**1. Introduction**

86 Learning Disabilities

Strain, E., K. Patterson, and M. S. Seidenberg. 1995. Semantic Effects in Single-Word

Synthetic Research Institute of Elementary Education. 2005. Kyoiku Kanji no Yomi Kaki no

Taylor, I., and M. M Taylor. 1995. *Writing and literacy in Chinese, Korean and Japanese*. Edited

Uno, A, N Haruhara, M Kaneko, and T Wydell. 2006. *Shougakusei no Yomikaki Screening* 

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Wright, B. A., and S. G. Zecker. 2004. Learning problems, delayed development, and

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(5):1140-1154.

Benjamins Publishing.

*children*. Tokyo: Interuna.

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101 (26):9942-9946.

Naming. *Journal of Experimental Psychology-Learning Memory and Cognition* 21

by B. V. Street, L. Vol. 3, *Studies in written language and literacy*. Amsterdam: John

*Kensa [in Japanese] -- Screening test for reading and writing for Japanese primary school* 

Neuropsychological analyses of comorbidity between reading disability and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: in search of the common deficit. *Dev* 

puberty. *Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America*

Specific learning disabilities (LD) are a heterogeneous group of disorders that are manifested through significant difficulties in verbal expression-comprehension, reading, writing and mathematical reasoning and ability, and presumably stem from a dysfunction of the central nervous system (Lerner & Kline, 2006). The internationally established diagnostic criteria specify a delay of at least two years and two standard deviations below the mean performance on the skill value against the normative reference group. They also establish the subject must have a normal intellectual capacity and not suffer any associated developmental disorders that could account for her/his limitations or difficulties. Lastly, the subject must also have received adequate and normal schooling (American Psychiatric Association, APA, 2002; National Joint Committee of Learning Disabilities – NJCLD 1997). However, while these conditions are essentially conceptual and define LD as intrinsic to the individual and with a biological-genetic basis, they can coexist with problems in selfregulatory behaviors, social perception and interaction. They can also exist together with other disabilities, such as sensory impairment, mental retardation, severe emotional disorders or with extrinsic factors such as cultural differences or inadequate schooling. These factors, while not the cause of the LD, can influence its course (Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act – IDEA 2004. Public Law 108-446; NJCLD 1997).

If we focus on the latter perspective, which focuses on the environmental aspects, there is a proliferation of ecological models and, within them, it is common to find research tendencies that analyze the influence the specific people that make up the context for the pupil's development and difficulties (Jiménez & Rodríguez, 2008; Montiel, Montiel, & Peña, 2005; Pheula, Rohde, & Schmitz, 2011; Snowling, Muter, & Carroll, 2007; Shur-Fen, 2007). Current psychoeducational research is increasingly focusing on the contextual aspects of the factors that determine children's academic performance, studying the interrelation of the pupil's personal variables and those of her/his socioemotional context.

Several studies have focused on the mutual influence of the family of the child's difficulties. Some of the studies have pointed out that resilience and protection are a result of personal variables of the pupil and LD and the environment in which s/he develops, essentially the family. It is therefore to be expected that a family environment which provides emotional support, care and stimuli for the child with LD will promote her/his development, the opposite being true for disadvantaged environments (Alomar, 2006; Barkauskiene, 2009;

Interventions in Specific Learning Disabilities Through Families 89

Students: Raven; scores in Math, ESL and English. Parents: Parents' attributions and perception questionnaire.

Parents-teacher interviews. Test of Perception of Family Functioning (FF-SIL). Indicator System for the Diagnosis of Social Disadvantaged Children. Nonparticipant observation

Child behavior checklist. Involvement in child's learning scale. Feeling toward the

child scale.

research

Meta-analysis of

High-average group skills: parental factors mediate potential ability to predict performance; parents, more beliefs and expectations about children skills. For low ability students parental factors have a direct impact

School and personal factors related to the presence of LD. Family Risk factors: low level

High parental control and negative affect in children with multiple LD as opposed to a single LD and without LD. Mothers of children without LD positive affect and home involvement.

Differences in math skills among children from families with low socioeconomic status compared to those whose families are middle or

disadvantaged students enter school with fewer skills, unfavorable beliefs towards mathematics and receive less support-help at home. Socially deprived families are unaware of LD and their treatment, few resources for dealing with them and do not work in coordination with

upper class. Socioeconomically

teachers. Parents'

on performance.

of parent education, authoritarian educatiional styles, family dysfunction and alcoholism, violence, delinquency and marginality

*Objectives Participants Evaluation Results* 

780 families of students divided into high, middle and low cognitive abilities.

42 children with LD and 40 without LD, aged between 7 and 9 years

204 students, 8-11 years old; 102 LD.

Review empirical research.

Phillipson, 2010. Analyze relationship between parental factors, intellectual ability of students and their performance

Sabina, Sáez & Roméu (2010) analyze the existence of

differences between two groups of students (with and without LD) in relation to risk factors

dependent on themselves, school and family.

more LD

(2009)

Jordan & Levine

Review work on the relationship between mathematics learning difficulties in students and their families' socioeconomic status.

Barkauskiene, 2009. Knowing patterns of parenting practices and of showing affection of parents of students with one or

Bodovski & Youn, 2010; Dyson, 2010; Foley, 2011; Ghazarian & Buehler, 2010; Heiman, Zinck, & Heath, 2008; Marks 2006; Pérez, Ferri, Melià, & Miranda, 2007; Ruiz, 2001). Therefore, specific interventions aimed at promoting protecting factors and minimizing risk factors require identifying these prior to the intervention, contextually and in a wide sense. This enables a global intervention which fosters all the positive aspects and tries to reduce the negative ones.

Based on the above, the present research aims to offer a wide view of possible contextual interventions regarding LD in the home. In order to do so, we start by providing a detailed analysis of international research that has focused on the family as a means of improving the situation of children with LD. We analyze the main points of interest of these interventions, describing them in detail. We also analyze some procedures to stimulate families' collaboration in helping children with LD with their homework. Finally, we justify the need to work directly with parents, and suggest procedures or resources related to the development of programs for parents, support groups or associations that would be efficient in this respect.
