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NICHD Establishes New
Branch for Study of Learning Disabilities
The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) within
the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently established a new branch
to reflect the growth and contributions of NICHD research in learning disabilities
and developmental psychology and to provide a context for continued development
in these areas. The new branch is The Learning Disabilities, Cognitive,
and Social Development Branch.
Neuropsychologist Dr. G. Reid Lyon serves as Branch Chief and Dr. Sarah Friedman
serves as Health Scientist Administrator and Cognitive/Developmental Psychologist.
Dr. Lyon is responsible for the development and management of research programs
in learning disabilities, dyslexia, language development and disorders, disorders
of attention, and develop-mental neuroimaging. Dr. Friedman is responsible
for the NICHD study of Early Childcare and research programs addressing cognitive,
affective, and social development in children.
The newly established Branch:
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develops, conducts, and supports research and research training programs
in developmental psychology (cognitive, affective, and social development),
cognitive psychology, cognitive neuroscience, developmental neuropsychology,
and educational psychology;
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promotes studies to define, classify, and map the developmental course of
specific learning disabilities and disorders of attention;
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elucidates the etiological role of cognitive, linguistic, perceptual, educational,
genetic, social, and neurobiological mechanisms in dyslexia, learning disabilities,
language disorders, and disorders of attention;
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investigates the effects of well defined treatment interventions on specific
types of learning disabilities and differences;
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supports studies designed to understand the development of attention, reasoning,
planning, problem solving, and concept formation in children;
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delineates the effects of motivation, emotion, societal, cultural, familial,
and neurobiological influences on social, emotional, and cognitive development;
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examines the effects of parental and non-parental care on social, emotional,
and cognitive developmental outcomes; and
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investigates temperament, motivation, self-concept, attitudes, and values,
and their relationship to development.
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