The case study in the opening vignette illustrates some of the important ways that neuropsychological disorders observed developmentally can differ from those observed later in life. In adults, the inability to read is often associated with damage to particular regions of the left hemisphere (see Chapter 8). However, in Dan’s case, no evidence of localized brain damage was apparent. Whereas adults with alexia acquired the ability to read and then lost it, Dan never could read with a reasonable degree of proficiency. Thus, cognitive deficits can have different origins and different neural correlates, depending on whether they were acquired in adulthood or during the process of development.
The case of Dan and children with other developmental disabilities helps us to realize that the brain is dynamically changing.
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