Impaired Cognitive Functions

 The thinking process can be divided into 3 main stages or phases. The lists below describe in detail the conditions of deficient or impaired cognitive functioning at each of these 3 stages. These are from Prof Reuven Feuerstein.

STAGE 1: INPUT STAGE

• Blurred and sweeping perception.

• Unplanned, impulsive, and unsystematic exploratory behaviour.

• Lack of, or impaired, receptive verbal tools which affect discrimination (e.g. objects, events, relationships, etc. do not have appropriate labels).

• Lack of, or impaired, spatial orientation; the lack of stable systems of reference impairs the establishment of topological and Euclidean organization of space.

• Lack of, or impaired, temporal concepts.

• Lack of, or impaired, conservation of constancies (size, shape, quantity, orientation) across variation in these factors.

• Lack of, or deficient, need for precision and accuracy in data gathering.

• Lack of capacity for considering two or more sources of information at once; this is reflected in dealing with data in a piecemeal fashion, rather than as a unit of organized facts.

STAGE 2: ELABORATION STAGE

• Inadequacy in the perception of the existence and definition of an actual problem.

• Inability to select relevant vs. non-relevant cues in defining a problem.

• Lack of spontaneous comparative behaviour or limitation of its application by a restricted need system.

• Narrowness of the psychic field.

• Episodic grasp of reality.

• Lack of, or impaired, need for pursuing logical evidence.

• Lack of, or impaired, interiorisation.

• Lack of, or impaired, inferential-hypothetical, “iffy” thinking.

• Lack of, or impaired, strategies for hypothesis testing.

• Lack of, or impaired, ability to define the framework necessary for problem-solving behaviour.

• Lack of, or impaired, planning behaviour.

• Impaired cognitive functions affecting the Elaboration level include those factors which impede the efficient use of available data and existing cues.

STAGE 3: OUTPUT STAGE

• Egocentric communicational modalities.

• Difficulties in projecting virtual relationships.

• Blocking.

• Trial and error responses.

• Lack of, or impaired, tools for communicating adequately elaborated responses.

• Lack of, or impaired, need for precision and accuracy in communicating one’s responses.

• Deficiency of visual transport.

• Impulsive, acting-out behaviour.

• Impaired cognitive functions at the Output level include those factors that lead to an inadequate communication of final solutions. It should be noted that even adequately perceived data and appropriate elaboration can be expressed as an incorrect or haphazard solution if difficulties exist at this level specifically.

THE IMPEDIMENTS CAN BE FURTHER DESCRIBED IN EXAMPLES BELOW ACCORDING TO EACH PHASE

INPUT FUNCTIONS - ENVIRONMENT AND OBSERVATION
The brain's ability to collect necessary, useful, accurate and adequate information
Sometimes the environmental stimulation is not sufficient, strong, explicit or clear (to the specific child). 

They may require a little mediation to decipher the signals from their environment. For example they may have weak information gathering skills via their sensory perceptions such as lack of observational skills, not being systematic or precise in their judgement

BRAIN PROCESSORS
The brain's ability to make connections and pathways
The child may not be ready to process the received stimulation. Their problem may not be in observation and deciphering signals, but in how to connect or process them for the required output. 

They may have what is called an episodic grasp of reality where they view each event or incident in isolation without making connection to anything prior.

OUTPUT FUNCTIONS

The brain's ability to communicate effective response

Sometimes the brain can decipher and process signals but lack the necessary function to provide an output that is effective and relevant, and pitched right. 

This is a very common problem in thinking skills development in young children. Some children miss the purpose or the desired output of their communication.