Models for diagnosis and treatment of learning disorders have changed over time. Still, there are many old beliefs and myths that may lead parents and schools in the wrong direction when working with children with learning disorders. Today, John and Ryan talk with Robin Peterson, Ph.D., ABPP-CN, about learning disorders, issues around diagnosing disorders of written expression, the concept of academic g and its relationship to Spearman’s g, risk factors for learning disorders, common comorbidities of learning disorders, the resource allocation hypothesis, and achievement gaps across groups.
A pdf of the transcript for this episode is available here.
Topics Covered
- The difference between learning disability and learning disorder
- How learning disorders are not very “specific”
- Criteria for three well-defined learning disorders
- Recommendations for parents of children with specific writing-related difficulties
- The concept of academic g and its relationship to Spearman’s g
- Genetic and biological factors contributing to academic success
- Early cognitive predictors of learning disorders, including dyslexia
- Debunking the myth of reading letters backward in dyslexia
- Phoneme awareness in dyslexia
- Cognitive correlates of math and reading disorders
- Common comorbidities of learning disorders
- Learning disorders and attention difficulties
- Explanation of the resource allocation hypothesis
- Treatment models for learning disorders
- Clinical diagnostic decision making for learning disorders
- Achievement gaps across groups
About Robin
Dr. Robin L. Peterson, Ph.D., ABPP-CN, is a Pediatric Neuropsychologist and Assistant Clinical Professor at the Children’s Hospital Colorado/University of Colorado School of Medicine. Robin is the co-author of the book, Diagnosing Learning Disorders: From Science to Practice, along with Drs. Bruce Pennington and Lauren McGrath. Her clinical and research interests include learning disabilities, pediatric traumatic brain injury, and spina bifida.
Selected References
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