Short report on a syllable-based intervention to improve phonemic awareness and reading in children with DLD.

With fragile phonological representations, children with developmental language disorder (DLD) risk failure when learning to read. The study reported that teaching letters-to-syllable relationships can improve phonemic awareness skills or reading performances of three French-speaking children with DLD, using a single case methodology with an AB design. These findings are promising for children at risk of reading disability and extend current knowledge concerning syllable-based teaching for developing literacy.

A preliminary study into internet related addictions among adults with dyslexia.

In recent decades, studies have investigated associations between learning disorders such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and the various types of internet addictions, ranging from general internet addiction (GIA) to specific internet addictions such as social media addiction (SMA) and internet gaming disorder (IGD). However, to date, no study has investigated such internet addictions among persons with dyslexia. The present study aimed to investigate whether differences exist between adults with dyslexia and controls in terms of GIA, SMA and IGD. A total of 141 adults with dyslexia and 150 controls (all UK based) were recruited. Controlling for age, gender, marital status, employment, and income levels, it was found that adults with dyslexia had higher levels of GIA and IGD compared to controls. However, these participants did not show any significant difference in terms of SMA. The results indicate that internet addictions may have a larger ambit for learning disorders beyond just ASD and ADHD and could be a hidden problem for these individuals.

Neuromuscular and Neuromuscular Junction Manifestations of the PURA-NDD: A Systematic Review of the Reported Symptoms and Potential Treatment Options.

PURA-related neurodevelopmental disorders (PURA-NDDs) are a rare genetic disease caused by pathogenic autosomal dominant variants in the PURA gene or a deletion encompassing the PURA gene. PURA-NDD is clinically characterized by neurodevelopmental delay, learning disability, neonatal hypotonia, feeding difficulties, abnormal movements, and epilepsy. It is generally considered to be central nervous system disorders, with generalized weakness, associated hypotonia, cognitive and development deficits in early development, and seizures in late stages. Although it is classified predominantly as a central nervous syndrome disorder, some phenotypic features, such as myopathic facies, respiratory insufficiency of muscle origin, and myopathic features on muscle biopsy and electrodiagnostic evaluation, point to a peripheral (neuromuscular) source of weakness. Patients with PURA-NDD have been increasingly identified in exome-sequenced cohorts of patients with neuromuscular- and congenital myasthenic syndrome-like phenotypes. Recently, fluctuating weakness noted in a PURA-NDD patient, accompanied by repetitive nerve stimulation abnormalities, suggested the disease to be a channelopathy and, more specifically, a neuromuscular junction disorder. Treatment with pyridostigmine or salbutamol led to clinical improvement of neuromuscular function in two reported cases. The goal of this systematic retrospective review is to highlight the motor symptoms of PURA-NDD, to further describe the neuromuscular phenotype, and to emphasize the role of potential treatment opportunities of the neuromuscular phenotype in the setting of the potential role of PURA protein in the neuromuscular junction and the muscles.

Sociodemographic risk factors, parental stress and social support in the neonatal intensive care unit.

OBJECTIVE: Investigate relationships among neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) parent demographics, reported stress and social support. DESIGN: Cross-sectional observation. SETTING: Tertiary referral NICU in Mid-Atlantic USA. PATIENTS: Parents (n=300) in the Giving Parents Support trial at enrolment. MEASURES: Psychometric scales measured general stress, parental stress, NICU stress and social support. Demographic variables included education level, health insurance type, race, relationship status, age and gender. Length of stay was used to control for illness severity. Associations and potential modifying effects were evaluated using linear regression. RESULTS: Having less than a college degree (b=-2.52, SE=0.91) and female parent gender (b=-3.42, SE=1.47) were associated with lower parental stress scores. Older age in years was associated with higher parental stress scores (b=0.21, SE=0.07) but lower NICU stress scores (b=-0.01, SE=0.01). Greater social support scores were associated with lower scores of general (b=-2.76, SE=0.39) and parental stress (b=-1.71, SE=0.47). Less than a college degree (b=-0.26, SE=0.11), Medicaid insurance (b=-0.43, SE=0.11) and black race (b=-0.56, SE=0.12) were associated with decreased social support scores. Level of social support modified the relationship between education and parental stress, with higher social support decreasing education-based differences in parental stress scores (p=0.049). CONCLUSION: Sociodemographic risk factors may not infer stress or risk in the anticipated direction. Practice and future research should focus on identifying and supporting NICU families at high risk for stress and low support. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02643472.

