Cognitive Mechanisms Underlying Achievement Deficits in Children with Mathematical Learning Disability

Overview

Journal Child Dev

Specialty Pediatrics

Date 2007 Jul 26

PMID 17650142

Citations 149

Authors

David C Geary

Mary K Hoard

Jennifer Byrd-Craven

Lara Nugent

Chattavee Numtee

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Using strict and lenient mathematics achievement cutoff scores to define a learning disability, respective groups of children who are math disabled (MLD, n=15) and low achieving (LA, n=44) were identified. These groups and a group of typically achieving (TA, n=46) children were administered a battery of mathematical cognition, working memory, and speed of processing measures (M=6 years). The children with MLD showed deficits across all math cognition tasks, many of which were partially or fully mediated by working memory or speed of processing. Compared with the TA group, the LA children were less fluent in processing numerical information and knew fewer addition facts. Implications for defining MLD and identifying underlying cognitive deficits are discussed.

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