990

Psychosocial functioning of learning-disabled children: relations between WISC Verbal IQ-Performance IQ discrepancies and personality subtypes.

A total of 132 children with learning disabilities (LD) between the ages of 6 and 12 years were divided equally into 3 groups on the basis of the difference between WISC VIQ-PIQ scores (viz., VIQ greater than PIQ, VIQ = PIQ, and VIQ less than PIQ). The mean Personality Inventory for Children (PIC) profiles for the VIQ = PIQ and VIQ less than PIQ groups were normal; however, the VIQ greater than PIQ group showed pathological elevations on some PIC scales. Group average linkage cluster analysis using 10 PIC scales revealed 6 psychosocial subtypes. Within these subtypes, children with VIQ greater than PIQ were found at lower than expected frequencies in normal and mildly disturbed subtypes, but at higher than expected frequencies in seriously disturbed subtypes. These results support the notion that patterns of cognitive performance are related to patterns of psychosocial functioning in children with LD.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMedDate not supplied

A 10-year follow-up survey of programs and services for students with learning disabilities in graduate and professional schools.

This 10-year follow-up study compares programs and services for students with learning disabilities (LD) in graduate and professional schools between 1985 and 1995. In 1995, surveys were sent to the same institutions (n = 682) as in the earlier survey, with a response rate of 30.6%. Significant changes over the 10 years include a higher level of awareness about LD and evidence of greater compliance with Section 504, a greater specificity of assessments required for the identification of students who receive services, improvements in the types and extent of services available, and increased program visibility. Despite these positive changes, 24% of the respondents indicated that they did not have a coordinator for LD at their institution, and 33% did not have a written plan for services. Eighteen institutions with programs or services for students with LD gave permission to publish their names. Implications and recommendations are discussed.

Data Collection↗

PubMed1999

The management of epilepsy in a hospital for people with a learning disability.

The study examined changes in the use of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) in a large hospital for people with a learning disability over a 2 year period, the use of investigations, and the presence of medication side-effects. The surveys were carried out in 1993 and 1995/6. In 1993, 27% of patients were being treated for epilepsy and in 1995/6, 30.1%. Ninety percent and 82.4% of patients, respectively, were receiving one or two AEDs. In the second survey there were fewer prescriptions for phenobarbitone (5.8% vs. 12.5%) and an increase in the use of lamotrigine (21.6% vs. 5%), gabapentin (5.8% vs. 0) and vigabatrin (3.9% vs. 2.5% in 1993). Side-effects were recorded in 6 (11.8%) patients. Seven (21.2%) patients receiving carbamazepine were found to have hyponatraemia. Of the 54 electroencephalograms (EEGs) requested, 41 (76%) were reported as abnormal. Six CT brain scans had been conducted, of which five were abnormal. People receiving antipsychotic drugs had fewer seizures than average.

Acetates↗

PubMed2006

A survey of vitamin D level in people with learning disability in long-stay hospital wards in Hong Kong.

Serum vitamin D level was measured in 122 patients with learning disabilities in long-term care wards. Such people are at risk of developing vitamin D deficiency. Low vitamin D is often attributed to lack of sunshine, poor dietary intake and the deleterious effect of anticonvulsant therapy. The results of this study confirmed that a low level of vitamin D (14.38 +/- 7.9 nmol/l) prevails, regardless of anticonvulsant usage. Sunshine exposure was virtually non-existent for most patients. Research has shown that when sunlight exposure is limited, osteomalacia in the British Asian community is determined by dietary factors. Our subjects had three types of diet: standard, soft and tube feeding. For both males and females, the tube feeding group had a significantly higher mean level of vitamin D than the other groups. Regular sunshine exposure is recommended for people requiring long-term infirmary care; alternatively, dietary supplement of vitamin D should be considered.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Evidence-based assessment of learning disabilities in children and adolescents.

The reliability and validity of 4 approaches to the assessment of children and adolescents with learning disabilities (LD) are reviewed, including models based on (a) aptitude-achievement discrepancies, (b) low achievement, (c) intra-individual differences, and (d) response to intervention (RTI). We identify serious psychometric problems that affect the reliability of models based on aptitude-achievement discrepancies and low achievement. There are also significant validity problems for models based on aptitude-achievement discrepancies and intra-individual differences. Models that incorporate RTI have considerable potential for addressing both the reliability and validity issues but cannot represent the sole criterion for LD identification. We suggest that models incorporating both low achievement and RTI concepts have the strongest evidence base and the most direct relation to treatment. The assessment of children for LD must reflect a stronger underlying classification that takes into account relations with other childhood disorders as well as the reliability and validity of the underlying classification and resultant assessment and identification system. The implications of this type of model for clinical assessments of children for whom LD is a concern are discussed.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1991

A review of states' criteria and procedures for identifying children with learning disabilities.

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether (a) states have altered their definitions and/or eligibility criteria for learning disabilities (LD) since the last review; (b) states have specified-IQ cutoffs below which a child would not be eligible for LD services; (c) the types of methods states use to quantify an ability/achievement discrepancy vary; and (d) an increase in the number of children identified as LD is related to the method or criterion used to quantify an ability/achievement discrepancy. States' guidelines and/or information obtained from state directors of special education were analyzed for all states and the District of Columbia. Results of the review revealed that 40% of states had revised their guidelines between 1988 and 1990; 76% of the states specified a method for determining an ability/achievement discrepancy and the method recommended most frequently was the standard score comparison method. No significant differences were obtained between type of discrepancy method employed by a state and its yearly increase in LD. However, a significant relationship existed between magnitude of a state's ability/achievement criterion and its yearly increase in LD from 1987-88 to 1988-89. The review also revealed an increase in the number of states that specified an IQ cutoff below which a student would not qualify for LD services.

Child↗

PubMed1991

Role of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in learning disabilities.

ADHD refers to a combination of symptoms in the general areas of inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. This condition becomes evident in the preschool years and affects males predominantly. The behavior is seen as being disruptive and unacceptable by parents and teachers, and the child is socially handicapped as a result. Treatment relies on behavioral techniques and medication, predominantly psychostimulants. ADHD is strongly associated with learning disabilities; the treatment of the learning disorder should be based on educational intervention, not drug therapy. Symptoms of ADHD may continue into adulthood, and recommendations for treatment of adults are being made with increasing frequency. The prognosis is best for children who do not have symptoms of a conduct disorder and who lose the symptoms of ADHD before adolescence. A superimposed conduct disorder and maintenance of the symptoms of ADHD put the patient at high risk for antisocial behavior and substance abuse in adolescence and adulthood.

Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity↗

PubMed2003

The speech and vocalization patterns of boys with ADHD compared with boys with dyslexia and boys without learning disabilities.

This research study dealt with an inquiry into the speech and vocalization patterns of boys with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) who were not under the influence of stimulating medication, compared with the speech and vocalization patterns of boys with reading disabilities and a control group of learners without learning disabilities. The voices of 105 participants were recorded during interviews and analyzed in the laboratory using equipment that examined the temporal speech patterns and physical features of vocalization. The speech patterns were examined with a frequency examination, speech unit length duration, and correlation between the vocalization and pauses in the speech unit. The physical features of vocalization were examined with volume and frequency scales. The research results indicated that the speech and vocalization patterns of boys with ADHD were significantly different from those of boys with reading disabilities and from the boys in the control group. The results support the assumption that speech and vocalization indicators can be used as objective indicators for the diagnosis of hyperactivity syndrome with attention and concentration difficulties.

Articulation Disorders↗