The relationship between bullying, learning disorders and psychiatric comorbidity.

BACKGROUND: Both learning disorders and bullying are major sources of public concern. Children with learning disorders often suffer from social rejection, potentially rendering them more susceptible to bullying involvement. Bullying involvement leads to a higher risk towards developing various problems including self-harm and suicidality. Past research on whether learning disorders are childhood bullying risk factors yielded inconsistent results. METHODS: The current study used path analyses on a representative sample of 2,925 German 3rd and 4th grades to examine whether learning disorders are a direct bullying risk factor, or whether their impact depends on psychiatric comorbidity. More so, the current study sought to examine whether associations differ between children with and without learning disorders, compare different bullying roles (i.e., only victim, only bully, or bully-victim), compare gender, and control for IQ and socioeconomic status. RESULTS: Results indicated that learning disorders are not a direct but rather an indirect childhood risk factor for bully-victim involvement, depending on psychiatric comorbidity with internalizing or externalizing disorders. Regarding the comparison between the samples of children with and without learning disorders, an overall difference and a difference in the path between spelling and externalizing disorders emerged. No difference for different bullying roles (i.e., only victim, only bully) emerged. Negligible differences emerged when IQ and socioeconomic status were controlled. An overall gender difference emerged, compatible with past research, indicating higher bullying involvement among boys compared to girls. CONCLUSION: Children with learning disorders are at a higher risk of having psychiatric comorbidity, which in turn renders them at a higher risk of bullying involvement. Implications for bullying interventions and school professionals are deduced.

Maternal age at childbirth and the risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and learning disability in offspring.

Background: Studies have shown that young maternal age at childbirth can increase the risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in offspring, but a study of the U.S. population has not been reported. Moreover, there is no reported research on young and advanced maternal age at childbirth and whether it can contribute to the risk of learning disability (LD) in offspring. Methods: This study evaluated the association between young and advanced maternal age at childbirth and offspring risk of ADHD and LD in the U.S. population. Using data from 8,098 participants included in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted in 1999-2004, we analyzed the association between maternal age at childbirth and ADHD and LD risk in offspring. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for maternal age at childbirth in association with ADHD and LD risk in offspring were estimated using multivariate logistic regression models after adjustment for age, sex, race, body mass index (BMI), poverty income ratio, smoking status during pregnancy, and NHANES cycle. Restricted cubic spline (RCS) models were used to evaluate potential non-linear relationships. Sensitivity analyses were performed to ensure the reliability of the results. Results: Among all participants, the offspring of subjects with a maternal age at childbirth of 18-24 years had an increased risk of ADHD (OR = 1.34, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.79) and LD (OR = 1.36, 95% CI: 1.06, 1.79) or either ADHD or LD (OR = 1.48, 95% CI: 1.20, 1.81). Additionally, compared with subjects with a maternal age at childbirth of 25-29 years, subjects with a maternal age at childbirth of 35-39 years had lower odds of having offspring with ADHD (OR = 0.60, 95% CI: 0.36, 1.00) and higher odds of having offspring with LD (OR = 1.34, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.78). The relationship between maternal age at childbirth and LD risk presented a U-shaped curve. Conclusions: These results provide epidemiological evidence showing that young and advanced maternal age at childbirth are associated with ADHD and LD risk.

Intellectual functioning in survivors of extremely low birthweight: Cognitive outcomes in childhood and adolescence.

