Learning Disabilities and School

          Learning disabilities, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders are the most prevalent exceptionalities among students of the British Columbia public school system. There is a plethora of material regarding these exceptionalities, especially as new research continuously updates information regarding how these exceptionalities are defined, diagnosed, and accommodated. This précis will summarise the current information regarding those three exceptionalities.

            The first exceptionality examined is learning disabilities (LD). Learning disabilities are defined as disorders that effect an individual’s learning in a narrow range of areas. Learning disabilities can be classified by either the function impaired or by the stage of information processing. Learning disabilities are commonly diagnosed by assessing the difference between achievement and intelligence quotient, although there is disagreement as to whether this is appropriate or not (Kavale, 2011). Learning disabilities are usually incurable, however there are various interventions. Some of these interventions focus on teaching LD students the skills in which they have deficits or skills which will allow them to be more efficient learners, while others focus on bypassing the deficit with technology or human assistance (Woodcock & Vialle, 2011).

The second exceptionality encompasses attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This disorder is defined as a developmental disorder characterised by the inability to pay attention and hyperactivity. There are three broad categories within this exceptionality: impulsive, inattentive, and combined. The cause or causes of ADHD are unknown although several have been suggested. These include genetics, environment, diet, and social factors. There is significant controversy regarding ADHD as the rate of diagnosis has increased. Some researchers suggest that several disorders are misdiagnosed as ADHD while others believe that ADHD itself is a social construction. Diagnosis ADHD is through psychological assessment. Treatment of ADHD is often through medication and behavioural modification. The most common medications for treatment are stimulants such as Ritalin (Döpfner et al, 2011). In the classroom, effective adaptions are through the use of behaviour modification and the application of positive and negative reinforcers (BCED).

The final exceptionality encompasses fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). FAS are a pattern of mental and physical defects caused by the prenatal consumption of alcohol. The main effect of FAS is permanent damage to the central nervous system. This leads to impairment of mental function, including impairments to memory and reasoning (Green et al, 2008). There are also secondary effects such as growth deficiencies and facial abnormalities. The term FASD was developed to include fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) as well as a range of other effects caused by prenatal alcohol exposure. There is no one clinical feature used to diagnose FAS and FASD. There is a general consensus in the definition of FAS but there is debate as to what defines FASD. There is no cure or treatment for FASD, although there may be ways in which to manage the secondary effects of this disorder (such as poor memory) (Rasmussen et al, 2009).

This précis has summarised the current information on the three main exceptionalities encountered in the public school system. A common factor with all of these articles is the uncertainty in the definition, diagnosis, and treatment of these exceptionalities. While there is consensus in certain areas (such the definition of FAS), there is a lot of variability in others (especially treatment and adaption). Some of this variability is due to differing purposes that these articles were written for.

References

British Columbia Ministry of Education. Teaching Students with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Resource Guide for Teachers.  Retrieved January 9^th, 2011 from the World Wide Web: http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/specialed/adhd/

Carmen, R., Pei, J., Manji, S., Loomes, C., & Andrew G. (2009). Memory strategy development in children with foetal alcohol spectrum disorders. Retrieved January 9^th, 2011 from the World Wide Web: http://informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17518420902980126

Daley, D. & Birchwood, J. (2010). ADHD and academic performance: why does ADHD impact on academic performance and what can be done to support ADHD children in the classroom? Child: Care, Health and Development 36 (4), 455-464.

Döpfner, M., Görtz-Dorten, A., Breuer, D., & Rothenberger, A. 2011). An observational study of once-daily modified-release methylphenidate in ADHD: effectiveness on symptoms and impairment, and safety. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry 20 (3).

Green, C., Mihic, A., Nikkel, S., Stade, B., Rasmussen, C., Munoz, D. & Reynolds, J. (2008). Executive function deficits in children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) measured using the Cambridge Neuropsychological Tests Automated Battery (CANTAB). Retrieved January 9^th, 2011 from the World Wide Web: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1469-7610.2008.01990.x/full

Kavale, K.. Discrepancy Models in the Identification of Learning Disability. Retrieved January 9^th, 2011 from the World Wide Web: http://elearndesign.org/teachspecialed/modules/ocada7021_norm2/15/xmedia/Douglas_Fuchs.pdf