The profile of very preterm children on academic achievement. A cross-population comparison with children with specific learning disorders

BackgroundVery preterm (VPT) children showed delays in reading, spelling and maths, but their academic achievement profile is not clearly understood.AimsVPT children were compared with children with specific learning disorders (SLD) and typically developing (TD) children on academic achievement, considering cognitive and linguistic phenotypic markers. A learning profile analysis was also performed.MethodsWe included 170 10-year old monolingual Italian-speaking children (37 VPT, 28 SLD, 105 TD) assessing cognitive, linguistic and academic skills.ResultsOn academic achievements VPT children fell behind TD peers in some reading (text speed, comprehension), spelling (non-word), and math (number knowledge, written calculations and problem-solving) tasks. SLD children underperformed in all academic tasks with respect to VPT and TD peers. Concerning cognitive and linguistic phenotypic markers, compared to TD peers, VPT children showed lower scores in verbal IQ and phonological fluency, SLD children in phonological processing and rapid automatized naming. VPT children showed a higher rate of at-risk performance in reading compared to TD group, but a minor percentage of impaired profiles and comorbidity among learning areas compared to SLD group.Conclusions and implicationsThe academic achievement profile of VPT children shows persistent delays, but it differs to that of SLD children, since delays are less widespread and severe, and differences were found in phenotypic markers and comorbidity. Follow-up programs and effective interventions are needed for VPT children.     

Differences in the intellectual profile of children with intellectual vs. learning disability

The WISC-IV was used to compare the intellectual profile of two groups of children, one with specific learning disorders (SLDs), the other with intellectual disabilities (ID), with a view to identifying which of the four main factor indexes and two additional indexes can distinguish between the groups. We collected information on WISC-IV scores for 267 children (M_age = 10.61 [SD = 2.51], range 6–16 years, females = 99) with a diagnosis of either SLD or ID. Children with SLD performed better than those with ID in all measures. Only the SLD children, not the ID children, revealed significant differences in the four main factor indexes, and their scores for the additional General Ability Index (GAI) were higher than for the Cognitive Proficiency Index (CPI). Children with a diagnosis of SLD whose Full-Scale Intelligence Quotient (FSIQ) was <85 showed a similar pattern. Our findings confirm the hypothesis that children with SLD generally obtain high GAI scores, but have specific deficiencies relating to working memory and processing speed, whereas children with ID have a general intellectual impairment. These findings have important diagnostic and clinical implications and should be considered when making diagnostic decisions in borderline cognitive cases.     

Forward and backward digit span difficulties in children with specific learning disorder

This study examined performance in the forward and backward digit span task of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children–Fourth Edition (WISC–IV) in a large group of children with specific learning disorder (SLD) as compared with a group of typically developing children matched for age and sex. Our results further support the hypothesis that the intellectual difficulties of children with SLD involve working memory in the forward digit span task to a greater extent than in the backward digit span task. The correlation of the two spans with a General Ability Index (GAI) was similar in SLD, and smaller in magnitude than in typically developing children. Despite a GAI within normal range, children with SLD had difficulty with both digit span tasks, but more so for forward span. This pattern was similar for different SLD profiles with clinical diagnoses of dyslexia and mixed disorder, but the impairments were more severe in the latter. Age differences were also investigated, demonstrating larger span impairment in older children with SLD than in younger.     

Do children with ASD use referential gaze to learn the name of an object? An eye-tracking study

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are reported to have difficulty in learning novel word–object associations in case of discrepancy between objects in the speaker's focus and their focus (the discrepant condition). Two eye-tracking experiments investigated this difficulty by controlling and recording children's gaze fixation. In Experiment 1's discrepant condition, typically developing (TD) children (age: 6–11 years) mapped the novel word to the novel object in the speaker's focus more frequently than children with ASD (age: 6–11 years). Additionally, the former looked at the object in the speaker's focus longer than the object in their own focus, while the latter looked at these objects for the same duration. In Experiment 2, the saliency of the object in the speaker's focus was enhanced and children with ASD (age: 6–12 years) mapped the word to the object in the speaker's focus as well as TD children (age: 6–12 years). Moreover, they looked at the object in the speaker's focus longer than the object in their focus. Comparison between experiments also confirmed improvement in performance, suggesting that the duration of gaze at an object in the speaker's focus is related to difficulty in referential word learning in children with ASD.     

