Toxicity of Plasticity. Lessons from a model of developmental learning disorder

1997 ◽  
pp. 135-144
Author(s):  
A. M. Galaburda
Keyword(s):  
Learning Disorder ◽  
Developmental Learning

scholarly journals Impaired implicit learning of syntactic structure in children with developmental language disorder: Evidence from syntactic priming

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 239694151877993 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Garraffa ◽  
Moreno I Coco ◽  
Holly P Branigan
Keyword(s):  
Implicit Learning ◽  
Structural Priming ◽  
Syntactic Priming ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Learning Disorder ◽  
Learning Mechanisms ◽  
Typically Developing Children ◽  
Developmental Learning ◽  
Linguistic Structure ◽  
Initial Learning

Background and aims Implicit learning mechanisms associated with detecting structural regularities have been proposed to underlie both the long-term acquisition of linguistic structure and a short-term tendency to repeat linguistic structure across sentences (structural priming) in typically developing children. Recent research has suggested that a deficit in such mechanisms may explain the inconsistent trajectory of language learning displayed by children with Developmental Learning Disorder. We used a structural priming paradigm to investigate whether a group of children with Developmental Learning Disorder showed impaired implicit learning of syntax (syntactic priming) following individual syntactic experiences, and the time course of any such effects. Methods Five- to six-year-old Italian-speaking children with Developmental Learning Disorder and typically developing age-matched and language-matched controls played a picture-description-matching game with an experimenter. The experimenter’s descriptions were systematically manipulated so that children were exposed to both active and passive structures, in a randomized order. We investigated whether children’s descriptions used the same abstract syntax (active or passive) as the experimenter had used on an immediately preceding turn (no-delay) or three turns earlier (delay). We further examined whether children’s syntactic production changed with increasing experience of passives within the experiment. Results Children with Developmental Learning Disorder’s syntactic production was influenced by the syntax of the experimenter’s descriptions in the same way as typically developing language-matched children, but showed a different pattern from typically developing age-matched children. Children with Developmental Learning Disorder were more likely to produce passive syntax immediately after hearing a passive sentence than an active sentence, but this tendency was smaller than in typically developing age-matched children. After two intervening sentences, children with Developmental Learning Disorder no longer showed a significant syntactic priming effect, whereas typically developing age-matched children did. None of the groups showed a significant effect of cumulative syntactic experience. Conclusions Children with Developmental Learning Disorder show a pattern of syntactic priming effects that is consistent with an impairment in implicit learning mechanisms that are associated with the detection and extraction of abstract structural regularities in linguistic input. Results suggest that this impairment involves reduced initial learning from each syntactic experience, rather than atypically rapid decay following intact initial learning. Implications Children with Developmental Learning Disorder may learn less from each linguistic experience than typically developing children, and so require more input to achieve the same learning outcome with respect to syntax. Structural priming is an effective technique for manipulating both input quality and quantity to determine precisely how Developmental Learning Disorder is related to language input, and to investigate how input tailored to take into account the cognitive profile of this population can be optimised in designing interventions.

scholarly journals Clinical Profiles and Socio-Demographic Characteristics of Adults with Specific Learning Disorder in Northern Greece

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 602
Author(s):  
Eleni Bonti ◽  
Sofia Giannoglou ◽  
Marianthi Georgitsi ◽  
Maria Sofologi ◽  
Georgia-Nektaria Porfyri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Adult Population ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Demographic Characteristics ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Learning Disorder ◽  
Northern Greece ◽  
Everyday Functioning ◽  
Specific Learning Disorder ◽  
Specific Learning

The manifestation of Specific Learning Disorder (SLD) during adulthood is one of the least examined research areas among the relevant literature. Therefore, the adult population with SLD is considered a “rare” and “unique” population of major scientific interest. The aim of the current study was to investigate, describe, and analyze the clinical, academic, and socio-demographic characteristics, and other everyday functioning life-skills of adults with SLD, in an attempt to shed more light on this limited field of research. The overall sample consisted of 318 adults, who were assessed for possible SLD. The diagnostic procedure included self-report records (clinical interview), psychometric/cognitive, and learning assessments. The main finding of the study was that SLD, even during adulthood, continues to affect the individuals’ well-being and functionality in all of their life domains. There is an ongoing struggle of this population to obtain academic qualifications in order to gain vocational rehabilitation, as well as a difficulty to create a family, possibly resulting from their unstable occupational status, their financial insecurity, and the emotional/self-esteem issues they usually encounter, due to their ongoing learning problems. Moreover, the various interpersonal characteristics, the comorbidity issues, and the different developmental backgrounds observed in the clinical, academic, personal, social, and occupational profiles of the participants, highlight the enormous heterogeneity and the continuum that characterizes SLD during adulthood. We conclude that there is an imperative need for further research and the construction of more sufficient tools for the assessment and diagnosis of SLD during adulthood, which will take into account the developmental challenges and milestones in a series of domains, in order to assist this “vulnerable” population with their life struggles.

