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:
LD 9.01- Catastrophic Response Organizational Disorder
Disability Category: Learning Disability
Definition
A type of organizational disorder specifically associated with difficulties in handling too much stimuli and/or too much information at one time (Learning Disabilities Association, 2005).
Explanation
Individuals with Catastrophic Response Organizational Disorder may exhibit an involuntary and overwhelmed reaction to too many sights, sounds and/or extreme emotions. They may become dazed or unaware of one’s surroundings, even “freezing” for a short time. For example, a student with this disorder may freeze up and/or be unable to think clearly when presented with a page of 20 math problems. In general, the student is overwhelmed by too much stimuli (Peniston, 1998).
LD 9.02- Cognitive Disorganization Disorder (Internal Disorder)
Disability Category: Learning Disability
Definition
A type of organizational disorder specifically associated with difficulties in thinking in an orderly, logical way, often leading to incomplete thoughts and statements (Learning Disabilities Association of Ontario, 2005).
Explanation
- Students with cognitive disorganization disorder struggle with organizing their thoughts and feelings. They frequently exhibit many of the following symptoms:
- difficulty thinking of words (but for the most part can communicate normally)
- slowed mental process
- make occasional mistakes
- have failures in thinking and speech which can be corrected easily
- loss of train of thought
- forget what they are thinking or talking about
- leave statements incomplete
- sudden unexplained shifts in trend of thought or speech that they can correct with effort if asked
- thoughts or statements that become incoherent and difficulties clarifying them.
- difficulty thinking in an orderly, logical way
- often jump to conclusions and have difficulty planning tasks
- may often miss or forget steps in a sequence (Peniston, 1998)
HI 7.00 -Vestibular Schwannoma (Acoustic Neuroma)
Disability Category: Hearing Impairment
Definition
Vestibular schwannoma (also known as acoustic neuroma, acoustic neurinoma, or acoustic neurilemoma) is a benign, usually slow-growing tumor that develops from the balance and hearing nerves supplying the inner ear. The tumor comes from an overproduction of Schwann cells—the cells that normally wrap around nerve fibers like onion skin to help support and insulate nerves. As the vestibular schwannoma grows, it presses against the hearing and balance nerves, usually causing unilateral (one-sided) or asymmetric hearing loss, tinnitus (ringing in the ear), and dizziness/loss of balance (National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, 2005a).
Diagnostic Symptoms
- Diagnostic symptoms of Vestibular Schwannoma include (Mayo Clinic, 2004):
- Hearing loss in one ear
- Ringing (tinnitus) in the affected ear
- Dizziness
- Loss of balance
Further Key Points
Scientists are working to better understand how the gene works so they can begin to develop gene therapy to control the overproduction of Schwann cells in individuals with vestibular schwannoma. Also, learning more about the way genes help control Schwann cell growth may help prevent other brain tumors.
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