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder of All Ages,Levels of Symptom Severity and General Cognitive Ability Display Low Processing Speed Index Scores Warranting Special Educational Assistance

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders - The processing speed index (PSI) of the Wechsler intelligence scale for children (WISC-IV) has been found to predict a child's level of academic...     

Does WISC-IV Underestimate the Intelligence of Autistic Children?

Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) is widely used to estimate autistic intelligence (Joseph in The neuropsychology of autism. Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2011; Goldstein et al. in Assessment of autism spectrum disorders. Guilford Press, New York, 2008; Mottron in J Autism Dev Disord 34(1):19–27, 2004). However, previous studies suggest that while WISC-III and Raven’s Progressive Matrices (RPM) provide similar estimates of non-autistic intelligence, autistic children perform significantly better on RPM (Dawson et al. in Psychol Sci 18(8):657–662, doi:10.1111/j.1467-9280.2007.01954.x, 2007). The latest WISC version introduces substantial changes in subtests and index scores; thus, we asked whether WISC-IV still underestimates autistic intelligence. Twenty-five autistic and 22 typical children completed WISC-IV and RPM. Autistic children’s RPM scores were significantly higher than their WISC-IV FSIQ, but there was no significant difference in typical children. Further, autistic children showed a distinctively uneven WISC-IV index profile, with a “peak” in the new Perceptual Reasoning Index. In spite of major changes, WISC-IV FSIQ continues to underestimate autistic intelligence.     

Learning disabilities in children with neurofibromatosis type 1: subtypes, cognitive profile, and attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder

Cognitive deficits are the most common complication in children with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), and academic achievement is broadly affected. There is a lack of consensus in the literature regarding the frequency of general and specific learning disabilities, which seems to be related to the lack of a consensus on diagnostic criteria. The present study examined the frequency of specific learning disabilities (SLDs) in NF1, using an intellect-achievement discrepancy for diagnosis, as well as general learning difficulty associated with a lowering of general intellectual ability. The cohort consisted of 81 children with NF1 (43 males, 38 females; mean age 11y 6mo [SD 2y 4mo]; range 8y-16y 9mo) and 49 comparison children (20 males, 29 females; mean age 12y [SD 2y 6mo]; range 8y 2mo-16y 8mo). Problems with academic achievement were present in 52% of children with NF1; however, only 20% of the children with NF1 were diagnosed with an SLD (32% had more general learning problems). Only males with NF1 were at significant risk for SLD, and Verbal IQ相似文献   

Boys with Asperger's disorder, exceptional verbal intelligence, tics, and clumsiness

Five boys with both Asperger's disorder and Tourette syndrome, exceptional verbal intelligence, and clumsiness are reported. Each presented at early elementary school age with a prominent complaint of social difficulties with peers. History was notable for a flapping stereotypy and the neurological examination revealed motor and/or vocal tics and numerous motor soft signs. Highly specialized interests were characteristic. Language prosody and/or pragmatics was impaired. Despite exceptional verbal intelligence, the children were not, according to their teachers and parents, faring well either socially or academically. Motor difficulties, manifested psychometrically as a significant performance IQ disadvantage, interfered with school performance and social adjustment. Tics, although not noted by parents in the clinical history, compounded their social difficulties. Asperger's disorder in these highly verbal children overlaps with pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) on account of the socioemotional difficulties and stereotypies seen in both. Asperger's disorder and Tourette syndrome overlap in these children on account of the tics. Finally, Asperger's disorder and the right-hemisphere-based learning disorders overlap on account of the visuoperceptual and attentional deficits that can occur in both.     

