ENPAIR 2025

Current tools for diagnosing learning disorders focus on intellectual abilities while largely dismissing many socio-psychological dynamics. Moreover, other influencing factors that contribute to the development and maintenance of persisting and severe learning problems remain underexplored. While multiple studies are addressing this misconception, crucial aspects are frequently overlooked (Fischbach et al., 2013). At the same time, many explanatory frameworks remain highly specific and offer limited applicability to other cases. Hence, a comprehensive framework of learning disorder is yet to be found. The current investigation therefore proposes a new approach to the conceptualization of learning disorders from a psycho-pedagogical point of view, adapted from the network theory of psychopathology (Boorsboom & Cramer, 2013). To develop such a framework, literature was scanned and criteria were established to identify the core symptoms / factors (here nodes) of a leaning disorder, based on how often the same concepts were mentioned. Since external conditions can significantly differ across contexts, they are unsuitable as a foundation for broad conceptual generalizations. Therefore, these processes will be predominantly reframed in terms of their impact on the individuals’ internal effects. The concepts were tried to be as universal as possible, to allow for a general applicability across socio-economic status, culture, school system, or other external influences on the child. Clusters of concepts include cognitive abilities, motivational- and emotional processes, self-efficacy as well as fundamental needs. This investigation is part of a larger project that aims to develop a network model focusing on the interaction between learning disorders and behavioural disorders.

Keywords: Learning Disorders, Network Model, Comprehensive Framework

Literature
Borsboom, D., & Cramer, A. O. (2013). Network analysis: an integrative approach to the structure of psychopathology. Annual review of clinical psychology, 9(1), 91–121. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-050212-185608
Fischbach, A., Schuchardt, K., Brandenburg, J., Klesczewski, J., Balke-Melcher, C., Schmidt, C., Büttner, G., Grube, D., Mähler, C., & Hasselhorn, M. (2013). Prävalenz von Lernschwächen und Lernstörungen: Zur Bedeutung der Diagnosekriterien. Lernen Und Lernstörungen, 2(2), 65–76. https://doi.org/10.1024/2235-0977/a000035