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Fulltext Mental health: special needs and education

Peters, Huberta

ASEAN Journal of Psychiatry, 2010;11(1):96-102.
MyJurnal

Objective: This review paper will be discussing on mental health of children and adolescents in Malaysia. Behavioural problems, academic failure and underachievement in school are common reasons for referral of children to the medical services. Epidemiological research has substantiated a possible seriously mismatch between the rates of child mental health problems across a broad spectrum and the number of children actually referred to existing services. These data suggest it is imperative in Malaysia to empirically investigate the present realities in the schools in regard to special education needs and their neglect. Methods: The present preliminary study is based on a literature review of epidemiological features of learning disorders and comorbidities using the Cochran library key word search. Available statistics for learning disorders from the WHO are compared with records for the
year 2007 from the Ministry of Education in Malaysia. Results: Findings of this comparison with international prevalence rates of learning disorders and related diseases show a sizable gap between real existing needs in Malaysia, and their perception. Based on quantitative estimates, the findings suggest that some 1.4 million children in Malaysia have mental health difficulties that interfere with normal functioning and development, but adequate services for intervention are largely not available. Conclusion: The present undersupply of adequate service for children with learning difficulties is aggravated by the lack of systematic developmental screening in early childhood in Malaysia. This status affects the outcomes and development of the general education system in efforts to meet challenges in the new century.

Matched MeSH terms: Learning Disorders
Fulltext 22q11.2 deletion syndrome in diverse populations

Kruszka P, Addissie YA, McGinn DE, Porras AR, Biggs E, Share M, et al.

Am J Med Genet A, 2017 Apr;173(4):879-888.
PMID: 28328118 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.a.38199

22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2 DS) is the most common microdeletion syndrome and is underdiagnosed in diverse populations. This syndrome has a variable phenotype and affects multiple systems, making early recognition imperative. In this study, individuals from diverse populations with 22q11.2 DS were evaluated clinically and by facial analysis technology. Clinical information from 106 individuals and images from 101 were collected from individuals with 22q11.2 DS from 11 countries; average age was 11.7 and 47% were male. Individuals were grouped into categories of African descent (African), Asian, and Latin American. We found that the phenotype of 22q11.2 DS varied across population groups. Only two findings, congenital heart disease and learning problems, were found in greater than 50% of participants. When comparing the clinical features of 22q11.2 DS in each population, the proportion of individuals within each clinical category was statistically different except for learning problems and ear anomalies (P

Matched MeSH terms: Learning Disorders/diagnosis*; Learning Disorders/ethnology; Learning Disorders/genetics; Learning Disorders/physiopathology
Fulltext Epilepsy with myoclonic absences

Manonmani V, Wallace SJ

Arch Dis Child, 1994 Apr;70(4):288-90.
PMID: 8185360

The cases are described of eight children, five of them girls, who had epilepsy with myoclonic absences. The mean age of onset was 4.9 years. Brief episodes of loss of awareness with bilateral clonic jerking of the upper limbs were associated with rhythmic 3 cycles/second spike-wave discharges on electroencephalogram. Generalised tonic-clonic or astatic seizures, or both, also occurred in seven patients. All now have learning difficulties, and seven have behavioural problems. Conventional treatment for absences was effective in only two children. Of six patients treated with lamotrigine, five have improved substantially, but only one is in sustained complete remission. One recently diagnosed patient continues to have frequent myoclonic absences. As the response to treatment and long term outcome are much poorer, it is important to differentiate myoclonic absences from typical childhood absence epilepsy.

Matched MeSH terms: Learning Disorders/etiology
Fulltext Nicotine-prevented learning and memory impairment in REM sleep-deprived rat is modulated by DREAM protein in the hippocampus

Abd Rashid N, Hapidin H, Abdullah H, Ismail Z, Long I

Brain Behav, 2017 06;7(6):e00704.
PMID: 28638710 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.704

INTRODUCTION: REM sleep deprivation is associated with impairment in learning and memory, and nicotine treatment has been shown to attenuate this effect. Recent studies have demonstrated the importance of DREAM protein in learning and memory processes. This study investigates the association of DREAM protein in REM sleep-deprived rats hippocampus upon nicotine treatment.
METHODS: Male Sprague Dawley rats were subjected to normal condition, REM sleep deprivation and control wide platform condition for 72 hr. During this procedure, saline or nicotine (1 mg/kg) was given subcutaneously twice a day. Then, Morris water maze (MWM) test was used to assess learning and memory performance of the rats. The rats were sacrificed and the brain was harvested for immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis.
RESULTS: MWM test found that REM sleep deprivation significantly impaired learning and memory performance without defect in locomotor function associated with a significant increase in hippocampus DREAM protein expression in CA1, CA2, CA3, and DG regions and the mean relative level of DREAM protein compared to other experimental groups. Treatment with acute nicotine significantly prevented these effects and decreased expression of DREAM protein in all the hippocampus regions but only slightly reduce the mean relative level of DREAM protein.
CONCLUSION: This study suggests that changes in DREAM protein expression in CA1, CA2, CA3, and DG regions of rat's hippocampus and mean relative level of DREAM protein may involve in the mechanism of nicotine treatment-prevented REM sleep deprivation-induced learning and memory impairment in rats.

