Ch.+6+Medical+Aspects+of+LD

Look at the KeyWords at the beginning of the chapter. Choose one and enter it below with what you think is a good definition. (In addition to the keywords in the book, also add ecological model, synaptic gap, and neuroinhibitors to the the list.). If someone in the class has already posted a word and definition, choose another word. If all have been done, then add to or provide an alternative definition to one of the words on the list. DO NOT REPLACE THE DEFINITION THAT IS THERE. PUT YOUR ADDITION AFTER THE FIRST ONE AND USE A DIFFERENT COLOR TO DISTINGUISH IT FROM THE FIRST ONE.
 * KEY Words: (Completed individually, outside of class) **

**Fetal Alchohol Syndrome**: (Holly L) This appears to be associated with heavy use of alcohol, and children who demonstrate this syndrome typically have moderate to severe limitations in cognitive ability, along with numerous physical malformations.

**ADHD:** (LaKrystal M) Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is characterized by inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.

**Frontal Lobe**: (Dave P) The frontal lobe of the brain is located at the front of each cerebral hemisphere. It contains most of the dopamine-sensitive neurons and plays a large part in abstract thinking. In humans, the frontal lobe fully matures around a persons 20’s, marking the cognitive maturity that is typically associated with “adulthood.”

**Axon**: (Molly E) the long stem of the cell to activate surrounding nerve cells

**Dendrites**: (Erin R) the sensory detectors of the neurons, detect a chemical transition from another neuron and activates the cell

**Parietal lobe:** (Michael S) located above the occipital lobe and behind the frontal lobe, controls tactile sensations from the various body parts.


 * Cerebrum:** (Alysha B.) the largest part of the human brain, controls most of the motor nervous system which is comprised of the set of nerves that controls bodily movements.


 * Nondisjuntion: (**Brittany Boyers). a given parental pair of chromosomes fails to split at conception causing the formation of a group of three chromosomes (a trisomy) in lieu of the normal pair.


 * Neuron: (**Nicky M.) also known as a nerve cell, is specialized to conduct nerve impulses from dendrites and axons.


 * Cerebellum:** (Sarah C.) plays an important role in motor control. It is also involved in some cognitive controls such as attention and language.


 * Comorbidity** (Meghan H.): Where a person exhibits characters of more than one disability. Oftentimes, students who have a learning disability might also have ADD or ADHD.


 * DSM-IV** (Kristin McDonnell): The DSM-IV (//Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders//) is a diagnostic system developed by the American Psychiatric Association to outline the types of attention and behavior problems that children acquire in the academic environment. The DSM-IV was developed to give professionals a common reference to describe all disorders and work from a similar definition.

Each group will be assigned a section of the chapter to post about. Review the content in your assigned section and pull out and list what you think to be the **BIG IDEAS** from the reading. Next, comment on any **CONNECTIONS** with something you might have read elsewhere (e.g., in another chapter, text for another class, one of your articles you read, or just something your group discussed). Finally, post any **FURTHER THOUGHTS** or questions you have.
 * GROUP WORK: **
 * BIG IDEAS, CONNECTIONS, and FURTHER THOUGHTS **

SECTION A - Introduction and Medical and Educational Models (198-200) Example
> The information contained in this section of the chapter fits with what was discussed in the last chapter about the early theorists in LD and how much of those early theories had to do with theories of brain damage and within child disability models. It also ties in with the more current theories of LD and their connection with the educational practitioners (e.g., metacognition learning strategies approach, constructivism, differentiated instruction and multiple intelligences.). This information also connects with what was discussed in INTEREST BOX 1.2 in the previous chapter about the findings of the Commission on Excellence in Special Education.
 * BIG IDEAS: **
 * The study of learning disabilities originated in the medical field and still has close connections there. Therefore is important for teachers to have some basic knowledge in this area to interpret the medical information that might be associated with medical treatments for LD such as drug therapies for ADHD.
 * Intervention approaches proposed by practitioners in the medical field vs. educational practitioners will vary because medical practitioners will search for causes/abnormalities within the child such as CNS dysfunction whereas educators are more likely to consider factors with how the child interacts with the educational environment (ecological model). This can cause communication problems between the two fields (see Box 2.1 for a comparison and major differences between the two models.
 * During the Bush administration and the Natl. Joint Committee of LD (NJCLD, 2005) there has been more of an effort to prevent school failure rather than waiting for the child to fail to be identified and receive needed help. This has, and will likely continue to result in considerable changes in how students with LD are identified and served.
 * CONNECTIONS**