BACKGROUND: Infants born at extremely low birthweight (ELBW: ≤1000 g) are vulnerable to intellectual disabilities, but the factors that may distinguish between ELBW survivors with and without these impairments are not well understood. In this study, prospective associations between neonatal factors and functional outcomes in childhood and adolescence were compared in ELBW survivors with and without borderline intellectual functioning (BIF). METHODS: Borderline intellectual functioning was defined by IQ < 85, assessed at 8 years. Among 146 ELBW survivors, 48 (33%) had IQ scores under 85, and 98 (67%) had scores equal to or over 85. Group differences in demographic and risk factors were assessed via t-test, chi-squared analysis or non-parametric tests. Neonatal factors that differed between ELBW groups were tested for association with adaptive behaviour assessed at age 5 years, and reading and arithmetic skills assessed at ages 8 and 15 years, using hierarchical regression models. RESULTS: Extremely low birthweight survivors with BIF had significantly lower birthweights than ELBW survivors without BIF (790 vs. 855 g, P < 0.01) and were more likely to be born to mothers with lower socioeconomic status (SES) (78% vs. 48%, P < 0.01). These ELBW survivors also were more likely to be diagnosed with significant neurosensory impairment (NSI; 35% vs. 19%, P < 0.04), experienced more bronchopulmonary dysplasia (56% vs. 38%, P < 0.04), received more days of respiratory support (median 33 vs. 14 days, P < 0.01) and remained in hospital for longer periods (median 81 vs. 63 days, P < 0.03). Birthweight, familial SES, NSI and duration of respiratory support were significant predictors for one or more outcomes. Across groups, lower familial SES was associated with lower academic scores (Ps < 0.05), and NSI predicted lower adaptive functioning (Ps < 0.001). Other associations were moderated by group: among ELBW survivors with BIF, heavier birthweights predicted better arithmetic skills, the presence of NSI was associated with poorer arithmetic skills and more ventilation days predicted poorer reading skills. CONCLUSIONS: At birth, ELBW survivors with BIF faced more physiological and social disadvantages and required more medical intervention than their ELBW peers without BIF. Smaller birth size, NSI burden and prolonged neonatal ventilatory support displayed gradients of risk for childhood and adolescent academic outcomes across groups. Whereas academic performance in ELBW survivors with BIF was sensitive to variation in birth size, NSI or ventilation days, ELBW survivors without BIF attained thresholds of intellectual ability that were sufficient to support higher levels of academic performance at both ages, regardless of their status on these factors. The findings are discussed in relation to Zigler's developmental theory of intellectual disability.

Connecting the science of reading to social justice: Introduction to the special section.

The science of reading is the consensus of research conducted across multiple disciplines over many years that informs how children learn to read, the types of instructional practices that work best for most students, as well as how to address the needs of students who struggle to learn to read. This body of convergent evidence strongly indicates that approximately 95% of children can be taught to read at or approaching grade level, including students with dyslexia or other learning disabilities (Moats, 2020). Despite this compelling evidence, two-thirds of children cannot read proficiently in this country, and these data illustrate persistent gaps in reading proficiency across race, English learners, disability, and socioeconomic status (National Center for Education Statistics, 2022). The implications of not learning to read proficiently are profound, including increased risk for school dropout, anxiety, depression, and low self-concept. All these outcomes are worse for our students of color and those from economically and culturally diverse groups. Ensuring that all students have the opportunity to learn to read requires that the science of reading is implemented in all schools across the nation and that educators are equipped with the knowledge and skills to teach reading and address reading challenges. This article introduces a special section devoted to studies describing the ways in which the science of reading is bridging the practice to research gap with a social justice lens in an effort to advance and improve student, classroom, school-wide, or system-level outcomes for children and youth. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Speech/Language Impairment or Specific Learning Disability? Examining the Usage of Educational Categories.

PURPOSE: Developmental language disorder (DLD) is a lifelong condition that when impacting educational performance is identified and serviced through U.S. schools as outlined in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. A few examples of educational categories that refer to DLD are (a) speech or language impairment (S/LI) and (b) specific learning disability (SLD). In this research note, we aim to examine trends in how these categories are assigned. METHOD: We analyzed publicly available data released by the U.S. Department of Education from six school years between 2010 and 2020. We examined the use of S/LI and SLD categories across students of different ages at the U.S. national and state levels. RESULTS: We present a trend in which younger students tend to be identified with the S/LI category, whereas older students tend to be identified with the SLD category. This trend is evident in all 6 years of data analyzed at the national level, and in 49 of 50 states. CONCLUSIONS: We discuss these findings in the context of research on language disorders to explain this trend. We highlight the potential damaging effects of using inconsistent terminology, including affecting the services for which students with DLD qualify and causing confusion for their parents and educators.