Matched MeSH terms: Learning Disorders/metabolism; Learning Disorders/prevention & control
Fulltext Visual acuity and visual skills in Malaysian children with learning disabilities

Muzaliha MN, Nurhamiza B, Hussein A, Norabibas AR, Mohd-Hisham-Basrun J, Sarimah A, et al.

Clin Ophthalmol, 2012;6:1527-33.
PMID: 23055674 DOI: 10.2147/OPTH.S33270

There is limited data in the literature concerning the visual status and skills in children with learning disabilities, particularly within the Asian population. This study is aimed to determine visual acuity and visual skills in children with learning disabilities in primary schools within the suburban Kota Bharu district in Malaysia.

Matched MeSH terms: Learning Disorders
Impact of the special care dentistry education on Malaysian students' attitudes, self-efficacy and intention to treat people with learning disability

Mohamed Rohani M, Ahmad Fuad N, Ahmad MS, Esa R

Eur J Dent Educ, 2022 Nov;26(4):741-749.
PMID: 34939257 DOI: 10.1111/eje.12756

INTRODUCTION: Special Care Dentistry (SCD) education has been introduced in Malaysia, but there are limited number of studies about its impact to students. Thus, this study aimed to explore the level of students' readiness to treat people with learning disability (PWLD) based on their attitudes, self-efficacy and intention to treat.
METHODS: A questionnaire was developed based on the Dental Student Attitude to the Handicapped Scale, Scale of Attitudes to the Disabled Persons and Health Action Process Approach. The self-administered, validated questionnaire was tested for reliability (Cronbach's alpha = .71-.81), before being distributed to clinical dental students of both genders from two universities (University A, n = 176 and University B, n = 175). Quantitative data were analysed via t test and ANOVA (p

Matched MeSH terms: Learning Disorders*
Fulltext Comparison on testability of visual acuity, stereo acuity and colour vision tests between children with learning disabilities and children without learning disabilities in government primary schools

Abu Bakar NF, Chen AH

Indian J Ophthalmol, 2014 Feb;62(2):141-4.
PMID: 24008790 DOI: 10.4103/0301-4738.116481

Children with learning disabilities might have difficulties to communicate effectively and give reliable responses as required in various visual function testing procedures.

Matched MeSH terms: Learning Disorders/physiopathology*
Fulltext Clinical diagnosis and non-verbal ability of primary-one school children with LD

Toh, Teck Hock, Wong, See Chang, Muhamad Rais Abdullah

Int J Public Health Res, 2011;1(2):33-40.
MyJurnal

Introduction More school children were referred for learning difficutly (LD), especially after the introduction of LINUS sccreening programme by Ministry of Education Malaysia.
Aims To study the clinical diagnosis and non-verbal ability of primary-one school children with LD after paediatric assessment, as well as associated behavioural issues and socio-economincal background.
Methods Assessment findings by Paediatricians and Naglieri Non-Verbal Ability Test®(NNAT®) results of all primary-one school children referred in year 2010 with LD were studied retrospectively.
Results Ninety-three children were included (62.4% male), and 72.0% of them failed the LINUS screening programme. The commonest diagnoses were Borderline Intellectual Disability (ID, 37.6%) and Mild ID (19.4%). Other diagnoses included Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD, 11.8%), Specific Learning Disability (SLD, 10.8%), Autistic Spectrum Disorder (n = 5) and Severe Language Disorder (n = 3). Mean NNAT scores were 84.6 ± 11.8 (n = 85), of which 9.4% children scored less than 70 (

Matched MeSH terms: Learning Disorders
Fulltext Employment Experiences among Young Malaysian Adults with Learning Disabilities

Harun D, Che' Din N, Mohd Rasdi HF, Shamsuddin K

Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2019 12 23;17(1).
PMID: 31877917 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17010115

