Detection of neurodevelopmental diversity in memory clinics-Validation of a self-report measure.
A 15-item checklist lets adults in memory clinics self-report lifelong learning and attention disorders, helping you sort old wiring from new decline.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Seifan et al. (2018) built a 15-question yes/no form. Adults in memory clinics circle items like 'I was always behind in school.'
The team wanted a quick way to spot lifelong learning or attention issues. They tested if the form agreed with full neuropsych work-ups.
What they found
The short form matched the long tests. It flagged adults whose school and attention troubles started early and never went away.
Clinicians could now tell lifelong differences from new memory loss.
How this fits with other research
Kooijmans et al. (2024) extends this work. They showed that cutting long words and adding pictures helps adults with mild ID fill out self-reports. Use their tips if you give Alon’s form to ID clients.
Engel-Yeger (2024) used the same check-list method to build a sensory screen for ADHD adults. Both studies found three clear factors and good numbers, showing the 15-item frame works across traits.
Dawson et al. (2000) and Ramirez et al. (2007) came first. They built earlier ID tools with carers as reporters. Alon shifts the job to the client, proving adults can self-report if the items stay simple.
Why it matters
You now have a one-minute screen that separates life-long neuro-differences from new cognitive decline. Give it at intake, score in seconds, and decide if the client needs a full childhood-history interview or dementia work-up. Pair it with Roel’s plain-language tweaks when you serve adults with ID.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Neurodevelopmental learning and attentional disorders (NLAD) such as dyslexia, dyscalculia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affect at least 6% of the adult population or more. They are associated with atypical cognitive patterns in early and adult life. The cognitive patterns of affected individuals in late life have never been described. One main challenge is detecting individuals in clinical settings during which mild cognitive changes could be confounding the clinical presentation. This is a critical research gap because these conditions interact, across the life course, with an individual's risk for dementia. Also, learning disabilities which present in childhood pose persistent cognitive differences in areas involving executive function, reading and math. Clinicians lack tools to detect undiagnosed neurodevelopmental in adults with memory disorders. The majority of patients presenting at memory clinics today come from a generation during which NLAD were not yet clinically recognized. In this study, we hypothesized that a self-report scale can detect NLAD in a memory clinic population. METHODS: We developed a self-report, retrospective childhood cognitive questionnaire including key attributes adapted from prior validated measures. 233 participants were included in the primary analysis. RESULTS: Confirmatory Factor Analysis resulted in a best-fit model with six labelled factors (Math, Language, Attention, Working Memory, Sequential Processing, and Executive Function) and 15 total question items. The model demonstrated unidimensionality, reliability, convergent validity, discriminant validity, and predictive validity. Using 1.5 standard deviations as the cut-off, subjects were categorized into: Normal (n = 169), Language (n = 10), Math (n = 12), Attention (n = 10) or Other/Mixed (n = 32). CONCLUSION: A self-report measure can be a useful tool to elicit childhood cognitive susceptibilities in various domains that could represent NLAD among patients in a memory clinic setting, even in the presence of mild cognitive impairment.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2018 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2018.03.009