Pamela Deponio
University of Edinburgh
e-mail: Pamela.Deponio@ed.ac.uk
• Inclusion and supporting individual difference:
ADHD and other specific learning difficulties
• International Special Education Conference,
Glasgow, August 2005
Specific Learning Difficulties:
definition
• Specific Learning Difficulties is an
umbrella term which indicates that
children display discrepancies across
their learning, exhibiting areas of high
competence alongside areas of
significant difficulty.
Macintyre & Deponio (2003)
Dyslexia: definition
• Dyslexia is a combination of abilities and
difficulties which affect the learning process in
one or more of reading, spelling and writing.
Accompanying weaknesses may also be
seen in speed of processing, short term
memory, sequencing, auditory and visual
perception, spoken language and motor
skills.
British Dyslexia Association (2000)
Definition: dyspraxia
• An impairment or immaturity in the
organisation of movement which leads
to associated problems with language,
perception and thought.
The Dyspraxia Foundation (1997)
Definition: SLI
• The term SLI is applied to children who
exhibit a significant deficit in language ability
yet display normal hearing, age appropriate
scores on tests of non-verbal intelligence and
no obvious signs of neurological damage.
Leonard (2000)
Definition: ADHD
• A diagnosis of the American Psychiatric
Association (1994) encompassing
behavioural symptoms of inattention,
impulsiveness and hyperactivity that
significantly interfere with affected
individuals’ family and peer relationships
as well as their educational and
occupational functioning (Cooper 2001).
Specific neurodevelopmental
syndromes
(adapted from Keen, 2001)
ADHD Indicators
•
•
•
•
Inattention
Hyperactivity
Impulsive behaviour
Indicators must
– have early onset
– be persistent
– be pervasive
ADHD /Dyslexia co-occurrence
• Adams & Snowling (2001) - co-occurrence
over 50%
• Halperin et al (1991): 50% ADD meet
diagnostic criteria for 1 or more additional
disorder
• Willcutt & Pennington (2000): ... RD and
ADHD co-occur significantly more frequently
than would be expected based on chance...
ADHD/Dyslexia co-occurrence
• Hynd (2002) - 50% children with dyslexia will
also have ADHD.
• Cantwell & Baker (1991)- 63% children with
learning disorders had ‘co-morbid’ ADD.
• Gilger et al (1992) - co-occurrence in one
fifth cases.
ADHD/ Dyslexia
Inattention
Hyperactivity
4:1 Ratio?
Chromosome 6?
Gifted / creative
Genetic
Difficulty with:
• consistency
Impulsive
behaviour
• organisation
•memory
difficulties in
•decoding
•spelling
ADHD/SLI
• 50% - 70% young children with
hyperactivity & impulsive behaviour
experience problems in understanding
& expressing ideas ( Sam Goldstein)
• Children with developmental speech
and/or language disorders have
elevated rates of ADHD ( Dennis
Cantwell)
ADHD / SLI
Inattention
Hyperactivity
Impulsive behaviour
Memory
Difficulty following
instructions
Planning & organising
Language
comprehension
Sentence
formulation
ADHD/Dyspraxia
• 50% children with ADHD have
Developmental Coordination Difficulties
(Gilberg 2003)
• DAMP Deficits in Attention Motor
Control and Perception (Gilberg 1995)
ADHD/Dyspraxia
Inattention
Hyperactivity
Impulsive behaviour
Memory
Difficulty following
instructions
Muscle tone
Body
awareness
Planning & organising
Sensory
integration
Motor planning
Children difficult to classify
• 75% of schools in one Scottish survey
claimed they had children they
considered to have specific learning
difficulties but who they found difficult to
classify (Deponio, 2004).
Issues in identification of ADHD
• Despite the wealth of literature addressing
the co-occurrence of specific learning
difficulties there is little evidence of holistic
assessment in schools.
• Children assessed as having ADHD may be
receiving an incomplete assessment if there
is co-occurrence with another difficulty.
Issues in identification of ADHD
• Are we aware of the high probability of cooccurrence of specific difficulties?
• Who is assessing for co-occurrence ?
• How can assessment be holistic?
• Can we adopt a collaborative approach to
identification?
• How can we offer an inclusive learning
experience if we don’t identify holistically and
support appropriately?