The aim of this study was to describe the employment experiences of persons with learning disabilities (LDs) in developing countries, such as Malaysia. Factors associated with respondents' employment were also determined. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among young adults with LD who left the special education programs in secondary schools in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor. Ninety young adults with LD, aged 18 to 25 years were interviewed face-to-face at an agreed upon convenient place on their working experiences after leaving secondary schools. A total of 13 respondents were excluded from the analysis because their intellectual quotient (IQ) score demonstrated a high possibility of intellectual disability with IQ estimation <70. Of the 77 young adults analyzed, 74.0% reported having work experience and 64.9% were working at the time of interview. Statistical analysis showed significant associations between individual, family, and community factors with respondents' employment. Two factors made a unique statistically significant contribution to the model (gender, p = 0.043 and adult service: Financial support p = 0.012). This study suggests the current school-to-work transition program at secondary and post-secondary schools should be improved to better prepare young adults with LD with necessary skills relevant for the current job market so that they could improve their employability.

Matched MeSH terms: Learning Disorders/epidemiology*
Fulltext Early intervention of preschoolers with speech and language impairments by parents as first teachers: a case study on four families in Kuching, Sarawak

Fadzillah AJ, Lee JAC

Journal of Cognitive Sciences & Human Development, 2017;3(1):1-10.
MyJurnal

Parental involvement during early childhood development is important especially when the child has learning disabilities. This research aims to study the effectiveness of parental-based speech training programs for preschoolers with Speech Language Impairments (SLI) in a localized setting. The method used was qualitative and data was collected from selected preschoolers (N = 5) with different types of SLI symptoms. Each participant was assessed using a standardized assessment protocol to measure his/her language scale. The participants were given the intervention program by their own parents using the Hanen’s It Takes Two to Talk program. The progress of each subject and observations from these sessions were documented. The participants were assessed again once the intervention had been implemented. Substantial results were achieved when all subjects showed improvements in language comprehension and production skills. These results highlight the importance of parental involvement as first teachers in the early intervention of children with SLI.

Matched MeSH terms: Learning Disorders
Fulltext A research review: how technology helps to improve the learning process of learners with dyslexia

Chai JT, Chen CJ

Journal of Cognitive Sciences & Human Development, 2017;2(2):26-43.
MyJurnal

Dyslexia is a language disorder that leads to difficulty with words and it is the most common type of learning disability. This article presents a systematic review on the current state of assistive technologies used in improving the learning process of learn-ers with dyslexia. A total of 25 journals articles and international conference papers published between 2000 and 2014 were included in the review. The research articles were collected from 12 databases and analyzed based on the qualitative cyclical pro-cess. A majority of the studies focused on children and adolescents. Four main themes on the types of technologies used in aiding the learning process of learners with dys-lexia are derived and discussed. These include text-to-speech, eye-tracking, virtual learning environments, and games. The text-to-speech technology is the most common type of technology used by learners with dyslexia. In terms of the roles played by the assistive technologies, another four emerging themes are identified, which cover the roles of aiding reading, writing, memory, and mathematics. The review also discovers that a majority of these studies focus on the use of technologies for improving the reading ability of learners with dyslexia.

Matched MeSH terms: Learning Disorders
Parent-Reported Health-Related Quality of Life Outcomes and Impact on Family of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Survivors After Repair: A Cross-Sectional Comparison to Healthy Controls

Rajasegaran S, Nooraziz AN, Abdullah A, Sanmugam A, Singaravel S, Gan CS, et al.

J Pediatr Surg, 2024 Apr;59(4):577-582.
PMID: 38160184 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2023.12.007

BACKGROUND: Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) survivors often experience long-term CDH-associated morbidities, including musculoskeletal, gastrointestinal and respiratory issues. This study evaluates parent-reported health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and family impact of the disease.
METHODS: Electronic medical records (EMR) were reviewed and phone surveys performed with parents of CDH survivors who underwent repair at our institution from 2010 to 2019. They completed the following Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory™ (PedsQL™) questionnaires: Generic Core Scales 4.0 (parent-proxy report) and Family Impact (FI) Module 2.0. Age-matched and gender-matched healthy controls from an existing database were used for comparison. Subgroup analysis of CDH patients alone was also performed. Appropriate statistical analysis was used with p

Matched MeSH terms: Learning Disorders*
Fulltext Perceived stress among malay caregivers of children with learning disabilities in Kelantan

Siti Nor Ismalina Isa, Nur Zakiah Mohd Saat, Syarif Husin Lubis, Muhammad Faiz Mohd Ismail, Ismarulyusda Ishak

