Neurofibromatosis and its relationship to school performance problems, learning disabilities, hyperactivity, and intelligence

Reports from professional suggest that Neurofibromatosis is associated with school performance problems and learning disabilities. The 92 children studied, ages 6 to 16, were participating in the Baylor NF Program and were representative of gender and race of the general population. A follow-up study involved a subset of 23 children. There were six significant findings: (a) children with NF scored significantly lower than expected on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children Revised (WISC-R) and Wide Range Achievement Tests (WRAT), (b) children with NF have a higher incidence of learning disabilities than the general population, (c) correlations using a cross-sectional population suggests the IQ's of children with NF decreased with the age, (d) IQ was related to severity average, (e) parents and teachers rated child behavior as significantly different on the Child Behavior Profile, and (f) disfigurement correlated with parent behavior ratings and attitudes on the Parental Attitude Research Instrument.