Cognitive Assisted Assessment of Children With Learning Disabilities and Mental Retardation

Author(s)

Margaret Rose Santa Maria

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: Ribeirão Preto.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto (PCARP/BC)
• Defense date: 1999-05-17

Examining board members

Maria Beatriz Martins Linhares; Sonia Regina Fiorim Enumo; Silvia Regina Ricco Lucato Sigolo

• Advisor: Maria Beatriz Martins Linhares

Abstract

The present study had the aim of assessing aspects of cognitive functioning, in an assisted assessment approach, of children that were sent to psychological services with school learning disability complaint and classified as mild mental deficient. It was assessed 29 children ranging from 8 to 11 years old from first to third grade, with constraint-seeking questions with exclusion of alternatives and analogical thinking tasks. It was followed design by phases: initial phase without help, assistance, maintenance and transference. Based on the indicators of each task, it was realized a comparative analysis of the performance of the subjects in the different phases. It was detected variations of signs of potential recourses among the children, classifying them in: ?gainers?, predominant sub-group; ?high scorers? and ?nongainers?. It was also analyzed the cognitive operations presented in the resolution of the tasks and the behavior of the child in relation to the task. In one group relatively homogenized according to the psychometric classification of the mental level of the mental deficiency, the assisted assessment permitted to identify variation intra-group differing children that didn?t show efficiency in the problems solution, required much help and didn?t keep the performance after its suspension, from those ones efficient and transferor, which presented positive cognitive operations in the resolution of the tasks like: reflexive conduct, clear perception, comparative conduct, integrative perception, identification of relevance, logical enchainment of the questions and self correction. In general, the subjects presented positive behavior like: calm, fast, interested, participative, oriented, persistent, careful with the material, disposition and concentration in relation to the tasks. (AU)