How Persistent is a Diagnosis of Mathematical Disorder at an Early Age? A Longitudinal Study

How Persistent is a Diagnosis of Mathematical Disorder at an Early Age? A Longitudinal Study

Authors

  • Annemmie Desoete
  • Frauke De Weerdt
  • Ruth Vanderswalmen
  • Annemie De Bond

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.28987/ijrld.v2i1.1846

Abstract

The study was conducted to look at differences between children who outgrew and did not outgrow an early diagnosis of mathematical learning disorder (MD;; n=13), and peers without MD (n=13). Children were tested at 5, 6, 7 and 10 years of age. About 54% of the children with an early diagnosis of MD still experienced mathematical difficulties at the age of 10. All 10-year-olds with MD still had more difficulties than peers without MD on fact retrieval. Seriation in kindergarten and spelling and reading pseudo words in elementary school, but not gender and intelligence, predicted whether MD was outgrown. Spatial span best predicted children outgrowing MD. Digit recall was a good predictor of persistent MD. Results emphasize the dynamic aspect of MD and the importance of assessing the numerical and central executive domain of working memory, as well as seriation, reading and spelling, in children at risk for MD.

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Published

2023-05-02

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