Differential Disadvantage of Anglophone Weak Readers Due to English Orthographic Complexity and Cognitive Processing Weakness

2011 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 72-96
Author(s):  
Susan A. Galletly ◽  
Bruce Allen Knight
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Load ◽  
Early Literacy ◽  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Auditory Processing ◽  
Literacy Development ◽  
Language Disorder ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Processing Efficiency ◽  
Learning To Read ◽  
Instructional Needs

AbstractThe highly regular orthographies (spelling systems) of many nations expedite literacy development, and their children experience a rapid transition from early literacy (learning to read and write) to sophisticated literacy (reading and writing to learn). In contrast, English orthographic complexity impedes literacy development, particularly for weak readers (Galletly & Knight, in press a, b). This article proposes a model of differential disadvantage of Anglophone weak readers due to cognitive processing weakness and the high cognitive load of learning to read and write English. The disadvantage is differential, first with Anglophone weak readers disadvantaged compared to weak readers in nations with regular orthographies, and second, with subgroups of Anglophone weak readers being more disadvantaged, depending on their levels of language skills and cognitive processing efficiency. Anglophone weak readers with pre-existing language disorder experience the highest levels of differential disadvantage. Weak cognitive processing and automisation in the face of continuing high cognitive load seems a basis for them frequently showing comorbidities, with features of multiple disorder categories (Catts, Adlof, Hogan, & Ellis Weismer, 2005), including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), auditory processing disorder, motor weakness, and social and behavioural impairment. The model is a useful framework for considering the instructional needs of weak readers. Areas where research is needed for building ways forward in optimising literacy development is discussed.

Using Hearing Assistance Technology to Improve School Success for All Children

2017 ◽  
pp. 311-328
Author(s):  
Diane M. Scott
Keyword(s):  
Language Learners ◽  
Auditory Processing ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Language Disorder ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Auditory Information ◽  
Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
Hearing Thresholds ◽  
Auditory Performance

The acoustical conditions in the classroom play an important role in the learning process of children. Most daily instruction is verbal; therefore, all children in the classroom and other educational settings need access to auditory information. This chapter will provide information to teachers and administrators about hearing assistance technology that can facilitate classroom learning for typically developing children, second language learners, children who are hearing impaired, and children with normal hearing thresholds but significantly poorer auditory performance, such as children who are diagnosed with auditory processing disorder, autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and language disorder. Teachers and educational audiologists can collaborate on the use of technology to ensure children have access to auditory information in the classroom.

scholarly journals The Task-Evoked Pupil Response in Divided Auditory Attention Tasks

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (04) ◽  
pp. 264-272 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Baldock ◽  
Sarosh Kapadia ◽  
Willem van Steenbrugge
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Load ◽  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Sensory Processing ◽  
Divided Attention ◽  
Auditory Processing ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Memory Capacity ◽  
Pupil Dilation ◽  
Auditory Attention ◽  
Attention Tasks

AbstractSuccessful processing of complex auditory information relies on the interplay between low-level sensory processing and higher-level cognitive processing. However, the extent to which specific auditory processing tasks rely on cognitive processing as opposed to lower-level sensory processing is unclear. The task-evoked pupil response (TEPR) can quantify the cognitive load that complex listening tasks elicit. Previous research by Koelewijn et al (2014) indicated that dividing attention across two sentences presented dichotically resulted in larger pupil dilation (indicative of greater cognitive load) compared with selectively attending to one. However, it was unclear whether the larger pupil dilation measured during the divided attention task were the result of dividing attention or were due to the increased memory demand inherent to that task.The first aim of the current study was to address the above issue of memory demand by comparing pupil dilation between divided and selective auditory attention tasks, while keeping memory and response load constant. The second aim was to further clarify the influence of memory demands on TEPRs in these auditory tasks by comparing the pupil dilation recorded to measures of participants’ digit memory capacity.A repeated measures design was used. Each participant undertook two selective and three divided auditory attention tasks, generated by varying the specific instructions before each condition of the dichotic digits test (DDT). In addition, participants completed forward and reverse digit span (DS) tasks.Thirty-one otologically healthy adults (aged 18–40 years) participated in this study.A repeated measures analysis of variance was used to compare mean and peak pupil dilation between the selective and divided attention tasks. Spearman correlation analyses were used to examine potential relationships between DS scores and mean and peak pupil dilation elicited by the DDT conditions.Participants demonstrated larger mean and peak pupil dilation (indicative of greater cognitive load) when they were required to divide their attention across both ears than when they were required to selectively attend to input in one ear. DS scores were not significantly correlated with mean or peak pupil dilation measures.Auditory divided attention tasks involve significantly greater cognitive load than auditory selective attention tasks, even when memory demands are equal. In addition, mean and peak pupil dilation generated during the DDT are not significantly associated with digit memory capacity. The findings indicate that poor performance on tasks involving divided attention may be due to a cognitive deficit as opposed to an auditory processing deficit. Clinicians should consider this when using divided attention tasks in auditory processing assessments.

