Disorders of the acquisition of school skills in children

Disorders of acquiring school skills are conditions in which there is a discrepancy between the actual and potential level of the child's progress at school, which is determined on the basis of the child's intellectual abilities. Disorders of acquiring school skills include a violation or complexity of concentration or attention, speech development or visual or auditory perception of information. Diagnostics includes examination of intellectual abilities, academic performance, speech development, state of health, as well as psychological examination. Treatment includes, first of all, modification of the educational process, as well as sometimes medication, behavioral or psychotherapy.

In disorders of acquiring specific school skills, the ability to understand or use spoken or written speech, perform mathematical calculations, coordinate movements, or focus on the task is impaired. These violations include problems with reading, math, written expression or handwriting, as well as understanding or using verbal or nonverbal expression. Most of the disorders of acquiring school skills are complex or mixed, with violations in more than one system.

Common frustrations of acquiring school skills

Disorder	Manifestations
Dyslexia	Problems reading
Phonological dyslexia	Problems with analyzing and memorizing sounds
Superficial dyslexia	Problems with visual recognition of forms and structures of words
Disgraphy	Problems with writing or writing by hand
Dyscalculia	Problems with mathematics and complexity in solving problems (problems)
Ageometry	Problems due to violation of mathematical justification
Anarithmia	Violations in the formation of basic concepts and inability to acquire skills in calculations
Dysnomia	Difficulties in restoring words and information on demand in memory

Despite the fact that the number of children with disabilities of acquiring school skills is unknown, about 5% of school-age children in the US need special training methods in connection with learning disabilities. Boys suffer more often, the ratio of boys and girls is 5: 1.

Learning disorders can be congenital or acquired. No definite cause has been established, however neurological disorders are either obvious or suspected. Genetic factors are often important. Other likely factors include maternal illness, complicated pregnancy or childbirth (rashes, toxemia, prolonged labor, swift labor), as well as neonatal problems (for example, prematurity, low birth weight, severe jaundice, intranatal asphyxia, hypersensitivity, respiratory failure ). Potential risk factors include toxic effects (eg, lead intoxication), CNS infections, neoplasms, and their treatment, trauma, malnutrition, severe social isolation and deprivation.

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Symptoms of disorders in the acquisition of school skills in children

Children with disabilities acquiring school skills usually have at least an average intellect, although such violations can also occur in children with a decline in intelligence. Symptoms and signs of severe disorders usually appear at an early age. Mild and moderate learning disabilities usually remain undetected until the child enters school, when the child begins to make high demands related to schooling. Children may have difficulty learning the alphabet, as well as a learning gap related to paired associations (for example, the names of colors, the designations of objects, the account, the names of letters). Perception of speech can be limited, language learning is slower, vocabulary can be lower than average. Children may not understand what they read; the handwriting can be sloppy, the child can clumsily hold the handle; Possible difficulties with the organization or beginning of the assignment or a consecutive retelling of the stories; the child can confuse mathematical symbols and misread the figures.

Violations or delayed development of active speech or understanding of oral speech are the predictors of problems with learning as early as preschool. Memory may be broken, including short-term and long-term memory, its use (for example, retelling), as well as remembering words. There may be problems with making presentations, summarizing, generalizing, justifying, and organizing and planning information for solving tasks and problems. Visual and auditory perceptions can be disturbed, including cognitive impairment and orientation difficulties (for example, locating an object, spatial memory, awareness of location and location), visual attention and memory, recognition and analysis of sounds.

Some children who violate the acquisition of school skills may have difficulties in complying with social rules (for example, compliance with the queue, location is too close to the listener, misunderstanding of jokes); also it is often a component in diseases of the autism group. Failure to focus attention on the object for a long time, motor anxiety, violations of small movements (for example, problems typing on the keyboard, copying), as well as variability of behavior and performance over time are other early symptoms. There may be impulsive behavior, non-goal-directed behavior and hyperactivity, problems with discipline, aggressiveness, avoiding behavior, excessive shyness, modesty, timidity. As noted above, frustration in acquiring school skills and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is often combined.

Diagnosis of disorders in the acquisition of school skills in children

As a rule, children with learning disabilities learn when there is a discrepancy between their performance at school and the potential. Examination of intellectual abilities, academic performance, speech development, state of health, as well as psychological examination are necessary to determine the lack of skills and cognitive processes. Also, social and emotional-behavioral examinations are needed to plan treatment and monitor its effectiveness.

The examination of intellectual abilities usually includes verbal and nonverbal tests and, as a rule, is carried out by the employees of the educational institution. Testing can be useful to describe the preferred way to assimilate information (for example, holistically or analytically, visual or auditory). Neuropsychological examination is especially indicated for children with a history of CNS injury or illness in order to identify areas of the brain corresponding to weak and strong functional sides. Examination of speech development allows to define understanding and use of language, phonological process and analysis, verbal memory.

Observations of the teacher for the child's behavior in school and achievement are necessary. Evaluation of reading allows you to determine the ability to decipher and recognize words, understanding and fluency of speech. It is necessary to obtain samples written by the child by hand, to assess the ability to understand the syntax and knowledge of concepts. Mathematical abilities should be evaluated as computational skills, knowledge of operations and understanding of basic ideas.

A medical examination includes a thorough elucidation of a family history, a medical history of the child, a physical examination, a neurological examination, and an assessment of the neural development to determine the possible causes of the disorder. Although not often, physical anomalies and neurological disorders can indicate the causes of some learning disorders that are amenable to drug treatment. Violations of coordination of general movements may indicate neurological problems or a delay in neuropsychic development. The level of development is assessed in accordance with standardized criteria.

Psychological examination reveals attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety disorders, depression and low self-esteem, which often accompany learning disorders and which should be differentiated. Assess attitude towards school, motivation, relationships with peers and self-confidence.

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Treatment of disorders in the acquisition of school skills in children

Treatment focuses on correcting learning, but it can also include medication, behavioral and psychological therapy. Teaching programs can be aimed at correcting, compensating or developing a learning strategy (ie teaching the child how to learn). The discrepancy between the educational method and the characteristics of the child (the nature of the violation, the preferred ways of perceiving information) reinforces the severity of the manifestations of the disorder.

Some children need specialized training in only one area, while in the rest they can attend the regular program. Other children need separate and intensive training programs. Ideally, as required by the laws of the United States. Adolescents with the acquisition of school skills should participate as much as possible in classes with peers who do not have learning disabilities.

Drug medications have minimal impact on school achievement, intelligence and general learning abilities, although some drugs (for example, psychostimulants such as methylphenidate and some amphetamine drugs) can help improve attention and concentration, allowing the child to more effectively follow tutorials and instructions. The effectiveness of many methods and means of treatment (for example, the elimination of food additives, the use of antioxidants or large doses of vitamins, the use of sensory stimulation and passive movements, sensory integrative therapy using postural exercises, training of the auditory nerve, optometric training for the correction of visual perceptual and sensory-motor processes) has not been proved.