Some of the elements of the current LD definition discussed in the previous chapter seem like they might need to change based on what is happening with RTI and other current movements in the field. It does seem important that special educators today working with students with LD and ADHD know the history and understand the background of LD as we still see many current approaches rely on the medical model. As new interventions are proposed, educators need to be able to evaluate their merit.
 * FURTHER THOUGHTS**

SECTION 1 - Learning and the Nervous System (pgs. 200-204)
1. Brain Stem: controls life sustaining functions such as a person's heartbeat and respiration. 2. Cerebellum: receives sensory input and controls most of the nervous system such as balance and posture 3. Cerebrum: controls most higher thinking functions (human thought) and is the most developed 1. Left Hemisphere: controls most logical thoughts including language and numbers 2. Right Hemisphere: controls spatial orientation, visual imagery, and personal expression 3. __//localization//__-This is the term used to describe where certain aspects of learning originate (i.e. language is //localized// in the left hemisphere) 1. temporal lobe: controls hearing and auditory memory 2. frontal lobe: controls abstract thinking 3. parietal lobe: controls tactile sensations from various body parts 4. occipital lobe: deals with vision and visual perception
 * BIG IDEAS: **
 * Neurons are the basis for all learning. Learning is dependent on the connections between neurons, and most of these connections are made between ages 2 and 11. This is when the most learning takes place, and this provides a strong argument for the reasoning behind why //early intervention// is so important.
 * Every individual will experience different results from different stimulants due to neurotransmitters which can cause hyperactivity.
 * The brain is made up of three main parts: the brain stem, the cerebellum, and the cerebrum.
 * The cerebrum is divided into two hemispheres: the right and the left brain.
 * Some learning disabilities can be the result of //hemispheric dominance// where individuals overuse one side of their brain.
 * Each hemisphere is then divided into four main lobes.
 * For example, if a child has an injury to the lower rear portion of the skull, the occipital lobe may be negatively affected, which could cause visual-perceptual problems in the classroom.

The earlier portion of this course also relates to the information above about brain damage. In earlier weeks we have discussed how brain damage can also cause an intellectual disability. Therefore, all of this information about the brain and the nervous system and learning does not just cause learning disabilities, but intellectual disabilities as well. In fact, brain damage can lead to many cognitive disabilities. All of this information about how the brain is wired for learning can be transferred to apply to any cognitive disability and student learning in general.
 * CONNECTIONS: **

We also made connections to a previous course we had taken--human development. In this course we learned that neuron connections are rapidly being made in the younger years of life and at this time students are primed for learning. Therefore, as teachers we must be ready to fill our students brains with knowledge, and understand that if we have students for which there is damage to the brain, we must make accommodations.

A common misconception is that brain damage is genetic and that it is reversible, but this is not always the case. As a result, it is the responsibility of educators to make accommodations for students. All students come from different backgrounds and each of them will have different experiences that will affect their learning in the classroom. Each student has the ability to learn, but for those with a learning disability it might call for different strategies due the unique way that their brain is wired. As teachers, we need to know our students and communicate with parents about what they know about their child that could be useful to us in the classroom.
 * FURTHER THOUGHTS: **

