Learning Disabilities Research Center

本提案的目的是通过继续学习障碍（LD）的多学科研究中心，德克萨斯州学习障碍中心来回应RFA-HD-12-202。与RFA的目标一致，我们专注于定义和测量问题，执行功能，干预解决阅读理解，以及LD的神经生物学相关性。中心主题是，教学反应的评估操作化的LD结构的历史上突出的组成部分，“意想不到的成绩不佳，”这必须在儿童谁反应不充分的教学进行评估，建立一个可靠的和有效的分类LD，不充分的反应者应该从教学，神经生物学和认知的角度进行系统的研究。为了实现这些目标，我们建议继续一个多学科中心，包括四个项目和四个核心。项目1（分类和整合）继续通过评价实际数据和模拟数据，包括基于RTI的分类的可靠性和有效性，评价与LD相关的分类问题。项目1还继续实证综合干预反应（包括执行功能）和干预结果的相关性。项目2（执行功能）提供了一项测量研究，旨在解决神经心理学，认知神经科学和教育框架中执行功能模型的差异。并介绍了三个关于执行功能在阅读理解干预中作用的设计实验。项目3（干预）跟进了过去5年的干预研究，对有阅读理解问题的4年级学生进行了2项为期两年的随机对照试验。在研究1中，比较了语言/知识或技能/策略与商业作为商业（BAU）。研究2比较了混合干预，其中研究1的干预措施与执行功能元素整合，部分基于项目2中的设计实验。项目4（神经影像学）将提供结构和功能神经影像学研究的儿童谁反应充分和不充分的项目3干预，成像执行功能，文字水平和句子理解任务。这些核心包括行政服务核心（A）、服务核心（B）、数据管理和统计核心（C）以及评估和征聘核心（D）。

The purpose of this proposal is to respond to RFA-HD-12-202 by continuing a multi-disciplinary research center on learning disabilities (LD), the Texas Center for Learning Disabilities. Consistent with the goals of RFA, we focus on definition and measurement issues, executive functions, interventions addressing reading comprehension, and the neurobiological correlates of LD. The central theme is that assessments of instructional response operationalize the historically prominent component of the LD construct, "unexpected underachievement," which must be evaluated in children who respond inadequately to instruction, establish a reliable and valid classification of LD, inadequate responders should be systematically studied from instructional, neurobiological, and cognitive perspectives. To accomplish these goals, we propose to continue a multi-disciplinary center that includes four Projects and four Cores. Project 1 (Classification and Integration) continues to evaluate classification issues pertinent to LD through evaluation of actual data and simulated data, including the reliability and validity of classifications based on RTI. Project 1 also continues empirical syntheses involving the correlates of intervention response (including executive functions) and intervention outcomes. Project 2 (Executive Functions) provides a measurement study designed to address differences in models of executive functions from frameworks in neuropsychology, cognitive neuroscience, and education. It also introduces three design experiments on the role of executive functions in reading comprehension intervention. Project 3 (Intervention) follows up the previous 5 years of intervention research with 2 two-year randomized controlled trials of studies of Grade 4 students with identified reading comprehension problems. In Study 1, comparisons are made of Language/Knowledge or Skills/Strategies vs. Business as Usual (BAU). Study 2 compares a hybrid intervention in which the Study 1 interventions are integrated with and without executive functioning elements based in part on the design experiments in Project 2. Project 4 (Neuroimaging) will provide structural and functional neuroimaging studies of children who respond adequately and inadequately to Project 3 interventions, imaging executive function, word level, and sentence comprehension tasks. The Cores include the Administrative Services Core (A), the Service Core (B), the Data Management and Statistics Core (C), and the Assessment and Recruitment Core (D).