Jurnal Sains Kesihatan Malaysia, 2016;14(2):69-77.
MyJurnal

Parents or caregivers of children with learning disabilities have been shown to experience increases in stress and greater negative caregiving consequences than those with typically developing children. The current study sought to assess the perceived stress among Malay caregivers of children with learning disabilities in Kelantan. The Malay version of Perceived Stress Scale 10 items was administered to a sample of 40 caregivers of children with learning disabilities who were registered to five Pusat Pemulihan Dalam Komuniti (PDK) in Kelantan. Higher scores indicate higher levels of stress. The caregivers had mean age of 47.68 (SD = 9.18) years old, of whom 90% were fathers or mothers. Ninety percent of them were married, majority were unemployed or housewives and had secondary school education. The majority of children with learning disabilities were males and half of them were Down Syndrome children. The mean total Perceived Stress Scale score of the caregivers was 16.77 (SD = 5.74). There were no significant associations between total perceived stress score and any of the independent variables. The mean total perceived stress score showed that the perceived stress level was in the category of slightly higher than average and health concern level was high, while the average stress level was between score of 12 to 15. In conclusion, this result indicated that the caregivers had slightly higher levels of stress than the average score, and might increase susceptibility to stress-induced illness.

Matched MeSH terms: Learning Disorders
The Internal Reliability of Family Crisis Oriented Personal Evaluation Scale (F-COPES) in Malay version among caregivers of individual with learning disabilities

Alwi N, Harun D, Omar B, Ahmad M, Zagan M, Leonard JH

Clin Ter, 2015 Nov-Dec;166(6):e361-4.
PMID: 26794817 DOI: 10.7417/T.2015.1901

Caregivers face challenges to adapt while handling individual with learning disabilities (LD). The Family Crisis Oriented Personal Evaluation Scale (F-COPES) is a widely used instrument to measure coping strategies among caregivers. The current study performed cross cultural translation of F-COPES in Malay language. This study aims to examine the reliability by testing internal consistency of Malay version of F-COPES which is developed through back to back translation method from original English version.

Matched MeSH terms: Learning Disorders
Thinking, learning and learning disabilities

Sinniah, Davendralingam

Malaysian Journal of Child Health, 1997;9(2):160-165.
MyJurnal

Thinking is something that we do all through our lives - an activity thcit possibly antedates our very birth itself Yet our children and we are not told about thinking or taught about the thinking process that dominates our lives, possibly, because of our own limited under-standing. Consequently, children are told to be logical and are discouraged from thinking differently, because it is the only type of think-ing we know and can understand. Methods of assessing their performance based on logical thinking underestimate their true potentials. The creative potentials of these children, 40% of who are right-brained need to be harnessed by approaches to learning that utilize methods of teaching and assessment, appropriate for their style of thinking. Another group of children, who need special attention, are those with learning disabilities that have been ignored, but can be corrected with appropriate programmes that provide a comprehensive approach to regular and special education.

Matched MeSH terms: Learning Disorders
Learning disabilities in children

Zabidi Azhar Mohd. Hussin

Malaysian Journal of Child Health, 1998;10(1):9-18.
MyJurnal

Learning disability occurs in 10-15% of children. It is manifested by an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, calculate or interact. It may be specific as in dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia or nonspecific learning disability. In the latter group, there may be under-achievement despite average or above-average-intelligence, slow learners and mental retardation. Factors that may cause learning disability include genetic abnormalities, antenatal and perinatal insults, abnormal growth and malnutrition in early childhood, parental mode of upbringing, poor opportunity for learning, physical illness and emotional and social problems. Meticulous history taking and physical examination is important to arrive at a proper diagnosis so that the most appropriate management is given, often involving professionals working as a team.

Matched MeSH terms: Learning Disorders
Fulltext Student learning disability experiences, training and services needs of secondary school teachers

Teoh HJ, Cheong SK, Woo PJ

Malaysian Journal of Psychiatry, 2008;17(2):1-14.
MyJurnal

107 secondary school teachers were surveyed to find out about their observations of children with learning disorders at schools. The respondents reported that the most commonly observed disorders involved difficulty paying attention, difficulty learning a second language, being fidgety and having difficulty sitting still, and having poor comprehension. They also indicated that whilst some children made fun of their classmates with learning disorder, others tried to assist their classmates. The most common reaction of parents was to send the child for lots of tuition, and to be very frustrated with the child. In addition, some parents neglected their children’s learning disorder, and many did not seem to realise how serious the problem was. When it came to the needs of teachers, the most common need that the teachers reported was to have the parents cooperate with them and to have support from the education authorities. The paper discusses the implications of these findings and proposes suggestions for dealing with the training needs of teachers working in the area of learning disorders.

