LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Cognitive Flexibility in Children with Learning Disability

Radish Kumar. B, M.Sc. (Speech Language Pathology)
Jayashree S. Bhat, M.Sc. (Speech and Hearing), Ph.D.
Soudamini.Shankar, BASLP (Intern)

Abstract

A child with learning disability may have underlying abnormality in cognitive processing that often precedes or is associated with learning disorders. If language and the learning difficulties are the result of slow processing speed, then the differences in cognitive flexibility measures are expected in children with learning disability in comparison with age matched peers. Hence the present study was attempted. Participants consisted of 12 children with learning disability and 12 age matched typically developing children in the age range of 9-10 years.

The experimental set comprised of a set of 20 pictures in 4 lexical categories (fruits, stationary items, animals and body parts). The stimuli was then inserted and presented to the participants using DMDX software in such a way that four pictures of the same lexical category appeared one after another on the computer screen following one from a different lexical category.

Participants were instructed to name the pictures immediately upon the presentation of the stimuli. Participant's response latencies were measured from the application of a stimulus to the detection of a response through naming. Differences between the reaction time for the fourth item and the fifth item was calculated to obtain a cognitive flexibility index.

Results of the independent t-test revealed statistically significant differences between the two groups for the cognitive flexibility index at p<0.01. The obtained results were attributed to the deficits in the attentional process and the knowledge representation yielding a prolonged cognitive block in children with learning disability.

Key Words: Learning disability, Processing speed, cognitive flexibility index

Introduction

National Joint Committee for Learning Disabilities (NJCLD)(1981; 1985) defined 'Learning disabilities' as a generic term that refers to a heterogeneous group of disorders manifested by significant difficulties in the acquisition and use of listening, speaking, reading, writing, reasoning or mathematical abilities. These disorders are intrinsic to the individual and presumed to be due to central nervous system dysfunction.

Even though a learning disability may occur concomitantly with other handicapping conditions (e.g., sensory impairment, mental retardation, social and emotional disturbance) or environmental influences (e.g., cultural differences, insufficient/inappropriate instruction, psychogenic factors), it is not the direct result of those conditions or influences.

Learning Disorders are diagnosed when the individual's achievement on standardized tests in reading, mathematics or written expression is substantially below that expected for age, schooling and level of intelligence.

The learning problems significantly interfere with academic achievement or activities of daily living that require reading, mathematical or writing skills. There may be underlying abnormality in cognitive processing (e.g., deficits in visual perception, linguistic processes, attention or memory, or a combination of these) that often precede or are associated with learning disorders.

Processing speed is one of the measures of cognitive efficiency or cognitive proficiency. It involves the ability to automatically and fluently perform relatively easy or over learned cognitive tasks, especially when high mental efficiency is required i.e., for simple tasks requiring attention and focussed concentration, and it relates to the ability to process information automatically and therefore speedily, without intentional thinking through.

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