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Preliteracy impairments in children with neurofibromatosis type 1

Shelley S Arnold1,2, Jonathan M Payne3,4, Jennifer Lorenzo1

  • 1Institute for Neuroscience and Muscle Research, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology
|April 19, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Young children with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) show significant preliteracy deficits, particularly in phonological awareness and memory. Early screening of phonological skills is recommended to predict future learning challenges.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a genetic disorder associated with cognitive impairments.
  • Early identification of learning difficulties in children with NF1 is crucial for timely intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess preliteracy abilities in young children with NF1.
  • To determine which preliteracy skills best predict conventional literacy (spelling) in this population.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study comparing 42 children with NF1 to 32 unaffected children.
  • Cognitive assessment included measures of phonological processing (awareness, memory, rapid naming) and letter-sound knowledge.

Main Results:

  • Children with NF1 performed significantly poorer in all assessed preliteracy domains.
  • Specific weaknesses were noted in phonological awareness, phonological memory, and letter-sound knowledge.
  • Letter-sound knowledge emerged as the strongest predictor of spelling ability.

Conclusions:

  • Preliteracy deficits are common and detectable in young children with NF1.
  • Screening for phonological awareness and letter-sound knowledge is recommended to identify children at risk for learning disorders.
Abstract

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