Learning Disabilities In Adolescents Research Articles

Adolescent learning disability: are screening and management helpful?

Learning disabilities are frequently mentioned in adolescent consultations. But what exactly are they? How is the diagnosis made? What treatment should be offered to the teenager and his or her family to enable them tomanage their difficulties as best they can?

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Comorbid With Emotional and Behavioral Disorders and Learning Disabilities in Adolescents

This study examined in depth a group of adolescents (n = 12) who were identified as having attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The group was identified as part of a longitudinal study of students who were screened in primary school as at risk for developing emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) and peers who were identified as not at risk in secondary school (N = 165). The prevalence of ADHD comorbid with EBD and learning disabilities (LD) was investigated. Teacher ratings of behavior on the Behavior Assessment System for Children (Reynolds & Kamphaus, 1992) were used to identify students with ADHD and/or EBD. For LD identification, students met criteria on at least 1 of 5 models for identifying LD. The study also investigated gender differences as well as differences between students with and without ADHD on several school variables (e.g., achievement, ability). Results indicated that 12 students (7.3%) of the sample met the criteria for ADHD identification. More girls than boys with ADHD were identified (a ratio of 3:1). Within the ADHD group, 7 students met criteria for comorbid ADHD/EBD, and a range of 1 to 6 students met criteria for comorbid ADHD/EBD/LD, depending on the model used to identify LD. Students with ADHD scored more poorly than students without ADHD across all school variables. Implications for early and appropriate identification and intervention for students with ADHD are discussed, particularly for girls with ADHD who may be underidentified.

Nurses’ perceptions of the working environment: a UK independent sector study

The working environment is an important determinant of employee well-being. Previous UK studies report registered nurses' perception of the working environment using the Work Environment Scale (WES), but surprisingly few include data for nurses working in mental health or learning disability settings. One hundred and sixty-one (58.8%) registered nurses working day shifts in five specialist divisions (forensic adult mental health, adolescent mental health, elderly continuing care, adult and adolescent learning disability and brain injury rehabilitation) of a large charitable hospital comprising mostly secure (i.e. 'locked') wards completed the WES. Nurses working in separate clinical divisions differed only on the 'physical comfort' subscale. These results are discussed in the context of previous UK research: this sample of nurses scored differently on a number of subscales, with the working environment characterized by relatively high levels of support, cohesion and managerial control and slightly lower levels of autonomy. It is unclear whether the differences reflect the organizational (i.e. non-NHS) context, or a secure environment effect. Previous studies of mental health nurses are now 10 years old and we present data that may provide a benchmark of perceptions of the working environment held by nurses working in mental health and learning disability settings.

Subtypes of learning disabilities in adolescents and adults.

This study tested the hypothesis that a classification scheme developed for the subtyping of learning disabilities in children, when applied to a population of adolescents and adults, would result in subtyping into discrete and relatively homogeneous groups in terms of cognitive functioning and achievement. We compared three groups, arithmetic disability (AD), reading disability (RD), and reading and arithmetic disabilities (RAD), among themselves and with a comparison group with normal achievement (NA) on a variety of cognitive and achievement measures. The main findings were as follows: (a) Each of the groups differed significantly from the others on tests of reading, spelling, memory, and other cognitive measures; (b) both the RD and RAD groups showed a deficit in phonological processing, vocabulary, spelling, and STM; (c) the AD group performed similarly to the NA group on pseudoword reading and phonological processing, but did more poorly than the NA group on word reading and vocabulary; (d) on many tasks the RAD group performed more poorly than the other groups; and (e) the AD and RAD groups performed more poorly than the NA and RD groups on a visual-spatial task. This study demonstrated the validity of this classification scheme for the subtyping of learning disabilities in adolescents and adults.

Learning disabilities in adolescents with high IQ scores.

Between January 1, 1971 and December 31, 1980, 43 of 415 adolescents diagnosed as "learning disabled" when evaluated in an intensive 4-day diagnostic program were found to have a WISC-R verbal, performance, or full scale IQ score of 120 or higher. The 34 boys and 9 girls were 14.5 +/- 2 years old, were in grade 9.5 +/- 1, and had had overt symptoms of academic difficulty for 4 +/- 1.5 years at the time of diagnosis. None of the adolescents was achieving at an academic level consistent with the potential indicated by the WISC-R score. All of the adolescents were able to dissemble and disguise their disabilities. Only nine had previously been recognized as being disabled. All exhibited academic failure (which became apparent or increasingly severe on entering junior high school) and suffered from lack of self-esteem, depression, and withdrawal. Older adolescents had "given up" on school and were attempting to find alternative careers. Learning disabilities constitute an invisible handicap which affects 2 to 3% of all adolescents. Those who have very high intelligence may be able to hide the handicap until academic challenges become sufficiently difficult or complex to unmask them.