ECE 28, CLASS NOTES, WEEK 6, Chapter 8: LEARNING & BEHAVIOR DISORDERS The Exceptional Child, Inclusion in Early

Childhood Education, Sixth Edition, Thomson-Delmar Learning,

OBJECTIVES: After discussion of learning & behavior disorders, you should be able to: Describe the behavioral characteristics of a child with ADHD & discuss intervention options. Argue against labeling or diagnosing a preschool child as learning disabled. Understand warning signs in a preschool child that suggests the potential for learning disabled. Describe the behavioral characteristics of a child with autism. Describe eating & toileting problems which sometimes are associated with behavioral disorders. KEY TERMS: ADHD perseveration autism pica echolalic behavioral disordered childhood schizophrenia dyslexia phobias organic learning disability spatial orientation prerequisite skills respite care aphasia tangible reinforcers pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER (ADHD): History: ADHD has been studied for over 50 years. A comprehensive evaluation; includes a clinical assessment, academic/educational, social, & emotional abilities. Detailed history by interview includes parents, teacher, & child if appropriate. Checklist & rating scales by clinicians, school psychologist & school nurse. Thorough medical, hearing & vision exam. AMERICAN PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATION IDENTIFYING CHILDREN WITH ADHD: 1. Children demonstrate symptoms of inattention that are persistent, maladaptive, & inconsistent with other children at their developmental level; and/or children demonstrate symptoms of hyperactivity-impulsivity that are persistent, maladaptive, & inconsistent with other children at their developmental level. 2. These symptoms were present before age seven. 3. Symptoms must be present in two or more settings (i.e. school & home). 4. There must be clear evidence of clinically significant impairment in social, academic, or occupational functioning. CHILDREN WITH ADHD: Causes & Prevalence Intervention Strategies Behavior Management Medication Special Diets LEARNING DISABILITIES: A disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, which may manifest itself in the imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, write, spell or do mathematical calculations. The term includes conditions such as perceptual handicaps, brain injury, minimum brain dysfunction, dyslexia & developmental aphasia. Nondisadvantaged ruling. Academic ruling. Cognitive disorders. Predicting learning disability. Prerequisite skills. Sensory-motor (fine & gross motor). Visual & auditory perception problems. Language deviations. Deficit social skills. BEHAVIOR DISORDERS: Definitional Issues, Prevalence, Anxiety & Depression, Phobias. PERVASIVE DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS: Pervasive developmental disorders (PDD) refer to a group of childhood disorders usually evident by age 3. Primary characteristics: Abnormal social interaction, impaired communication, peculiar interests & behaviors. PERVASIVE DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS: Autism is the most severe form of PDD. Primary characteristics to define autism used by APA: Qualitative impairment in social interaction and communication. Restricted repetitive & stereotyped patterns of behaviors, interests, & activities. Delays or abnormal function in at least one of the following areas with onset prior to three: social interaction, social communication, or symbolic or imaginative play The disturbance is not Rhetts Disorder or Childhood Disintegrative Disorder. Childhood Schizophrenia. Other forms of PDD: Rhetts Disorder, Aspergers Disorder, PDD-NOS EATING & ELIMINATION DISORDERS: Pica, the craving for nonfood substances, some examples: Dirt, tar, grease, chalk and/or plastic. Soiling & wetting. Persistent wetting, especially in girls, may be related to a chronic urinary tract infection. A child may have a reoccurring, low-grade intestinal virus. Children with diabetes may have failure of urine control at times. Some children are anxious about using a strange bathroom, or have been trained to a greater privacy level than at school.