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Medical Influences and Etiology of LD

Facts to Ponder:

Field of special education

"grew up " in the medical arena

mental retardation- first disability identified, followed by emotional disturbance/ insanity

both conditions- handled in institutions / medical clinics prior to being handled in public schools

Orton’s hemispheres of the brain

split-brain research

cerebrum=two hemispheres connected by structural brain tissue "corpus callosum"

hemispheres connected to motoric functions on opposite sides of body

typically, if language is controlled by left hemisphere (which is 90% of us), person will be right-handed

Evidence of possible genetic causes for learning disabilities

early retrospective studies demonstrated a link between LD and reading problems in families of persons with LD

longitudinal twin studies found similar reading problems in twins raised in very different environments

Teratogenic insults

milder form of Fetal Alcohol syndrome may be related to LD (more hard evidence needed)

smoking may deprive growing child in womb of oxygen- may cause later learning problems

other teratogens include almost all drugs-legal or illegal (very little still known about their affects on the growing child)

only bright spot on teratogenic insult- learning problems caused by them can be prevented

Medical causes for LD

medicine not notably successful in identifying cause of LD

if a cause is found, classroom solutions to problems may not result

search for medical etiologies tends to result in medically based treatments teachers not qualified to administer

DSM-IV Diagnostic Manual of Mental Disorders

includes several categories of disabilities which may apply to students with LD

ADHD 4 subtypes

ADHD / Inattentive Type (symptoms such as failure to finish tasks &/or pay attention for a period of time)

ADHD /Hyperactive-Impulsive Type (symptoms indicating hyperactive behaviour)

ADHD/ Combined Subtype (includes both of the other two subtypes)

ADHA/ Unspecified Subtype

Neurological examination (basic techniques):

medical history with developmental milestones

assessment of motor skills- gross and fine motor

evaluation of deep tendon reflexes

examination of cranial nerve function

Drug interventions for students with LD

stimulants or antidepressants

ritalin-a stimulant

most commonly used drug among students with LD

will increase attention

will keep a student in his/her seat

may lead to improved academic performance

teacher’s role in drug intervention

indication of behaviour problem

documentation of other interventions

monitoring of intervention

continuation of intervention

The experts do not agree on the causes of learning disabilities any more than they agree on definitions (Winzer, 1990, p.157).

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