Are Dyslexic People more Creative? Myth or Reality: A Meta-analysis / ¿Son las personas disléxicas más creativas? Mito o realidad: metaanálisis

The claim that people with dyslexia are more creative than people without this learning disorder is widespread. But the complexity of creativity and the way it is measured means that this statement is sometimes inconsistent. The aim of this review is, on the one hand, to explore the relationship between dyslexia and creativity, as well as to analyze the categories of divergent thinking: fluency, originality, abstractness, elaboration, and flexibility. On the other hand, it also aims to identify moderators that may be influencing this relationship, such as age, country, or the test used. We retrieved 13 empirical studies that provided 39 effect sizes. The results show that there are no significant differences between people with and without dyslexia in terms of creativity when considering the construct as a whole. However, a significant relationship between the two constructs is observed when analyzing the categories of divergent thinking isolated.(AU)

La afirmación de que las personas con dislexia son más creativas que las personas sin este trastorno específico del aprendizaje está muy extendida. Pero la complejidad del constructo de creatividad y la forma en que esta se mide, hace que esta afirmación sea contradictoria. El objetivo de esta revisión es doble; por un lado, pretende explorar la relación entre dislexia y creatividad, así como analizar las categorías del pensamiento divergente: fluidez, originalidad, abstracción, elaboración y flexibilidad; por otro, pretende identificar moderadores que puedan estar influyendo en esta relación, como la edad, el país o la prueba utilizada. Se recuperaron trece estudios empíricos, con un total de 39 tamaños de efecto. Los resultados muestran que no existen diferencias significativas en cuanto a la creatividad entre personas con dislexia y sin ella cuando se considera el constructo como un todo. Sin embargo, se observa una relación significativa entre ambos al analizar las categorías de pensamiento divergente de forma aislada.(AU)

ASIS Cognitive Profiles of Children with Learning Disabilities / Perfiles cognitivos de ASIS enniños con problemas de aprendizaje

Las escalas de inteligencia se utilizan ampliamente para el análisis de perfiles cognitivos en el diagnóstico de problemas de aprendizaje. El propósito de este estudio fue explorar los perfiles cognitivos de los niños con problemas de aprendizaje en una nueva prueba de inteligencia, la Escala de Inteligencia Anadolu-Sak. La prueba de inteligencia se administró a 89 niños diagnosticados con discapacidades generales de aprendizaje. Se seleccionó aleatoriamente un grupo de control emparejado (N = 92) de la muestra estándar. Los análisis de datos incluyeron análisis de perfil latente y comparaciones de puntuaciones entre grupos y comparaciones dentro de los grupos. Los hallazgos mostraron que la inteligencia general media y los medios de la capacidad verbal y visual de los niños con problemas de aprendizaje estaban en el rango promedio pero más cerca del límite inferior. La media de la memoria de trabajo estaba ligeramente por debajo del rango medio y significativamente más baja que la media del grupo de control emparejado. Los análisis de perfil latente mostraron tres perfiles distintos: el perfil en zigzag, el perfil ondulado y el perfil en cascada. La única debilidad compartida por los tres perfiles es la memoria de procesamiento secuencial visual. Los resultados implican que la memoria de procesamiento secuencial débil puede contribuir a las discapacidades de aprendizaje.(AU)

Intelligence scales are widely used for cognitive profile analyses in the diagnosis of learning disabilities. The purpose of this study was to explore the cognitive profiles of children with learning disabilities on a new test of intelligence, the Anadolu-Sak Intelligence Scale. The intelligence test was administered to 89 children diagnosed with general learning disabili-ties. A matched control group (N = 92) was randomly selected from the norm sample. Data analyses included latent profile analyses and compari-sons of scores across groups and within-group comparisons. The findings showed that the mean general intelligence and means of the verbal and visual ability of children with learning disabilities were in the average range but closer to the lower boundary. The mean of working memory was slightly below the average range and significantly lower than the mean of the matched control group. Latent profile analyses showed three distinct profiles: the zigzag profile, the wavy profile, the and waterfall profile. The only weakness shared by the three profiles is visual sequential processing memory. The results imply that weak sequential processing memory may contribute to learning disabilities.(AU)

Natural History of SURF1 Deficiency: A Retrospective Chart Review.

