Assessing the child with disabilities

PURPOSE: To describe the prevalence of disabilities and the medical conditions and risk factors associated with mobility and agility disabilities among seniors. METHODS: In the 1986 and 1991 Canadian Census, every fifth person answered a screening question about activity limitation and disabilities. A probability sample of both those reporting and not reporting disability was selected to complete the Health and Activity Limitations Surveys (HALS) in 1986 and 1991. These two cross-sectional surveys conducted five years apart collected detailed activity limitation information about persons over 15 years of age. The current analysis was based on only respondents aged 65 years and older. The sample size for 65 years and older was 38518 in 1986 and 5106 in 1991. A computer link with the Census data provided household income and additional socio-demographic data for all respondents. RESULTS: Over 40% of Canadian seniors reported at least one disability, and approximately a quarter of disabled seniors were classified as severely disabled. Mobility and agility disabilities accounted for over 80% of all disabilities reported by seniors, and senior women were more likely than men to report having a mobility or agility disability. Arthritis/rheumatism was reported as the cause of over 30% of all mobility and agility disabilities. CONCLUSIONS: The continued monitoring of disabilities through surveys such as HALS will help determine the prevalence as well as aid in the identification of the causes of disabilities. Such information may be used to guide the implementation of appropriate public health interventions that will meet the changing health care needs of seniors.     

Hyperactivity and learning disabilities as independent dimensions of child behavior problems.

Definitional problems surrounding the terms "hyperactivity" and "learning disabilities" cannot be fully resolved unless dimensions of behavior (intercorrelated core characteristics) can be independently identified that correspond in some way with these terms. Previous factor-analytic studies, however, argue against the existence of such dimensions of behavior. Methodological differences, particularly in the nature of the item pool subjected to factor analysis, between the few studies that extracted hyperactivity or learning disabilities factors and those that failed to identify such factors may account for the difference in results. The present study utilized a broad item pool containing many items putatively related to learning disabilities and hyperactivity and extracted independent factors that might be given these labels. 19 teachers generated 404 ratings of 4th–8th graders from 2 schools that included both regular and special education classes. Results of a principal-components analysis and a variance-maximizing rotation procedure suggest that independent dimensions of problem behavior that correspond to the terms "hyperactivity" and "learning disabilities" may be identifiable. If so, the identification of such factors may allow more meaningful selection of Ss and dependent variables in studies of etiology and treatment methods. (25 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Challenging behaviour in children with learning disabilities

This article outlines the initial stages of an ongoing experiment to evaluate the comparative efficacy of two different therapeutic interventions--behaviour modification and gentle teaching--in the management of challenging behaviour in children who have learning disabilities. Using a workshop approach, parents are taught the principles and practice of one of these two interventions to enable better management of their child's challenging behaviour. A range of intervention outcomes are then compared with those of a control group. Preliminary analysis of data has been conducted on information gathered from those parents (n = 24) who attended the gentle teaching workshop only. The results indicate that brief intervention training in gentle teaching can have a positive impact upon the challenging behaviour of the child.     

Sexual health for people with learning disabilities

This article is based on work into the sexual health needs of people with learning disabilities, carried out by a working group of the RCN Family Planning Forum. Literature searches were conducted, and local initiatives, specialist services and information sources for training and education for clients and staff were identified. The authors' aim in this article is to increase awareness among those involved in the care of people with learning disabilities and those providing family planning and sexual health services, so that these services are appropriate, accessible and sensitive to the needs of this vulnerable client group.     