Using Hearing Assistance Technology to Improve School Success for All Children

2020 ◽  
pp. 722-739
Author(s):  
Diane M. Scott
Keyword(s):  
Language Learners ◽  
Auditory Processing ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Language Disorder ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Auditory Information ◽  
Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
Hearing Thresholds ◽  
Auditory Performance

The acoustical conditions in the classroom play an important role in the learning process of children. Most daily instruction is verbal; therefore, all children in the classroom and other educational settings need access to auditory information. This chapter will provide information to teachers and administrators about hearing assistance technology that can facilitate classroom learning for typically developing children, second language learners, children who are hearing impaired, and children with normal hearing thresholds but significantly poorer auditory performance, such as children who are diagnosed with auditory processing disorder, autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and language disorder. Teachers and educational audiologists can collaborate on the use of technology to ensure children have access to auditory information in the classroom.

Addressing African American English in Early Literacy Assessment and Instruction

2008 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 54-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole Patton Terry
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Early Literacy ◽  
American English ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
African American English ◽  
Literacy Assessment ◽  
Learning To Read ◽  
Speech Language Pathologist ◽  
Early Literacy Assessment

Abstract Determining how best to address young children's African American English use in formal literacy assessment and instruction is a challenge. Evidence is not yet available to discern which theory best accounts for the relation between AAE use and literacy skills or to delineate which dialect-informed educational practices are most effective for children in preschool and the primary grades. Nonetheless, consistent observations of an educationally significant relation between AAE use and various early literacy skills suggest that dialect variation should be considered in assessment and instruction practices involving children who are learning to read and write. The speech-language pathologist can play a critical role in instituting such practices in schools.

Perceptual and Cognitive Processing in Autism Spectrum Disorders

2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shannon A. Johnson ◽  
Leslie M. Blaha ◽  
Mario Fific ◽  
James T. Townsend ◽  
Julie C. Stout
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorders

Initial Evidence for Increased Weather Salience in Autism Spectrum Conditions

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew J. Bolton ◽  
William G. Blumberg ◽  
Lara K. Ault ◽  
H. Michael Mogil ◽  
Stacie H. Hanes
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Physical Disability ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Autism Spectrum Conditions ◽  
Weather Information ◽  
Autistic People ◽  
Neurological Functioning ◽  
Future Work ◽  
Logical Rules ◽  
Attention To Detail

Weather is important to all people, including vulnerable populations (those whose circumstances include cognitive processing, hearing, or vision differences, physical disability, homelessness, and other scenarios and factors). Autism spectrum conditions (ASC) affect information-processing and areas of neurological functioning that potentially inhibit the reception of hazardous weather information, and is of particular concern for weather messengers. People on the autism spectrum tend to score highly in tests of systemizing, a psychological process that heavily entails attention to detail and revolves around the creation of logical rules to explain things that occur in the world. This article reports the results of three preliminary studies examining weather salience–psychological attention to weather–and its potential relationships with systemizing in autistic people. Initial findings suggest that enhanced weather salience exists among autistic individuals compared to those without the condition, and that this may be related to systemizing. These findings reveal some possible strategies for communicating weather to autistic populations and motivate future work on a conceptual model that blends systemizing and chaos theory to better understand weather salience.

scholarly journals Eye Movements in Response to Pain-Related Feelings in the Presence of Low and High Cognitive Loads

