Learning Disorders and Disorders of the Self in Children and Adolescents

by Palombo, Joseph

• ISBN13: 9780393703771
• ISBN10: 0393703770
• Edition: 00
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2001-07-17
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company

Summary

This book presents a theoretically integrated conceptual framework, based on psychoanalytic self psychology, to understand and treat children and adolescents whose development has been derailed by learning disorders. It addresses the concerns of two audiences: psychotherapists who treat children and adolescents with learning disorders, and professionals, such as neuropsychologists, clinical and school psychologists, and learning-disability specialists, who are involved in the assessment and remediation of children's learning disorders. Taking as his starting point the principle that all psychopathology must be understood from a developmental perspective, Palombo conceptualizes disorders of the self as occurring at the intersection between the context within which the child is raised and the neuropsychological strengths and weaknesses he or she brings to that context. The desire for a cohesive sense of self and coherent self-narrative is a central motive organizing the child's development. When a child has a learning disorder and the relationship between the child's context and neuropsychological deficits is out of balance, the effects are seen in school performance, relationships, sense of self, and self-narrative. To illustrate his conceptualization, Palombo uses five common learning disorders: dyslexia, attention deficit disorder, executive dysfunction disorder, nonverbal learning disability, and Asperger's disorder. The probable effects of each disorder on development of the self are described, along with extensive case illustrations. The author then discusses treatment issues, including how and when to recommend psychotherapy, how to think about the treatment process, and how to work with the parents of a child with a learning disorder. It is inevitable that child therapists will see children and adolescents with learning disorders and that learning-disability specialists will encounter children whose self and relationships have been shaped by neurological deficits. With this interdisciplinary book in hand, these professionals will be able to understand and treat children with these complex disorders.

Author Biography

Joseph Palombo is founding dean and faculty member of the Institute for Clinical Social Work, Chicago, faculty member of the Child and Adolescent Psychoanalytic Therapy Program, Chicago Institute for Psychoanalysis, and research coordinator, Rush Neurobehavioral Center, Rush Children's Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center, Chicago

Table of Contents

Foreword	ix
Bertram J. Cohler
Preface	xiii
Introduction: Theoretical and Historical Setting	1	(24)
SECTION I: DEVELOPMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS
Learning Disorders and the Sense of Self	25	(18)
Learning Disorders and Self-narratives	43	(23)
Learning Disorders and Disorders of the Sense of Self: Disorders of Self-cohesion	66	(19)
Learning Disorders and Incoherent Self-narratives	85	(20)
Learning Disorders in Adolescence	105	(16)
SECTION II: DIAGNOSTIC CONSIDERATIONS
Dyslexia	121	(22)
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder	143	(20)
Executive Function Disorders	163	(28)
Nonverbal Learning Disabilities	191	(31)
Asperger's Disorder	222	(27)
SECTION III: TREATMENT CONSIDERATIONS
Deciding When to Treat	249	(11)
The Therapeutic Process	260	(23)
Working with Parents	283	(16)
Summary and Conclusion	299	(4)
References	303	(14)
Index	317