BACKGROUND: This retrospective chart review evaluated the clinical characteristics of SURF1-related neurological disease spectrum to better characterize the phenotypes. METHODS: Patient demographics, magnetic resonance imaging abnormalities, neurological events, motor abnormalities, and gastrointestinal and respiratory assistance were evaluated in 27 patients with genetically diagnosed SURF1 deficiency. RESULTS: The mean (S.D.) age of symptom onset collected from 13 patients was 19.7 (11.8) months. Mean (S.D.) age of diagnosis collected from 24 patients was 44.0 (45.1) months. The most common symptoms were gross motor delay (14 of 14), fine motor delay (10 of 11), verbal delay (9 of 10), and intellectual and learning disability (14 of 19). Neurological symptoms included ataxia (14 of 15), other abnormal movements (8 of 9), hypotonia (9 of 11), and dystonia (6 of 9). Three of nine reporting patients (33.3%) had a history of seizure, and 84.6% (11 of 13) had a history of regression/loss of acquired skills. Extraneurological clinical features included pulmonary complications (10 of 11) and feeding difficulties (13 of 13); cardiac complications were noted in three patients. Brainstem is frequently involved with the medulla and midbrain being the most common sites. As of July 2021, three patients were deceased. CONCLUSIONS: The most common clinical symptoms were motor delay, verbal delay, intellectual and learning disability, dysphagia, feeding difficulties, and reflux. Neurological presentations include ataxia, hypotonia, visual/ocular abnormalities, dystonia, and imaging abnormalities include basal ganglia and brainstem lesions. Although heterogeneous, SURF1 deficiency should be considered with these clinical and imaging presentations and may support earlier identification.

School grades and educational attainments of adolescents and young adults born preterm.

Attendance in special education (SE) is more common among individuals born preterm than among those born at term. Less is known about school grades of those born preterm in mainstream education (ME), and how these grades predict later educational attainment. This population-based register-linkage study assessed (1) attendance in SE, and then focused on those in ME by assessing (2) school grades at 16 year, (3) completed educational level at 25 year, and (4) school grades as predictors for completed education by gestational age (GA) with full-term birth (39-41 completed weeks) as reference. The sample comprised 223,744 individuals (10,521 preterm, 4.7%) born in Finland (1/1987-9/1990). Of the sample, 4.9% attended SE. Those born preterm had up to 5.5-fold rates for SE. In ME, those born extremely preterm (EPT) had marginally lower mathematics grades compared with full-term counterparts, whilst those born late preterm or early term had slightly higher grades. Those born EPT or very preterm had lower physical education grades in ME. However, the minor differences in school grades according to GA appear not to translate into educational differences in young adulthood. The associations between school grades at 16 year and completed education at 25 year did not vary by GA.

Diagnostic survey of dyslexia and accompanying behavioral indicators in primary school students in Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: Although dyslexia is the most common learning disorder in children, it has not received adequate attention in Saudi Arabia. AIMS: This study aimed at determining the prevalence of dyslexia among Saudi students in Grades 3-6, exploring associations between severity of dyslexia, its behavioral indicators, gender and grade, and the moderating role of grade in the relationship between severity and behavioral indicators. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: The sample consisted of 2848 female students and 2647 male students in Zulfi governorate, Saudi Arabia. A survey-based mixed-methods design was chosen including a structured interview with teachers and three assessments using the Diagnostic Assessment Scale for Dyslexia, the Arabic Reading Test, and the Dyslexia Behavioral Indicators Scale. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: Dyslexia was assessed in 5.86 % of the total sample. It was twice as prevalent among male students as among female students (6.54 % and 3.83 %, respectively). The mean score for behavioral indicators of dyslexia was also significantly higher for male than for female students. The correlation between dyslexia severity and behavioral indicators score was high and significant, with grade level as a significant moderator. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: We found that, for children with dyslexia in Saudi Arabia, dyslexia was twice as prevalent among male students as among female students. Early dyslexia diagnosis and intervention services are suggested to reduce the risk for reading problems.