Cognitive potentials in children with learning disabilities

This study investigated factors predicting help-seeking from the Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) by Vietnam veterans. Data used were from a national Australian survey of Vietnam veterans' health (n = 641) conducted between July 1990 and April 1993. The survey involved current clinical assessments and retrospective questionnaires, supplemented with health and service records retrieved from the DVA and Army personnel files. Measures included the 1989-90 Australian Bureau of Statistics Health Survey questionnaire, and mental health, sociodemographic and operational deployment history questionnaires. For both current and lifetime diagnoses of post-traumatic stress disorder, a third of the veterans with the disorder had never obtained any health care entitlement from the DVA. Other than physical and mental problems, which accounted for the greatest proportion of the help-seeking odds, significant factors predicting help-seeking included factors such as: predeployment personality, combat exposure, the veterans' own attitudes towards their deployment, experiences during deployment, experiences during repatriation and membership of ex-service organisations. These findings on how post-traumatic stress disorder and other health problems relate to help-seeking patterns could help in developing prevention and care programs for stress disorder.     

Health care for women with learning disabilities

This article describes a research project exploring the basic health education ow women with learning disabilities. It demonstrated that preventive and well-woman needs were not being met. In response a joint venture was developed between a community learning disabilities team and local well woman and family planning services. The article describes how an informal and accessible clinic was established for women with learning disabilities.     

Non-consensual sterilization of the adult with learning disabilities

Community nurses may be asked for advice on sterilization operations for adults with learning disabilities by worried parents/carers. This article sets out the legal position advocated by the English courts. Sterilization for adults with learning disabilities is generally non-consensual. The courts cannot consent on behalf of the adult but can rule on the lawfulness of the operation. Cases need not be brought before the court when the operation is to be carried out to treat a specific menstrual malady and where sterilization is an incidental result. However, the Law Commission (1995) has set guidelines which recommend that such operations require a certificate from an independent medical practitioner. In operations where the sole purpose is contraception the courts will always need to be involved. Their decision on the lawfulness of the operation will be based on what is in the person's best interests which in turn will be determined by reference to standards set by a responsible body of medical practitioners.     

Brain-behavior relationships in children with learning disabilities.

Reports on studies emphasizing a neuropsychological approach to the investigation of learning disabilities in children. Areas reviewed include the level of performance approach, attentional deficits, EEG abnormalities, comparisons of performance on the 2 sides of the body, differential score approaches, and the investigation of particular learning disabilities. These studies indicate that cerebral impairment is at least one crucial factor limiting the satisfactory adaptation of children with learning disabilities. (37 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Teaching multiplication facts to students with learning disabilities

Multiple baseline designs were used to examine the effects of an instructional package on accuracy of performance in solving multiplication facts by 3 students with learning disabilities. The instructional package included the following components: (a) a modified instructional sequence in which multiplication facts were grouped into the zeros, ones, doubles, fives, and nines categories, and those remaining; (b) identification of the category in which each fact belonged; (c) mnemonic strategies associated with solving facts in each category; and (d) steps to be completed for solving facts in each category. Results indicated that the instructional package produced substantial and immediate effects. After receiving instruction, a participant's accuracy was often 100%, and this was maintained throughout the evaluation even as other strategies were introduced. Comparable results occurred across students, demonstrating replication of the effects of the instructional package.     

Primary health care for people with learning disabilities

Health screening and education for people with learning disabilities is often given low priority by service providers, but the input of community nurses can make a great difference. Helen Cook charts the success of two teams.     

Teaching phonological awareness to young children with learning disabilities

This study examined the feasibility of teaching phonological manipulation skills to preschool children with disabilities. Forty-seven children, 4-6 years old, enrolled in a special education preschool, were randomly assigned to receive training in one of three categories of phonological tasks (rhyming, blending, and segmenting) or a control group. Results indicated that children were able to make significant progress in each experimental category, but that they demonstrated little or no generalization either within a category (e.g., from one type of blending task to another type of blending task) or between categories (e.g., from blending to segmenting). Although the children's level of cognitive development significantly predicted some learning outcomes, it did not appear to limit the learning of phonological tasks.     

Transition planning assessment for secondary-level students with learning disabilities

This article presents a survey of and recommendations for transition planning assessment for secondary teachers of students with learning disabilities. The author makes a case for redirecting assessment practices in secondary instructional programs to obtain present-level-of-functioning information for IEP planning that extends beyond high school graduation as a single outcome. Critical outcomes in adult adjustment requiring transition planning are presented. Current standardized and nonstandardized assessment procedures that focus on adult outcomes, as well as preferences and interests in planning for the future, are described. The author gives recommendations for planning and conducting transition-needs assessment for secondary schools.     

