Assessment of learning disabilities among a pharmacy student population

American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, Spring 1999 by Boyd, James A, McKenzie, Constance A, Holmes, Thomas J Jr

Assessment of Learning Disabilities Among a Pharmacy Student Population1

American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy GAPS funding provided support to screen 214 pharmacy students enrolled in a Doctor of Pharmacy Program for dyslexia and other learning disabilities. The results have substantial implications for teaching, testing, and student performance in schools of pharmacy. In its simplest definition, dyslexia is "word difficulty." Recent studies indicate that this condition can also involve numbers and symbols, as well as words and letters. This study was designed to detect dyslexia as well as other learning disabilities included under the term "information processing variations." It seems logical that not all individuals receive, process, send, or recall information in the same way or with the same speed, yet our educational methods tend to expect and demand this of students. Learning disabilities have been reported to occur with varying degrees and with varying compensatory mechanisms in approximately 15 percent of all children in the United States. Results from our preliminary study utilizing a broad assessment corroborated these findings among pharmacy students. The student's individual performance on each visual and auditory test was ranked among all students from lowest to highest. Statistical analysis of all objective tests was completed using SPSS for Windows (release 6.0). Extreme values (widely variant) were recorded for individual tests. Thirty-four students (15.9 percent) of the 214 tested had one or more test scores in the "extreme" value range. Studies at the New York University College of Dentistry also have found a similar frequency of occurrence among their professional student population further supporting the value and necessity of assessing health profession students for learning disabilities.

INTRODUCTION

Anecdotal support for the relevance and utility of the methods being applied can be inferred from the following individual case which arose in our trial study.

A third year student had a cumulative GPA of about 2.0 on a 4.0 system and was on academic probation. After the first exams in four courses during the first semester of the third professional year, all of this student's scores were in the 50 to 60 percent range. The disability screen indicated strong auditory skills, but poor visual memory abilities. The student was given the opportunity to take subsequent exams in a room where he could read each exam aloud. Exam scores in all four classes increased into the 70 to 80 percent range. By the end of the semester all of the student's grades were in the C-range which was a marked improvement from the beginning of the semester. The student's subsequent performance in clerkship activities was above average.

A singular definition of the term "dyslexia" has been difficult to achieve(2). However, there is agreement about the vast individual differences that are possible in visual perception and processing, fine motor function, and auditory perception and processing among students(3,4). In its simplest definition, dyslexia is "word blindness"(5). Recent studies indicate that this condition can also involve numbers and symbols, as well as words and letters(6,7). This study was designed to detect "dyslexia" as well as other learning disabilities that are directly related to how individuals process information. There are numerous other learning mechanism disabilities in addition to dyslexia(8).

Learning disabilities in reading, spelling, and arithmetic occur with varying degrees and with varying compensatory mechanisms in approximately 15 percent of all children in the United States(9). Results from our preliminary study corroborated this incidence among pharmacy students(10). Parallel studies at the New York University (NYU) College of Dentistry also have found similar frequencies in their student population2-4. The number of learning disabled students entering college has grown dramatically over the last decade and this growth may reasonably be expected to continue(11,12). The legal implications and obligations defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act as they apply to medical education have been described in some detail(13-15). Our studies reported herein support the fact that not all individuals receive, process, send or recall information in the same way or with the same speed, yet our academic environment tends to demand this of students.

METHODS AND PROCEDURES

Screening Instrument. The two-hour screening instrument was developed by the collaborative efforts of many individuals. Drake, then a graduate student at Harvard University, developed the initial screening tool as part of his doctoral dissertation.4 After completing his doctoral studies he started a private school for the learning disabled, now LANDMARK College and LANDMARK Schools. One portion of the screening instrument, Berea, is a modification of an exam (Gestalt) used during World War II in the testing of individuals for officer candidacy(16,17). Other portions of the screening battery are widely utilized, unfortunately the documentation of their validity comes from unpublished studies. Portions of the screening instrument are extensively employed in the LANDMARK Schools programs.