Neuropsychological Assessment of Adolescents with Learning Disabilities

Abstract

The background of the article is historical and cultural neuropsychology, which proposes analysis of learning activity from the level of its functional brain organization. Qualitative assessment of difficulties and functional analysis of syndromes permits to determine brain cortical and subcortical factors or mechanisms, which participate in fulfillment of different actions and operations of learning activity at school age. The objective of the present article is to contribute to consideration of ways and methods of neuropsychological assessment in cases of adolescents with learning disabilities and to share the opinion about the advantages of neuropsychological approach for the understanding of neuropsychological nature of learning disabilities in adolescents. Two cases of female adolescents with learning disability were included in the study. The scheme for neuropsychological assessment created for Spanish speaking patients was applied. Such kind of assessment permits to detect unique brain mechanism or factor responsible for pupil’s difficulties. The results have pointed out systemic difficulties in factors of motor sequential organization and regulation and control. Identification of concrete functional mechanism responsible for difficulties helps to obtain precise neuropsychological diagnostic of learning disabilities. The functional deficit of motor sequential organization and regulation and control and voluntary activity might be identified as possible reasons of learning disabilities and problems for realisation of intellectual actions in secondary school. We conclude that the methodology of qualitative analysis of neuropsychological syndrome proposed by Luria might serve as an example of usage of systemic approach for cases of learning disabilities in children and adolescents.