The Social Misperception Syndrome in Children with Learning Disabilities

Abstract

Family shortcomings or other intrinsic psychological deficits are frequently viewed as contributing factors to the social misperceptiveness frequently seen in children with learning disabilities. This article attempts to synthesize research defining the social problems of some children with learning disabilities. Particularly emphasized is the role of communication skills deficits. Breakthroughs in neurophysiology negate, to a large extent, traditional emphases on family dysfunction, school failure, or personality distrubances as primary causes of the social problems of some children with LD. Advances in vision and language research allow departure from the social paradigm of the "misperceptive syndrome" to consider constitutionally based hypotheses of neural dysfunction. Neural aberrations are viewed as triggering deficient language processing, which in turn may lead to unsatisfactory social interactions. Several correlates and characteristics of family, school, and environmental systems are discussed in the context of their impact on personality development and on changes in the life adjustments of both children and adults with learning disabilities.

Fathers’ Emotional Resources and Children’s Socioemotional and Behavioral Adjustment Among Children with Learning Disabilities

“…The majority of research on the socioemotional functioning of children with LD pinpointed the role played by their individual-level characteristics such as internal neurological factors (e.g., information-processing disorder, impulsivity, performance and production deficits) (Culbertson 1998;Spafford and Grosser 1993). Such factors were examined for their effect not only on these children's academic skills, but also on their social and emotional perceptions and interpretations which, in turn, may impair their social, emotional, and behavioral skills (see Culbertson 1998 for a review).…”

Phonological Awareness, Peer Nominations, and Social Competence Among Preschool Children At Risk for Developing Learning Disabilities

“…Only for research purposes may they be examined separately (Vaughn & Haager, 1994). Thus when considering children with learning disabilities, recognising the interplay between cognitive functioning and social competence in developmental models Preschool Children At Risk 93 (Crick & Dodge, 1994;Spafford & Grosser, 1993), it is imperative to examine the interrelations between both groups of factors-phonological awareness competence and social competence-for understanding children's functioning.…”

Understanding the causal mechanisms of visual processing problems: A possible biochemical basis for Irlen syndrome?

“…It was hypothesised that this abnormal distribution may lead to letter images in the peripheral vision competing with letter images in central vision (Grosser & Spafford, 1989), especially in a rapid eye movement task such as reading. Extra peripheral cones may lead to an expanded awareness of letters and words in the peripheral visual field (Geiger & Lettvin, 1987), which Spafford and Grosser (1993) suggested may also be aggravated by a deficit in the magnocellular subsystem, as discussed previously (Lovegrove et al, 1990), thus inhibiting the ability to erase visual images. Lewine (1997) …”

“…Levy, 1996;Silver, 1990). Cognitive processing deficits which are sufficient to cause dyslexia, for example, may also cause difficulties in interpreting social events and facial expressions, leading to behaviour problems (Bender & Wall, 1994;Semrud-Clikeman & Hynd, 1991;' Spafford &. Grosser, 1993), and such problems could be considered indicative of ADHD.…”