Everyday memory in children with developmental coordination disorder

Children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) have deficits in working memory, but little is known about the everyday memory of these children in real-life situations. We investigated the everyday memory function in children with DCD, and explored the specific profile of everyday memory across different domains. Nineteen children with DCD and 19 typically developing (TD) children participated in the study. Their everyday memory performance was evaluated using the Rivermead Behavioral Memory Test for Children, which showed that 52.6% of the children with DCD had everyday memory deficits. The overall everyday memory scores of the DCD group were significantly lower than those of the controls, particularly in the verbal and visual memory domains. Pearson correlation analysis indicated significant associations between verbal intelligence and memory scores. Analysis of covariance with verbal intelligence as a covariate showed no significant differences between groups in memory scores. Mediator analysis supported the notion that everyday memory deficits in children with DCD were fully mediated through verbal intelligence. We provide evidence of everyday memory deficits in most of the children with DCD, and hypothesize that language abilities are their underlying cause. The clinical implications of these findings and recommendations for additional research are discussed.     

Estimating premorbid general cognitive functioning for children and adolescents using the American Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition: demographic and current performance approaches

Neuropsychologic evaluation requires current test performance be contrasted against a comparison standard to determine if change has occurred. An estimate of premorbid intelligence quotient (IQ) is often used as a comparison standard. The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (WISC-IV) is a commonly used intelligence test. However, there is no method to estimate premorbid IQ for the WISC-IV, limiting the test's utility for neuropsychologic assessment. This study develops algorithms to estimate premorbid Full Scale IQ scores. Participants were the American WISC-IV standardization sample (N = 2172). The sample was randomly divided into 2 groups (development and validation). The development group was used to generate 12 algorithms. These algorithms were accurate predictors of WISC-IV Full Scale IQ scores in healthy children and adolescents. These algorithms hold promise as a method to predict premorbid IQ for patients with known or suspected neurologic dysfunction; however, clinical validation is required.     

Prevalence and correlates of face recognition impairments after acquired brain injury

Impairments of face recognition after acquired brain injury (ABI) are not restricted to prosopagnosia but commonly arise in association with other cognitive deficits and can be psychosocially debilitating. Despite this, the prevalence and cognitive concomitants of such impairments after ABI have not been systematically investigated. We tested 91 adults with ABI on a range of cognitive measures including several indices of face recognition and learning. The proportion of patients who show impaired performance varied across face learning/recognition tests between 21% and 80%. Principal components analyses indicated orthogonality between impairments of "directed facial processing", associated with memory and visuoperceptual deficits and manifest in slow learning and matching of previously unfamiliar faces, and of "face identification", associated with deficits on verbal tests and manifest in difficulty in naming famous faces. Theoretical and rehabilitative implications are considered.     

Prevalence and correlates of face recognition impairments after acquired brain injury

Impairments of face recognition after acquired brain injury (ABI) are not restricted to prosopagnosia but commonly arise in association with other cognitive deficits and can be psychosocially debilitating. Despite this, the prevalence and cognitive concomitants of such impairments after ABI have not been systematically investigated. We tested 91 adults with ABI on a range of cognitive measures including several indices of face recognition and learning. The proportion of patients who show impaired performance varied across face learning/recognition tests between 21% and 80%. Principal components analyses indicated orthogonality between impairments of “directed facial processing”, associated with memory and visuoperceptual deficits and manifest in slow learning and matching of previously unfamiliar faces, and of “face identification”, associated with deficits on verbal tests and manifest in difficulty in naming famous faces. Theoretical and rehabilitative implications are considered.     

