Language and Learning Disorders
October 29 , 2012
Chapter 10
The environment where the child learns best, mainstreaming and integration is
something we need to think about.
Language Components
Phonology: Knowledge of basic sounds ad sound combinations ba-da
Morphology: Words forms/inflections convey meaning. Egg, mines, go, went
Syntax: Grammar
Semantics: Meaning; “colourless green ideas sleep furiously” Structurally
correct, but doesn’t make any sense
Pragmatics: Social use, how we use the language in a social context.
Specific Language Impairments (Communication Disorders)
Phonological Disorder:
Phonological awareness: Understanding, and used for basic learning skills.
Prerequisites for basic reading skills
Phonological Disorders
Challenges:
o Learning speech sounds
o Organizing sounds for speech, reading and spelling
o Rate of speech
o Articulation delays
o L, R,S,Z,TH,CH
They are at risk to have other disorders
A lot of comorbidity
May develop, anxiety, depression
Boys outnumber girls almost 2:1
Language issues more in boys.
Expressive Language Disorder (3-10% school age):
Below average vocabulary skills
Improper use of tenses, (past, present, future)
Not problem understanding speech
Problems making complex sentences
Problems remembering words
Use standardize expressive language tests and nonverbal intelligence should
be used
o Watched a video: she couldn’t find words to explain what she wanted
to say, used many of the same words over and over again, She used
her hands and mannerisms to help explain what the book was about.
She was very delayed when speaking. Receptive-Expressive Language Disorder:
Problems in understanding and expressing language
Overuse some words
Delay Response time
Most difficult group
Frustration anxiety when trying to communicate
More introverted
Show more behavioural challenges
Etiology
Hereiditability is 50-75%
Brain language Structures:
o Posterior left hemisphere (temporal lobe) Hypo-activation in
phonological problems
Cognitive;
o Processing speed (eg, PASAT, reading numbers one at a time, listen to
the numbers, add them up, and answer, then they say another
number, they add it to the total and say the answer. )
o Auditory processing
o Verbal short-term memory
Visual or auditory input, then placed in sensory storage, but we are not aware of
that. A picture will be stored in visual spatial scratch pad, Auditory will be stored
in the phonological loop. The children with these disorders, are having hard
time with the phonological loop Learning Disabilities
Inclusion and exclusion criteria
(Mostly DMS –IV criteria)
A severe discrepancy between achievement and intellectual ability in one or
more of the areas:
o Oral expression
o Listening comprehension
o Written expression
o Basic reading skill
o Reading comprehension
o Mathematics calculation or
o Mathematic reasoning
The child may not be identified as having a specific learning disability if the
discrepancy between ability and achievement is primary the result of
o A visual, hearing, or motor handicap
o Mental retardation
o Emotional disturbances
o Environmental, cultural or economic disadvantage
Alternative ways to identify LD
Response to intervention (RTI)
The change in behavior or performance as a function of an intervention
Multi-tiered Approach
o Tier 1: Standard curriculum activity
o Tier 2: Additional Academic Support
o Tier 3: Intensive, small group, IEP
Reading Disability
Word level reading (dyslexia) (all the dot jots underneath, explain this, except
comprehension)
Decoding/phonological rules
Recognizing words
Non-fluent reading
Repetitions, additions, transpositions, omissions, substitutions, and reversals
Done in writing and in rea
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