SECTION 2 - Etiology of Learning Disabilities (pgs. 205-210)
*Genetic Influences: Although research on genetic influences is medical in nature, teachers should be aware of the possibilities that may eventually result from this type of research, including specification of a primary genetic cause for many learning disabilities, assessment procedures based on genetic mapping, or even gene replacement therapy as a potential preventative measure for some learning disabilities (Wadsworth et al., 2000; Wood & Grigorenko, 2001). *Teratogenic Insult increases the likelihood of malformations of the brain and central nervous system during pregnancy. Some tetrogenics are Alcohol which can cause Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, and Smoking. *Perinatal Causes includes premature birth, prolonged labor, and use of forceps. These may cause potential problems that may lead to learning disabilities. There is a link between perinatal difficulties and learning disabilities. *Search for Medical Causes: No single medical cause has been related to any particular learning disability. For example, medical science has demonstrated aberration of the 21st chromosome is the medical cause of Trisomy 21 or Down syndrome. Also, heavy use of alcohol will result in fetal alcohol syndrome, which is usually associated with some degree of mental retardation. There is no evidence for any single type of medical insult to the fetus or the child that routinely results in a learning disability.
 * Big Ideas: **

The information about Genetic Influences relates a lot to the portion of the class over Mental Retardation. During that portion of the class we discussed multiple genetic influences relating to learning disabilities. We even learned specific causes of specific disabilities such as toxoplasmosis, rubella, Tay Sach's disease, etc. Also in other education courses such as Educational Psychology, we are able to relate this material to. We noticed that the Teratogenic insult is discussed in multiple courses and is described in more detail in many Special Education courses.
 * Connections: **

Our group decided that Teratogenic insult can be avoided because it is simply foreign substances in the body.
 * Further Thoughts: **

SECTION 3 - Medical Diagnosis of Learning Disabilities (pgs. 210-215)
BIG IDEAS: - Criteria for diagnosis for learning disabilities includes: o The child must show characteristics no later than age 7 o Symptoms must be present in two or more environments, such as home and school o The disturbance must cause distress or impairment in social, academic, or occupational functioning - Primary characteristics of learning disabilities include inattention/distractibility, impulsivity and inhibition, and hyperactivity. Secondary characteristics include conduct disorders, inappropriate social behaviors, and attention-seeking behaviors of all types. Currently, there is not much known about the relationship between the two kinds of characteristics. - There is no specific assessment for learning disabilities, but typically physicians do evaluations of the central nervous system functions without using any diagnostic equipment. First, medical history is taken, such as developmental milestones. The physician will then assess motor skills, such as eye-hand coordination, gross motor coordination (an evaluation of deep tendon reflexes). Abnormal reflexes can indicate damage that might be in the central nervous system. Finally, the cranial nerves are examined. The cranial nerves control the movement of facial muscles and sensory organs. - Medical technologies are available in assisting the neurological assessment. These can include the EEG, the CAT scan, the PET scan, and the MRI.

**CONNECTIONS **: Looking at the criteria for diagnosing learning disabilities, this is very similar to they criteria for diagnosing many other special needs. Common criteria among other disabilities include the symptoms being present by a particular age, seeing them in more than one setting, and the symptoms having a significant impact on different areas of the person’s life.

**FURTHER THOUGHTS: ** : The text is not very optimistic in the quick development of a specific assessment for learning disabilities. How will this affect students going through the diagnostic process for a learning disability? And how will it affect the professionals that work with them?

SECTION 4 - Medical Treatments for Learning Disabilities (pgs. 215-220)

 * BIG IDEAS: **

       

. It outlines that the teacher should state the number of behavioral disorders, nature and severity of them and the frequency of them. There is also a connection to theorist Samuel Orton. As opposed to treating from a medical standpoint he advocated an education approach that included phonic and kinesthetic aids.

**FURTHER THOUGHTS: ** No treatment can be successful in isolation. It is important to consider that each student will respond to treatment differently. Many other medications can work out kinks overtime. One problem is that we don’t know what some of the long-term effects are of the drugs. 2.5 million children 4-17 take ADHD medications, so the problem will never be avoided.