Matched MeSH terms: Learning Disorders
Fulltext Quality of life and its influencing factors among physically disabled teenagers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Shamsul, A.S., Mohd Rohaizat, H., Muholan, K., Noor Zaiha, H., Ang, W.C., Sei, F.S., et al.

Malaysian Journal of Public Health Medicine, 2013;13(2):11-19.
MyJurnal

A cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2009 till May 2010 to determine the quality of life and factors influencing it among physically disabled teenagers. Data were collected from 59 physically disabled teenagers using guided questionnaire Short Form 36 (SF-36) and General Health Questionnaires 12 (GHQ 12). Quality of life among physically disabled teenagers is low for most domains of SF-36 as compared to the general Malaysian population. There was significant difference in quality of life among different races (mental health domain) and among different educational level and type of disability (physical functioning domain). There was no significant association between general health domain and other variables. Higher satisfaction in house, school and recreational environment showed a better quality of life. Higher stress level had a lower quality of life. Lack of disabled friendly environment at home, school and recreational places probably contribute to their quality of life. Schools and public places should have more disabled friendly facilities to improve independency and accessibility. Better education and training will increase their independence and enhance self-confidence. More attention and support at this age is important for them to develop interpersonal skills and character for their future.

Matched MeSH terms: Learning Disorders
Fulltext Prevalence and risk factors associated with malnutrition among children with learning disabilities: a scoping review

Nur Hamiza Ruzaini Hashim, Sakinah Harith, Raishan Shafini Bakar, Nur-Fazimah Sahran

Malays J Nutr, 2017;23(1):65-80.
MyJurnal

Introduction: By the end of 2015, about 72,152 children with learning disabilities were registered under the Malaysian Welfare Service Department (JKM). Malnutrition has been found to be a common setback among children with learning disability (LD). This study presents available evidence on the prevalence and risk factors associated with malnutrition in children with LD.

Methods: A framework suggested by Arksey & O`Male (2005) was used to carry out this scoping review. Published articles, reviews and reports were identified through a complete search. Inclusion criteria for the search were English articles related to LD, published from 2005 to 2016.

Results: Seventeen international studies published from 2005 until 2015 with a total of 318,596 participants and one study involving 281 participants from Malaysia, were identified and included in this review (n=18). The target age range of the sample in these 18 studies was 2 - 20 years, with a mean age of 3.2 - 14.2 years. The prevalence of underweight among children with LD was 3.4 - 36%, overweight 7.6 - 37% and obesity 5.7 - 52%. Several studies reveal that malnutrition risk among children with LD is significantly associated with gender, age, genetic syndrome, type of disability, medication used, and country economic status.

Conclusion: A number of studies show that children with LD have a higher prevalence of being overweight and obese than typically developing children and the risk associated with obesity significantly increases with age.

Matched MeSH terms: Learning Disorders
Fulltext Identification of two novel mutations, PSEN1 E280K and PRNP G127S, in a Malaysian family

Ch'ng GS, An SS, Bae SO, Bagyinszky E, Kim S

Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat, 2015;11:2315-22.
PMID: 26396515 DOI: 10.2147/NDT.S86334

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia, which can be categorized into two main forms: early onset AD and late onset AD. The genetic background of early onset AD is well understood, and three genes, the APP, PSEN1, and PSEN2 have been identified as causative genes. In the current study, we tested three siblings from Malaysia who were diagnosed with early onset dementia, as well as their available family members. The family history was positive as their deceased father was similarly affected. Patients were tested for mutations in APP, PSEN1, PSEN2, and PRNP. A novel variant, E280K, was discovered in exon 8 of PSEN1 in the three siblings. In silico analyses with SIFT, SNAP, and PolyPhen2 prediction tools and three-dimensional modeling were performed, and the results suggested that the mutation is probably a pathogenic variant. Two additional pathogenic mutations were previously been described for codon 280, E280A, and E280G, which could support the importance of the E280 residue in the PS1 protein contributing to the pathogenic nature of E280K. Additional ten family members were screened for the E280K mutation, and all of them were negative. Six of them presented with a variety of neuropsychiatric symptoms, including learning disabilities, epilepsy, and schizophrenia, while four family members were asymptomatic. A novel PRNP G127S mutation was found in a step-niece of the three siblings harboring the PSEN1 E280K mutation. In silico predictions for PRNP G127S mutation suggested that this might be possibly a damaging variant. Additional studies to characterize PRNP G127S would be necessary to further understand the effects of this mutation.

Matched MeSH terms: Learning Disorders

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