Predicting childhood and adolescent attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder onset: a nationwide deep learning approach.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a heterogeneous disorder with a high degree of psychiatric and physical comorbidity, which complicates its diagnosis in childhood and adolescence. We analyzed registry data from 238,696 persons born and living in Sweden between 1995 and 1999. Several machine learning techniques were used to assess the ability of registry data to inform the diagnosis of ADHD in childhood and adolescence: logistic regression, random Forest, gradient boosting, XGBoost, penalized logistic regression, deep neural network (DNN), and ensemble models. The best fitting model was the DNN, achieving an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.75, 95% CI (0.74-0.76) and balanced accuracy of 0.69. At the 0.45 probability threshold, sensitivity was 71.66% and specificity was 65.0%. There was an overall agreement in the feature importance among all models (τ > .5). The top 5 features contributing to classification were having a parent with criminal convictions, male sex, having a relative with ADHD, number of academic subjects failed, and speech/learning disabilities. A DNN model predicting childhood and adolescent ADHD trained exclusively on Swedish register data achieved good discrimination. If replicated and validated in an external sample, and proven to be cost-effective, this model could be used to alert clinicians to individuals who ought to be screened for ADHD and to aid clinicians' decision-making with the goal of decreasing misdiagnoses. Further research is needed to validate results in different populations and to incorporate new predictors.

The role of semantic similarity in verb learning events: Vocabulary-related changes across early development.

Verb meaning is challenging for children to learn across varied events. This study examined how the taxonomic semantic similarity of the nouns in novel verb learning events in a progressive alignment learning condition differed from the taxonomic dissimilarity of nouns in a dissimilar learning condition in supporting near (similar) and far (dissimilar) verb generalization to novel objects in an eye-tracking task. A total of 48 children in two age groups (23 girls; younger: 21-24 months, Mage = 22.1 months; older: 27-30 months: Mage = 28.3 months) who differed in taxonomic vocabulary size were tested. There were no group or learning condition differences in near generalization. The younger group demonstrated better far generalization of verbs learned with semantically dissimilar nouns. The older group demonstrated the opposite pattern, with better far generalization of verbs learned with semantically similar nouns in the progressive alignment condition. These patterns were associated with children's in-category vocabulary knowledge more than other vocabulary measures, including verb vocabulary size. Taxonomic vocabulary knowledge differentially affects verb learning and generalization across development.

What I Wish My Instructor Knew: How Active Learning Influences the Classroom Experiences and Self-Advocacy of STEM Majors with ADHD and Specific Learning Disabilities.

Our understanding of how active learning affects different groups of students is still developing. One group often overlooked in higher education research is students with disabilities. Two of the most commonly occurring disabilities on college campuses are attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and specific learning disorders (SLD). We investigated how the incorporation of active-learning practices influences the learning and self-advocacy experiences of students with ADHD and/or SLD (ADHD/SLD) in undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 25 STEM majors with ADHD/SLD registered with a campus disability resource center at a single university, and data were analyzed using qualitative methods. Participants described how they perceived active learning in their STEM courses to support or hinder their learning and how active learning affected their self-advocacy. Many of the active-learning barriers could be attributed to issues related to fidelity of implementation of a particular active-learning strategy and limited awareness of universal design for learning. Active learning was also reported to influence self-advocacy for some participants, and examples of self-advocacy in active-learning STEM courses were identified. Defining the supports and barriers perceived by students with ADHD/SLD is a crucial first step in developing more-inclusive active-learning STEM courses. Suggestions for research and teaching are provided.