The relationship between visual metaphor comprehension and recognition of similarities in children with learning disabilities

Previous studies have shown metaphoric comprehension deficits in children with learning disabilities. To understand metaphoric language, children must have enough semantic knowledge about the metaphorical terms and the ability to recognize similarity between two different domains. In the current study visual and verbal metaphor understanding was assessed in 20 children with learning disabilities (LD) and 20 typically developed (TD) children. Results showed that LD children scored significantly lower than TD children in the comprehension of conventional metaphors, and idioms. However, visual and novel metaphor comprehension, which does not rely on prior knowledge, did not differ between the two groups. Furthermore, our results suggest that higher analogical thinking facilitates visual metaphor comprehension in the LD group. In the TD group, metaphor comprehension correlates with higher semantic knowledge.     

Cognitive functioning and psychiatric disorders in children with a metabolic disease

Objective To report on the intelligence scores and the psychiatric pathology of distinct groups of children with metabolic diseases. Methods The study population consists of 53 children between 0 and 18 years of age. Diagnostic assessment included a semi-structured interview, self-report questionnaires and a standard intelligence test. Results In 40% of the children older than 5 years, a child psychiatric diagnosis was made. While CBCL total and internalizing scores did not differ between metabolic disease groups, the CBCL externalizing scores for some groups did. Two fifths of the children showed a below normal intelligence, while a performal–verbal IQ discrepancy was found in half of the children. Of the school aged children almost one third attended a special needs school. Conclusion In spite of the small sample size, the results suggest substantial psychiatric problems in children with a metabolic disease. Further study on larger groups is warranted, which should enable further comparison of patients affected by specific metabolic diseases.     

Recognition memory for words and faces in primary degenerative dementia of the Alzheimer type and normal old age

The suitability of Warrington's Recognition Memory Test (RMT) for discriminating between patients with dementia of the Alzheimer type and nondemented elderly subjects was tested in a study with 44 patients (aged 59 to 94) and 45 normal elderly (aged 69 to 92). The patients showed a significant memory deficit, both in Recognition Memory for Words (RMW) and Recognition Memory for Faces (RMF), even when the scores were corrected for verbal intelligence score (WAIS Vocabulary) or a measure of visuoperceptual ability (Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices, CPM). Word-face discrepancy scores did not differentiate between dementia and normal old age. At the 95%-specificity level, the sensitivity of RMW and RMF for the detection of memory impairment in dementia was 81% and 100% for subjects below 80, and, less satisfactory, 59% and 76% for subjects of 80 years or older. Correlational analysis showed that the patients' RMW and RMF scores were moderately correlated (r = .40). The significant correlation (r = .45) between CPM and RMF suggests that visuoperceptual deficits are involved in deficient face recognition.     

Recognition memory for words and faces in primary degenerative dementia of the Alzheimer type and normal old age

Abstract

The suitability of Warrington's Recognition Memory Test (RMT) for discriminating between patients with dementia of the Alzheimer type and nondemented elderly subjects was tested in a study with 44 patients (aged 59 to 94) and 45 normal elderly (aged 69 to 92). The patients showed a significant memory deficit, both in Recognition Memory for Words (RMW) and Recognition Memory for Faces (RMF), even when the scores were corrected for verbal intelligence score (WAIS Vocabulary) or a measure of visuoperceptual ability (Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices, CPM). Word-face discrepancy scores did not differentiate between dementia and normal old age. At the 95%-specificity level, the sensitivity of RMW and RMF for the detection of memory impairment in dementia was 81% and 100% for subjects below 80, and, less satisfactory, 59% and 76% for subjects of 80 years or older. Correlational analysis showed that the patients' RMW and RMF scores were moderately correlated (r=.40). The significant correlation (r=.45) between CPM and RMF suggests that visuoperceptual deficits are involved in deficient face recognition.     

