Lesser Known Disorders
Each issue of this series contains at least three lesser known disorders. Some of these disorders may contain subtypes which will also be presented. You will also notice that each disorder has a code. These codes represent the coding system for all disabilities and disorders listed in the Educator’s Diagnostic Manual(EDM) Wiley Publications.
Disorders in this issue:
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LD 2.02-Attention-to-Sequence Dyscalculia
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SL 6.00-Aphasia
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OI 11.06-Juvenile spinal muscular atrophy (Kugelberg-Welander disease)
LD 2.02-Attention-to-Sequence Dyscalculia
Disability Category – Learning Disabilities
Definition
A type of dyscalculia specifically associated with difficulties in following the specific and necessary sequence of rules and procedures when performing mathematical tasks or operations.
Explanation
Students with Attention-to-Sequence Dyscalculia often omit key steps when performing mathematical operations (Yisrael, 2000). For example, they will add 25 + 16 and get an answer of 31, because they forgot to “carry the 1” after adding the 5 + 6.
Another example of Attention-to-Sequence Dyscalculia would be a student who multiplies 10.5 x 2 and gets an answer of 210. The correct answer is 21.0, but the student got an answer of 210 because he did not follow the last step in the process which is to move the decimal point over to the right (as the sequence requires in this operation).
Successful students in math understand that it is essential that they follow a step-by-step sequence of rules and procedures. If any one step of the steps is omitted, it will almost assuredly result in an incorrect answer. These types of problems are often evident in students with Attention-to-Sequence Dyscalculia.
SL 6.00-Aphasia
Disability Category- Speech and Language Impaired
Definition
Aphasia is a language disorder that results from damage to portions of the brain that are responsible for language (Anderson & Shames, 2006). For most people, these are parts of the left side (hemisphere) of the brain. Aphasia usually occurs suddenly, often as the result of a stroke or head injury, but it may also develop slowly, as in the case of a brain tumor. The disorder impairs both the expression and understanding of language, as well as reading and writing. Aphasia is an impairment of language, affecting the production or comprehension of speech and the ability to read or write (National Aphasia Association, 1999).
Diagnostic Symptoms
The diagnostic symptoms of aphasia may be temporary or permanent, depending upon the amount of brain damage (Penn State-Milton Hershey Medical Center College of Medicine, 2005). Symptoms of aphasia vary based on the type of aphasia. Common symptoms include:
- Difficulty expressing oneself
- Difficulty reading
- Difficulty speaking
- Difficulty writing
- Inability to form sentences
- Jumbled speech
- Language problems
- Trouble understanding speech
- Unrelated words though clearly articulated
Further Key Points
Aphasia may co-occur with speech disorders, which also result from brain damage (National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, 2005). Aphasia’s onset is usually abrupt, occurring without warning to people (Anderson & Shames, 2006).
Types of Aphasia
SL 6.01-Anomic Aphasia (Nominal Aphasia or Subcortical Aphasia)
Definition
A type of aphasia specifically associated with either partial or total loss of the ability to recall the names of persons or things as a result of a stroke, head injury, brain tumor, or infection (National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, 2005). Individuals with anomic aphasia have otherwise normal language but marred by word-retrieval difficulties (Anderson & Shames, 2006).
Explanation
Anomic Aphasia primarily influences an individual’s ability to find the right name for a person or object. As a result, an object may be described rather than named. Hearing comprehension, repetition, reading, and writing are not affected, other than by this inability to find the right name. Speech is fluent, except for pauses as the individual tries to recall the right name. Physical symptoms are variable, and some individuals have no symptoms of one-sided weakness or sensory loss (National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, 2005).
SL 6.02-Broca’s Aphasia (Motor Aphasia)
Definition
A type of aphasia specifically associated with damage to the frontal lobe of the brain. Individuals with Broca’s Aphasia frequently speak in short, meaningful phrases that are produced with great effort. Broca’s aphasia is thus characterized as a nonfluent aphasia (National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, 2002a).
Explanation
Individuals with Broca’s aphasia (also called motor aphasia) often omit small words such as “is,” “and,” and “the” (Anderson & Shames, 2006). For example, a person with Broca’s aphasia may say, “Walk dog” meaning, “I will take the dog for a walk.” The same sentence could also mean “You take the dog for a walk,” or “The dog walked out of the yard,” depending on the circumstances (National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, 2002).
Individuals with Broca’s aphasia may not be able to speak at all. Or they may be able to use single-word statements or full sentences after great effort. They frequently omit words that are conjunctions and articles (and, or, but, the, a), which results in speech that sounds abrupt and choppy. People with Broca’s aphasia can understand and process what others are saying, so they often become depressed and frustrated by their own inability to communicate. They may have difficulty reading, and weakness on the right side of the body may make writing difficult (Penn State-Milton Hershey Medical Center College of Medicine, 2005).
SL 6.03- Conduction Aphasia (Associative Aphasia)
Definition
A type of aphasia specifically associated with an inability to repeat words, sentences, or phrases as a result of a stroke, head injury, brain tumor, or infection (Joseph F. Smith Medical library, 2003).
Explanation
Conduction Aphasia, also called associative aphasia, is rather uncommon. Individuals with conduction aphasia are unable to repeat words, sentences, and phrases. Speech is fairly unbroken, although individuals may frequently correct themselves and words may be skipped or repeated (Anderson & Shames, 2006). Although able to understand spoken language, it may also be difficult for the individual with conduction aphasia to find the right word to describe a person or object. The impact of this condition on reading and writing ability varies. As with other types of aphasia, right-sided weakness or sensory loss may be present (National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, 2005).
People with conduction, or associative, aphasia cannot repeat words, sentences, and phrases. While they can understand what others say, they may have difficulty finding the right words when speaking, and so may correct themselves frequently and skip or repeat words. Conduction aphasia is uncommon (Penn State-Milton Hershey Medical Center College of Medicine, 2005).
SL 6.04-Global Aphasia
Definition
A type of aphasia specifically associated with either partial or total loss of the ability to communicate verbally or using written words as a result of widespread injury to the language areas of the brain (National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, 2002a).
Explanation
Global Aphasia results from damage to extensive portions of the language areas of the brain. Individuals with Global Aphasia have severe communication difficulties and may be extremely limited in their ability to speak or comprehend language (National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, 2002a). Because it affects more than one area of the brain, it can affect all language areas, and is the most severe form of aphasia. However, symptoms vary depending on the location and extent of injury (Penn State-Milton Hershey Medical Center College of Medicine, 2005).
OI 11.06-Juvenile spinal muscular atrophy (Kugelberg-Welander disease)
Disability Category – Orthopedic Impairment
Definition
Juvenile spinal muscular atrophy (Kugelberg-Welander disease) usually has its onset after 2 years of age. It is considerably milder than the infantile or intermediate forms. In juvenile spinal muscular atrophy children are able to walk, although with difficulty (Muscular Dystrophy Association, 2003a).
Explanation
Weakness is most severe in muscles closest to the center of the body, such as those of the shoulders, hips, thighs and upper back. Respiratory muscle weakness and spinal curvature sometimes develop. This disease progresses slowly, with walking ability usually maintained until at least adolescence. Wheelchair often required later in life. Life span usually not affected (Muscular Dystrophy Association, 2004i).
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