Learning Disorders

Treatments

Academic Remediation     

Treatment Summary: A learning disability is a neurological disorder that interferes with the way a child’s brain receives and processes information. For learning to take place there are a series of functions that must be adequately performed by the brain. This process involves many steps including: Gathering information from the senses, accurately processing that information, comparing this information to previously held knowledge, discarding irrelevant information, organizing the information, storing the information, accessing this information at a later time, and demonstrating by performance that the information was understood. People with learning disorders may need a more “hands on” approach to learning experiences. They may need to demonstrate mastery of a subject through verbal answers versus a pencil-and-paper task. It does not mean the information was not learned or needed to be watered down. It simply means that the person needs to demonstrate the mastery of the material in another way, such as through oral testing, dioramas, or a multimedia presentation. Limit or eliminate copying Simplify worksheets to uncluttered the visual space. Use graph paper for math to help with visual spacing. Place emphasis on verbal learning. Use concrete versus abstract examples. Have a structured learning environment with warnings prior to transitioning. Use visual cues and repetition to help with sound formation. Provide specialized multisensory structured language instruction. Extend time on reading and writing tasks. Allow untimed tests. Reduce work load with emphasis on quality versus quantity. Use colored overlays when reading. Tape record lectures. Provide alternate testing formats such as oral or dictated answers. 

• Reference: Anglada, T. (2011). When Learning is the Problem. Pediatrics for Parents, 1&2(26), 25-27. 

• Submitter: Roderick D. Swanson 

Humanistic Group Therapy (HGT) 

Treatment Summary: HGT was used in three phases on elementary children with LD to reduce negative emotions through the development of behavior changing and personal insight. Children involved in the study were diagnosed with LD for either a reading or math deficit. Phase I (Sessions 1-6) focused on building group cohesiveness and understanding a shared emotional language. Phase II (Sessions 7-13) children shared personal difficulties and supported one another. Phase III (Sessions 14-15) the students made goals for their future. Techniques used during these phases are The Emotional Clock, used to help build an understanding of emotions, and bibliotherapy, used to relate their personal emotions to literary characters experiencing similar emotions. Due to the link between emotional and scholastic functioning, HGT was more effective in treating children with LD than Academic Assistance and Cognitive-Behavioral Group Therapy. Children with LD who received HGT had better academic and psychosocial scores and made more gains at the posttreatment follow-up. 

• Reference: Shechtman, Z., & Pastor, R. (2005). Cognitive-Behavioral and Humanistic Group Treatment for Children With Learning Disabilities: A Comparison of Outcomes and Process. Journal Of Counseling Psychology, 52(3), 322-336. doi:10.1037/0022-0167.52.3.322 

• Submitter: Whitney Weaver 

Psychodynamic Psychotherapy 

Summary of Treatment:   The study referenced below outlines the development of psychotherapy for people with learning disabilities. It shows, in spite of longstanding doubts about the effaciacy of psychotherapy work with people with a learning disability, that numerous modern practitioners have demonstrated that these patients can be treated successfully by psychodynamic psychotherapy. Psychoanalysis as a therapy would not claim to remove the fundamental causes of amentia. It would attempt, rather, to reduce the amount of depth and fixation so that the excessiveness of retardation may be avoided, even though the innate defect is not curable. A key element is the relationship between the therapist and the client in hopes of the client identifying with the therapist. The client introjects the good objects (therapist) and this strengthens their ego. The more and more good objects are introjected, the client feels better about himself and discovers that others respond to his love. It is sometimes assumed that psychotherapy with the mentally retarded is inadvisable because of their insight and poor verbal development. This is disproved by the weight of evidence that has been presented that indicates that for psychotherapy to be effective, there may be improvement but only within the limitations of their mental deficiency. Some studies have been reported showing that intensive psychotherapy in some cases of mental retardation results in striking improvement of intellectual functioning. 

• Reference: O’Driscoll, David. (2009) A Short History of Psychodynamic Psychotherapy for People with Learning Disabilities. Advances in Mental Health and Learning Disabilities, Volume 3, Issue 4. 

• Submitted by:   Dana Gordon 

Paired Associates Strategy (PAS) 

Summary of Treatment: In the study referenced below, Paired Associates Strategy was used to help students with learning disorders recall factual information. 

In the Paired Associates Strategy, or PAS, memory deficits are targeted. PAS uses the mnemonic keyword method to help with information recall. The mnemonic keyword method involves learning new information by pairing it with familiar information. An example of this is pairing the word affect with the picture of a face. The students will be able to remember that affect refers to emotions that are visible on a person’s face. PAS also encourages independence by encouraging students with learning disorders to create their own mnemonic keywords. PAS can be administered individually or in groups. 

• Reference: Patwa, S.S., Chafouleas, S.M., & Madaus, J.W. (2005). The effects of paired associates strategy (pas) on  the recall of factual information by postsecondary students with learning disabilities. School  Psychology Review, 34(4), 556-570. 

• Submitted by: Kelly Williams 

Write-Rite handwriting intervention program  

Summary of Treatment: Individuals with dysgraphia experience significant handwriting deficits. Dysgraphia cannot be cured, but handwriting intervention programs can improve handwriting legibility. One such intervention program is called Write-Rite. Write-Rite provides handwriting practice with an electronic tablet through an app that has increasing level difficulties. A study by Rahim and Jamaludin (2019) utilized Write-Rite with 5 child participants diagnosed with dysgraphia. Findings from the study showed that after three weeks of the program, 80% of the participants had improved letter formations and showed an increase in handwriting fluidity. At the end of the five week study, all participants showed significant improvement in motor skills with increased competence on accurate letter size, formation, alignment, and proportions. These findings suggest that Write-Rite could be effective in improving handwriting performance within brief timeframes. Write-Rite may be a more approachable intervention strategy due its format resembling an electronic game. The program can also be operated independently by children without direct oversight from an occupational therapist or teacher.  

• Reference: Rahim, N., & Jamaludin, Z. (2019). Write-Rite: Enhancing handwriting proficiency of children with dysgraphia. Journal of Information and Communication Technology, 18(3), 253-271. https://doi-org.tamuct.idm.oclc.org/10.32890/jict2019.18.3.2 (Links to an external site.) 

• Submitted by: Caitlin Ford 

Special Education 

Treatment Summary: In any or all of the many articles reviewed regarding any specific learning disorder the treatment, in one fashion or another, comes down to the educational instruction the children with the Learning Disorders (LD) were receiving. The goal of the special education programs is to teach those living with these disabilities to achieve competencies and goals in spite of the disabilities. Oftentimes, many of the articles on the topic of learning disorders were not discussing interventions for the disorders, but rather assessments of the educational programs teaching these children to cope. 

• Reference: Nelson, Jason M.; Manset-Williamson, Genevieve (2006). The Impact of explicit, self-regulatory reading comprehension strategy instruction on the reading-specific self-efficacy, attributions, and affect of students with reading disabilities. Learning Disability Quarterly, 29 (3), 213-230. 

• Submitter: Michael W. Baumann