title: Neuropsychological Profiles of Written Expression Learning Disabilities Determined by Concordance-Discordance Model Criteria.
abstract: Children with specific learning disabilities (SLD) have disparate neuropsychological processing deficits that interfere with academic achievement in spelling, writing fluency, and/or written expression (WE). Although there are multiple potential causes of WE SLD, there is a paucity of research exploring this critical academic skill from a neuropsychological perspective. This study examined the neuropsychological profiles of WE SLD subtypes defined using the concordance-discordance model (C-DM) of SLD identification. Participants were drawn from a sample of 283 children (194 boys, 89 girls) aged 6 years to 16 years old (M(age) = 9.58 years, SD = 2.29 years) referred for comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations in school settings and subsequently selected based on C-DM determined spelling, writing fluency, and WE SLD. WE SLD subtypes differed on several psychomotor, memory, and executive function measures (F range = 2.48-5.07, p range = .049 to <.001), suggesting that these children exhibit distinct patterns of neuropsychological processing strengths and weaknesses. Findings have relevance for differential diagnosis of WE subtypes, discriminating WE SLD subtypes from low WE achievement, and developing differentiated evidence-based instruction and intervention for children with WE SLD. Limitations and future research will be addressed.
authors: a School and Applied Child Psychology , University of Calgary , Calgary , Alberta , Canada.
authors: Melanie E
authors: ME
authors: Fenwick
authors: a School and Applied Child Psychology , University of Calgary , Calgary , Alberta , Canada.
authors: Hanna A
authors: HA
authors: Kubas
authors: a School and Applied Child Psychology , University of Calgary , Calgary , Alberta , Canada.
authors: Justin W
authors: JW
authors: Witzke
authors: a School and Applied Child Psychology , University of Calgary , Calgary , Alberta , Canada.
authors: Kim R
authors: KR
authors: Fitzer
authors: b Department of Psychology and Philosophy , Texas Woman's University , Denton , Texas.
authors: Daniel C
authors: DC
authors: Miller
authors: b Department of Psychology and Philosophy , Texas Woman's University , Denton , Texas.
authors: Denise E
authors: DE
authors: Maricle
authors: c Department of Educational Psychology and Leadership Studies , University of Victoria , Victoria , British Columbia , Canada.
authors: Gina L
authors: GL
authors: Harrison
authors: c Department of Educational Psychology and Leadership Studies , University of Victoria , Victoria , British Columbia , Canada.
authors: Sarah J
authors: SJ
authors: Macoun
authors: a School and Applied Child Psychology , University of Calgary , Calgary , Alberta , Canada.
authors: James B
authors: JB
authors: Hale
mesh_terms: D000124:Achievement; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012574:Schools; D014956:Writing
keywords: neuropsychological processes; specific learning disability; written expression