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 92
Author(s):  
Ramtin Zargari Marandi ◽  
Camilla Ann Fjelsted ◽  
Iris Hrustanovic ◽  
Rikke Dan Olesen ◽  
Parisa Gazerani
Keyword(s):  
Eye Movements ◽  
Cognitive Load ◽  
Eye Movement ◽  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Pain Perception ◽  
Cognitive Task ◽  
Load Level ◽  
Task Load ◽  
Pupillary Responses ◽  
Movement Characteristics

The affective dimension of pain contributes to pain perception. Cognitive load may influence pain-related feelings. Eye tracking has proven useful for detecting cognitive load effects objectively by using relevant eye movement characteristics. In this study, we investigated whether eye movement characteristics differ in response to pain-related feelings in the presence of low and high cognitive loads. A set of validated, control, and pain-related sounds were applied to provoke pain-related feelings. Twelve healthy young participants (six females) performed a cognitive task at two load levels, once with the control and once with pain-related sounds in a randomized order. During the tasks, eye movements and task performance were recorded. Afterwards, the participants were asked to fill out questionnaires on their pain perception in response to the applied cognitive loads. Our findings indicate that an increased cognitive load was associated with a decreased saccade peak velocity, saccade frequency, and fixation frequency, as well as an increased fixation duration and pupil dilation range. Among the oculometrics, pain-related feelings were reflected only in the pupillary responses to a low cognitive load. The performance and perceived cognitive load decreased and increased, respectively, with the task load level and were not influenced by the pain-related sounds. Pain-related feelings were lower when performing the task compared with when no task was being performed in an independent group of participants. This might be due to the cognitive engagement during the task. This study demonstrated that cognitive processing could moderate the feelings associated with pain perception.

scholarly journals Early differences in auditory processing relate to Autism Spectrum Disorder traits in infants with Neurofibromatosis Type I

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jannath Begum-Ali ◽  
◽  
Anna Kolesnik-Taylor ◽  
Isabel Quiroz ◽  
Luke Mason ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Auditory Processing ◽  
Neurofibromatosis Type ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Type I ◽  
Sensory Reactivity ◽  
Auditory Responses ◽  
Repetition Suppression ◽  
Age Related

Abstract Background Sensory modulation difficulties are common in children with conditions such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and could contribute to other social and non-social symptoms. Positing a causal role for sensory processing differences requires observing atypical sensory reactivity prior to the emergence of other symptoms, which can be achieved through prospective studies. Methods In this longitudinal study, we examined auditory repetition suppression and change detection at 5 and 10 months in infants with and without Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1), a condition associated with higher likelihood of developing ASD. Results In typically developing infants, suppression to vowel repetition and enhanced responses to vowel/pitch change decreased with age over posterior regions, becoming more frontally specific; age-related change was diminished in the NF1 group. Whilst both groups detected changes in vowel and pitch, the NF1 group were largely slower to show a differentiated neural response. Auditory responses did not relate to later language, but were related to later ASD traits. Conclusions These findings represent the first demonstration of atypical brain responses to sounds in infants with NF1 and suggest they may relate to the likelihood of later ASD.

scholarly journals Developmental Language Disorder and Autism: Commonalities and Differences on Language

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 589
Author(s):  
Natasa Georgiou ◽  
George Spanoudis
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Language Impairment ◽  
Language Disorder ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Developmental Language Disorder ◽  
Typically Developing Children ◽  
Autism Group ◽  
Developmental Conditions

Language and communication deficits characterize both autism spectrum disorder and developmental language disorder, and the possibility of there being a common profile of these is a matter of tireless debate in the research community. This experimental study addresses the relation of these two developmental conditions in the critical topic of language. Α total of 103 children (79 males, 24 females) participated in the present study. Specifically, the study’s sample consisted of 40 children with autism, 28 children with developmental language disorder, and 35 typically developing children between 6 and 12 years old. All children completed language and cognitive measures. The results showed that there is a subgroup inside the autism group of children who demonstrate language difficulties similar to children with developmental language disorder. Specifically, two different subgroups were derived from the autism group; those with language impairment and those without. Both autism and language-impaired groups scored lower than typically developing children on all language measures indicating a common pathology in language ability. The results of this study shed light on the relation between the two disorders, supporting the assumption of a subgroup with language impairment inside the autism spectrum disorder population. The common picture presented by the two developmental conditions highlights the need for further research in the field.

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