Testing nonverbal IQ in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

15 high-functioning school aged children with ASD and 15 neurotypically developing age matched controls were assessed using the WISC-IV and the KABC-II in order to assess whether the WISC-IV has rectified problems associated with the WISC-III's undue emphasis on timing measures. No significant group differences were found for the PRI sub-scale of the WISC-IV nor for the nonverbal scale of the KABC-II, but the ASD group scored significantly lower than controls on the Processing Speed Index of the WISC-IV. This supports the need to isolate of timing criteria when IQ testing in populations with ASD, as is now the case with the WISC-IV. However significantly higher scores were obtained for the KABC-II versus the PRI for children with ASD only. The reasons for this are discussed with regard to a possible cultural bias in the Picture Concepts subtest of the WISC-IV.     

Approximate additions and working memory in individuals with Down syndrome

There is some evidence that individuals with Down syndrome (DS) may have a poorer mathematical performance and a poorer working memory (WM) than typically developing (TD) children of the same mental age. In both typical and atypical individuals, different aspects of arithmetic and their relationships with WM have been largely studied, but the specific contribution of WM to the representation and elaboration of non-symbolic quantities has received little attention. The present study examined whether individuals with DS are as capable as TD children matched for fluid intelligence of estimating numerosity both of single sets and of added sets resulting when two sequentially presented sets are added together, also considering how these tasks related to verbal and visuospatial WM. Results showed that the DS group's performance was significantly worse than the TD group's in numerosity estimation involving one set, but not when estimating the numerosity resulting from the addition. Success in the addition task was related to success in the working memory tasks, but only for the group with DS; this applied especially to the visuospatial component, which (unlike the verbal component) was not impaired in the group with DS. It is concluded that the two numerosity tasks involve different processes. It is concluded that the arithmetical and working memory difficulties of individuals with DS are not general, and they can draw on their WM resources when estimating the numerosity of additions.     

Principal component analysis study of visual and verbal metaphoric comprehension in children with autism and learning disabilities

This research extends previous studies regarding the metaphoric competence of autistic and learning disable children on different measures of visual and verbal non-literal language comprehension, as well as cognitive abilities that include semantic knowledge, executive functions, similarities, and reading fluency. Thirty seven children with autism (ASD), 20 children with learning disabilities (LD), and 21 typically developed (TD) children participated in the study. Principal components analysis was used to examine the interrelationship among the various tests in each group. Results showed different patterns in the data according to group. In particular, the results revealed that there is no dichotomy between visual and verbal metaphors in TD children but rather metaphor are classified according to their familiarity level. In the LD group visual metaphors were classified independently of the verbal metaphors. Verbal metaphoric understanding in the ASD group resembled the LD group. In addition, our results revealed the relative weakness of the ASD and LD children in suppressing irrelevant information.     

Neuropsychological Findings in Idiopathic Occipital Lobe Epilepsies

Summary:  Purpose: We reviewed the clinical charts of 22 patients (mean age 12 years) with idiopathic occipital lobe epilepsies (IOLE) to verify the presence of visuoperceptual difficulties.
Methods: All 22 patients underwent a standard neuropsychiatric examination and had a sleep electroencephalogram (EEG). Eleven had normal development and adequate scholastic achievements, so no formal testing was performed. Psychological assessment was carried out in the remaining 11 patients who had been referred because of learning and behavioral difficulties.
Results and conclusions: IQ was in the average/low-average range in most patients, with a cognitive profile characterized by relatively better verbal than performance abilities (8/11). There was a high incidence of scholastic disabilities (7/11); psychiatric disorders in the form of anxiety and depressive disorders were also frequent (6/11). In the six patients who had neuropsychological assessment with specific visuoperceptual testing, a deficit in facial discrimination was found in four patients, associated with a line orientation deficit in three. Although preliminary, and based on a tertiary-care clinical sample, these data suggest that children with IOLE, are at risk for lower intellectual performance, poor scholastic achievement and psychiatric disorders, as well as for specific deficits in the visuoperceptual domain, probably due to dysfunction of the occipitotemporal circuitries most often involved in seizure spread in epilepsies originating in the posterior brain.