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 4.05-Dysnemkinesia Dyslexia
Disability Category: Learning Disabilities
Definition
A type of dyslexia specifically associated with symbol orientation. Individuals with Dysnemkinesia Dyslexia tend to be distinguished by their abnormally high frequency of letter reversals (e.g., d for b, as in “doy” for “boy”; w for m, as in “wet” for “met” ). It is the dysfunction most people think about when they hear the word dyslexia (McMains, 2002).
Explanation
Individuals with Dysnemkinesia Dyslexia often have serious difficulties with symbol orientation. For example, “p” “b” “q” and “d” are all the same symbol oriented in different ways. These students will not see the symbol as being different letters when oriented differently, and will subsequently confuse them. They tend to transpose letters and syllables, exhibit faulty eye movements, demonstrate excessive reversals, and have spatial difficulties.
Dysnemkinesia Dyslexia is a dysfunction that involves memory and motor movement. This is actually a developmental issue. It is thought to occur due to poor development of the visual spatial skills known as laterality and directionality (McMains, 2002).
Individuals with Dysnemkinesia Dyslexia often have poor sight recognition, and tend to have trouble building up a sight vocabulary. Reading tends to be slow and difficult, since they often read and spell phonetically (McMains, 2002).
It should be noted that no medical problems associated with this child’s vision are an issue. The difficulties are in the processing of information, not due to a visual impairment.
SL 2.01- Distortion Articulation Disorder
Disability Category: Speech and Language Impairment
Definition
A type of articulation disorder specifically associated with errors in the formation of individual speech sounds whereby incorrect letters are added to a word (Marshall University, 2005; New Jersey Speech and Hearing Association, 2005).
Explanation
Distortion articulation errors occur when a sound is not left out or substituted yet does not sound right. There is an attempt to make the sound but it is misarticulated. The sound is said inaccurately, but sounds something like the intended sound. Common distortions, called lisps, occur when s, z, sh, and ch are mispronounced (Turnbull et al., 2004)
Examples of distortion articulation errors include saying:
‘shlip’ for ‘ship’,
‘thand’ for ‘sand’
“bwabbit” for “rabbit”
“schleep”, “zleep” or “thleep” for “sleep” (Heward, 2006)
OI 6.01 Becker Muscular Dystrophy
Disability Category: Other Health Impairment
Definition
Becker muscular dystrophy is similar to Duchenne MD, but it progresses more slowly. Symptoms typically begin during adolescence but can begin as early as age 5 or as late as age 25 (U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2004b). Muscle weakness first occurs in the legs, so most children eventually lose the ability to walk. As the disease progresses, they also lose strength in their shoulders and back. Tends to affect older boys and young men (Milton S. Hershey Medical Center of Penn State University, 2006).
Explanation
Symptoms of Becker Muscular dystrophy include:
- Muscle weakness, slowly progressive, causing
- Difficulty with muscle skills (running, hopping, jumping)
- Progressive difficulty walking
- Ability to walk may continue into adulthood (up to age 40)
- Frequent falls
- Problems breathing
- Calves are often enlarged (Muscular Dystrophy Association, 2004)
- Cognitive dysfunction
- Skeletal deformities, chest and back (scoliosis)
- Muscle deformities
- contractures of heels, legs
- Pseudohypertrophy of calf muscles
- Fatigue
- Heart disease (U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2004b).
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