I Disturbi Specifici di Apprendimento e le patologie associate. Correlazione con i Disturbi Specifici del Linguaggio e altre psicopatologie dell’età evolutiva su un campione di bambini dell’Unità Operativa NPI di Via Sanzio a Milano
Federica Maino, Gian Vincenzo Zuccotti, Paola Orofino, Ivana Trizio
This work comprises a retrospective observation study aimed at investigating the relationship between Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) and other developmental age diseases, as far as both comorbidity and continuity are concerned. The study is based on a sample of children in the care of the Task Group NPI-UONPIA in Via Sanzio, Milan. The cases of diagnosed or suspected SLD (41 patients were diagnosed as affected by Specific Learning Disabilities) in care at the Task Group of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in Via Sanzio between January 2013 and January 2014 represent the subject of this study. From our research, a previous Specific Speech Disorder occurred in 34% of the cases of SLD diagnosed, in particular, it occurred in 75% of the cases diagnosed at High School.
Moreover, other comorbidities were identified in 21% of the cases of learning disabilities. The comorbidities observed were related to emotional and behavioural disorders and developmental coordination disorders. In particular, an increase in emotional and behavioural disorders was observed in connection to a late diagnosis, since they emerged in 4.76% of the SLD cases identified at Primary School and in 18.75% of the cases diagnosed at Middle School.
Keywords
Specific Learning Disorders, Speech Disorders, Comorbidity, Consequences of late diagnosis..