scholarly journals Comparison on Well-Being, Engagement and Perceived School Climate in Secondary School Students with Learning Difficulties and Specific Learning Disorders: An Exploratory Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 103
Author(s):  
Elisabetta Lombardi ◽  
Daniela Traficante ◽  
Roberta Bettoni ◽  
Ilaria Offredi ◽  
Mirta Vernice ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Secondary School ◽  
Secondary School Students ◽  
Learning Difficulties ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Learning Disorder ◽  
School Students ◽  
Specific Learning Disorder ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Specific Learning

Reading and writing skills influence the social status of students, exerting effects not only on learning, but also on wellbeing. This study aimed to assess the impact of diagnosis of specific learning disorder on well-being in secondary-school students, comparing students with a diagnosis of specific learning disorder (SLD-group), students showing learning difficulties without diagnosis (LD-group) and students without learning difficulties (control-group). Students were tested with neuropsychological screening tests in order to identify learning difficulties and were further assessed by means of psychological and school well-being questionnaires. The results show that LD group perceive themselves as having a low sense of mastery and autonomy, less interest and engagement in daily activities and low peer social support than their schoolmates. This result highlights, for the LD group, a low well-being experience, which is not observed in the SLD and control groups. On the contrary, SLD group students do not differ from control group students in any dimensions except for the perceived parents’ support and involvement in school life, in which the SLD group show the highest scores. This work underlines the importance of having a diagnosis as it seems to work as a protective factor for both the psychological and school well-being of the student.

Specific Learning Disorder among Primary School Children of Sarai Alamgir

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Noreena Kausar ◽  
Nadia Farhat ◽  
Fauzia Maqsood ◽  
Hafsa Qurban ◽  
Admin
Keyword(s):  
Primary School ◽  
Diagnostic Criteria ◽  
School Children ◽  
Learning Disorders ◽  
Primary School Children ◽  
Learning Disorder ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Reading And Writing ◽  
Specific Learning Disorder ◽  
Specific Learning

Abstract Objective: To examine the frequency of specific learning disorder (SLD) among primary school children of Sarai Alamgir, Pakistan. Methods: The current cross-sectional study was conducted from January to July 2018 in Sarai Alamgir. Multistage stratified sampling technique was used to select the sample from target population (N=914) of school children studying in 3rd and 4th class of six primary schoolsof Sarai Alamgir, Pakistan.Sample of n=837 children was selected through the Taro Yamane formula. Structured Clinical Diagnostic Interviews based on DSM-V (APA, 2013) diagnostic criteria of specific learning disorder were used to collect data. Children were approached in their classes. Screening tool was applied on all selected children to screen out the vulnerable cases. After screening the vulnerable cases, diagnostic criteria of different specific learning disorders were applied on all vulnerable cases. The frequencies and percentages were analyzed to see the frequency  of learning disorder among children. Results:Findings indicate that 174 (20.7%) children were vulnerable to specific learning disorders out of sample of 837 children. Total 13 (7.5%) children were diagnosed as suffering from different specific learning disorders from vulnerable participants. From vulnerable cases, 1(7.7%) childfulfilled the diagnostic criteria of reading impairment, 3 (23.1%) were diagnosed with mathematics impairment, 4 (30.8%) with multiple impairments in mathematics and writing, 1 (7.7%) with multiple impairments in mathematics and reading, 1 (7.7%) with multiple impairments in reading and writing, and 3 (23.1%) children were diagnosed as suffering from multiple impairments in mathematics, reading and writing. Continuous...

scholarly journals The Probable Prevalence and Sociodemographic Characteristics of Specific Learning Disorder in Primary School Children in Edirne

2017 ◽  
Vol 54 (4) ◽  
pp. 343-349 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isik GORKER ◽  
Leyla BOZATLI ◽  
Umran KORKMAZLAR ◽  
Meltem YÜCEL KARADAG ◽  
Cansin CEYLAN ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary School ◽  
School Children ◽  
Primary School Children ◽  
Sociodemographic Characteristics ◽  
Learning Disorder ◽  
Specific Learning Disorder ◽  
Specific Learning
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