Specific learning disability in mathematics: a comprehensive review

Abstract

Math skills are necessary for success in the childhood educational and future adult work environment. This article reviews the changing terminology for specific learning disabilities (SLD) in math and describes the emerging genetics and neuroimaging studies that relate to individuals with math disability (MD). It is important to maintain a developmental perspective on MD, as presentation changes with age, instruction, and the different models (educational and medical) of identification. Intervention requires a systematic approach to screening and remediation that has evolved with more evidence-based literature. Newer directions in behavioral, educational and novel interventions are described.

Longitudinal Effects of the Home Learning Environment and Parental Difficulties on Reading and Math Development Across Grades 1–9

“…Having a parent with reading difficulties, for example, increases the risk of children developing similar problems by up to 66% ( van Bergen et al, 2014a ; Hulme et al, 2015 ; Torppa et al, 2015 ; Esmaeeli et al, 2019 ). Significantly less is known about familial risk (FR) for mathematical difficulties (e.g., Soares et al, 2018 ). FR acts via genes, but environmental factors have been shown to play an important role in the development of both reading ( Evans and Shaw, 2008 ; Mol and Bus, 2011 ; Manolitsis et al, 2013 ) and mathematical skills ( Dunst et al, 2017 ; Daucourt, 2019 ).…”

“…To this end, we include FR for both reading and mathematics and examine the effects of both within-domain and cross-domain FR on reading and mathematical development. Although multiple studies have established that FR for reading difficulties is among the strongest predictors for dyslexia ( Scarborough, 1990 ; Pennington and Lefly, 2001 ; van Bergen et al, 2014a ; Torppa et al, 2015 ; Esmaeeli et al, 2019 ), so far, only few studies have suggested that the same is true for dyscalculia ( Shalev and Gross-Tsur, 2001 ; Soares et al, 2018 ). In addition, unlike most studies, we include the parental reading and mathematical difficulties of both mothers and fathers in our analysis to examine if the effects of having one parent with difficulties are different from the effects of having both parents with difficulties.…”

“…In this study, we estimate three different models: for reading fluency, for reading comprehension, and for arithmetic fluency based on our hypothesized models. In view of the research reviewed above, we constructed our hypothesized models (see Figure 1 for the model of reading fluency; other models were estimated with the same logic) with the expectation to find the following: (1) paths from parental reading difficulties ( Pennington and Lefly, 2001 ; Torppa et al, 2011 ; van Bergen et al, 2012 ; Hulme et al, 2015 ) and parental mathematical difficulties ( Shalev and Gross-Tsur, 2001 ; Soares et al, 2018 ) to the respective skills in children; (2) cross-domain paths from parental mathematical difficulties to children’s reading skills and from parental reading difficulties to children’s mathematical skills ( Landerl and Moll, 2010 ; Moll et al, 2015 ); (3) paths from HLE and HNE to both respective and cross-domain skills in children ( Melhuish et al, 2008 ; Anders et al, 2012 ; Kleemans et al, 2012 ; Baker, 2014 ; Napoli and Purpura, 2018 ); (4) paths from parental education to children’s skills ( Torppa et al, 2006 ; Hamilton et al, 2016 ; van Bergen et al, 2017 ); (5) paths from parental education to HLE and HNE ( Hamilton et al, 2016 ); and (6) paths from FR to the home environment ( Scarborough et al, 1991 ; Bus et al, 1995 ; Elbro et al, 1998 ; Snowling, 2000 ; Hamilton et al, 2016 ; Esmaeeli et al, 2019 ), including also the examination of the indirect relationships (FR → home environment → children’s skills), as Esmaeeli et al (2019) argued that these paths need to be tested in future studies. Finally, we expected that the paths to later skill assessments run through the early skill assessments.…”

The Identification of Students with Specific Learning Disability (SLD) in Subtype of Math Skill Through Response to Intervention Model

“…The effectiveness of interventions with appropriate instructions given affect to students outcome. The combination and differentiation of instruction at secondary intervention such as heuristics and visual representation have a greater effect and impact on the results that some students were identified with SLD on sub-type of math skill (Bjorn., PM, Aro., Mikko., Koponen., T, Fuchs., LS, Fuchs., D, 2018;Soares. N., T.…”

“…It will interfere with learning and academic function and these deficits can also lead to emotional and/or behavior problems (Benson, N., & Newman, I, 2010;Backenson., EM Holland., SC, Kubas., HA, Fitzer., KR, Wilcox., G, Carmichael., JA, Fraccaro., RL, Smith., AD, Macoun., SJ, Harrison., GL, Hale., JB, 2015;McDowell., M, 2018). Therefore, it is necessary to identify in advance whether these children can be classified as SLD or not then the right intervention would be provided to achieve the learning targets expected by the school (Fuchs., D, 2012;Reeder., S, 2014;Soares., N, T. Evans., DR.…”