learning disabilities
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In the study, "Learning Disability, Attention-Deficit Disorder, and Language Impairment as Outcomes of Prematurely: A Longitudinal Descriptive Study", the definitive diagnosis of learning disabilities in preterm and full-term children are researched thoroughly. In previous studies, definitive diagnosis of learning disabilities is elusive and unclear as to who is eligible for identification. In this study, the authors wanted to enhance the understanding of the dynamic evolution of these disorders through prospective, longitudinal study of children born prior to term.
The authors already knew that there are no documented behaviors or set of behaviors that reliably predict the dysfunction. There is always the possibility that no one disorder is primary at all and that they are all manifestations of the same condition. In the case of children classified as ADD or LI, identification is likely to occur during their preschool or first grade years. In the earliest development periods, however, there seem to be no deterministic markers that presage the ultimate identification of any of these disorders. Premature infants are thought to be the prototype of children at risk for developmental difficulties for many reasons. That a child was born prior to term means that at the time of birth his or her central nervous system (CNS) was not fully organized for sustaining itself in the extra-uterine environment. Preterms are also at risk for dysregulation of attention and arousal which in turn jeopardizes their ability to maintain an alert state and thus, their ability to interact productively with the interpersonal and material environment...