The sexual health needs of people with learning disabilities

The sexual health of people with learning disabilities raises important management and practice issues for health services, and should be examined in the context of the current policy emphasis on advocacy, person-centred services and social inclusion (Department of Health, 2001). People with learning disabilities may have limited access to mainstream health services, and sexual health and genitourinary medicine (GUM) services are no exception (DoH, 2001; 1998). They are often excluded from society, either because they are 'segregated' within specialist support services in the community or because they live in isolation with carers, and health and social care models do not always join up locally to meet their needs.     

Examining the instructional contexts of students with learning disabilities

This review of the literature examines how instructional contexts for elementary and secondary level students with learning disabilities have been studied in the past 10 years through a variety of methodological approaches and observation instruments. These studies employed some direct measure of classroom ecology, as well as some measure of the teacher or students' classroom behavior. Information included the time that students were engaged in different activities in different settings, interactions between teachers and students, and students' classroom behavior.     

The complexity of learning disabilities.

Reviews the book, Learning about learning disabilities (2nd ed.) by B. Wong (1998). This book is a reasonably comprehensive survey of the state of the art. The book has many worthwhile chapters and will be of interest to advanced-level students, investigators, and clinicians in the field. This book is intended for advanced undergraduate or graduate students. It is a collection of chapters; the individual chapters are quite good but the authors of these individual chapters appear not to have read the other chapters. The student using this book and even the more seasoned investigator or clinician familiar with the field will find it very frustrating that there is no synthesis across chapters. Students reading this book will not have the background knowledge and sophistication of the authors of these chapters. Although it is suggested that this be used as a textbook, it is missing some very important information, and there is not much synthesis. I think that some students may become frustrated at the lack of both integration and consistency among the diverse chapters. There is a technical problem in that a significant number of bibliographic entries are incorrect. Compiling a reference list is tedious but not to have an accurate one is frustrating to the reader who may want to consult some of the references. No book is perfect. However, this book is an interesting balance of many positive and some troublesome features. It is comprehensive and provides a view of a fascinating field. The authors and editor are to be congratulated for their efforts. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Factors predisposing to suspected offending by adults with self-reported learning disabilities

BACKGROUND: This study investigated factors contributing to suspected offending behaviour by adults with a history of learning disabilities taken into custody at a city police station. METHODS: Adults charged with offences, and/or leaving custody, during a defined period, were identified as having a possible learning disability using a four-item questionnaire (Lyall et al. 1995 a). A comparison group, of similar age, sex and IQ, was identified from a database of young people with learning difficulties. Information was obtained on interview about each individual's medical, psychiatric, social and family histories and psychological assessments were undertaken. RESULTS: In contrast to the comparison group, those in the 'offending' group were more likely to have a history of the following: losing contact with their father, forensic contact in one or more family members, past homelessness, illicit drug use, experiencing an excess of recent life events, self-reported behavioural problems at school, truancy, childhood police contact and contact with probation services. All had histories of repeated offending. There was also an increased rate of drug/alcohol dependence. Only two subjects in the study group had a full-scale IQ below 70. CONCLUSIONS: These differences would suggest that the presence of childhood behavioural problems, offending behaviour by other family members, family separation and other social disruption and the development of drug and alcohol related problems are potentially the most important factors in trying to understand why one group engaged in criminal behaviour. The offending group had many characteristics in common with general offending populations.     

Issues in the neuropsychological assessment of children with learning disabilities.

Describes an approach to the neuropsychological assessment of children with learning disabilities. Issues relating to the aims of the assessment, test selection, stylistic variables in assessment, test interpretation, and the rendering and implementation of recommendations are discussed. Some comparisons with other strategies and modes of approach (e.g., level of performance, pathognomonic sign, and differential score approaches) are included. (28 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)