Developmental Dyscalculia

Question 1

co-morbity with

Answer 1

dyslexia, ADHD and dyspraxia

Question 2

time scale of

Answer 2

can be temporary or persistent

Question 3

tests

Answer 3

do not only measure ‘pure’ cases

Question 4

IPS

Answer 4

structural abnormalities in the IPS common in DD children but functional significance is not yet clear because behavioural data is missing

Question 5

non symbolic tasks measurement

Answer 5

numerical magnitude representation tasks (e.g. Dot comparing)

Weber fraction (w) gives indication of acuity of ANS

(conflicting evidence)

Question 6

symbolic tasks measurement

Answer 6

numerical magnitude representation tasks (quantities represented as Arabic digits)

Question 7

ANS definition

Answer 7

Approximate Number System - basic number coding system

Question 8

estimate in population

Answer 8

learning difficulty specific to mathematics claimed to affect between 1.3 and 10% of the population

Question 9

diff temporality of DD

Answer 9

‘Non Persistent Dyscalculia’: children diagnosed with DD who aren’t later.

This may be for a variety of reasons. Failing horribly in the first Maths test, motivation, or my be that they were lagging behind developmentally.

Persistent DC, on the other hand, is a stable cognitive disability, which may have a heritable biologic basis, a finding that has recently received support from a twin study of DC.

Question 10

definition

Answer 10

No generally accepted functional definition of DD but

Szucs and Goswami (2013) widest phenomenological level:

“persistently weak mathematical performance of developmental origin, related to the weakness of some kind(s) of cognitive function(s)”

Question 11

criteria range

Answer 11

People use cut-off criteria for maths ability ranging from the 3rd to 25th percentile.

Question 12

Possible way to define DD more specifically

Answer 12

Rubinsten and Henik (2009)suggested that the term ‘Mathematical Disabilities’ should be used as an umbrella term, while the term ‘DD’ should be reserved for core deficits of the number sense.

Question 13

Two major theories of DD

Answer 13

“defective number module” hypothesis

“Access deficit” hypothesis

Question 14

IPS research surprising because

Answer 14

(i) the behavioral deficits are heterogeneous
(ii) multiple problems are most common in most cases (co-morbidity)
(iii) different aspects of intact number processing are represented in different brain areas.