Dyscalculia

Question 1

Dyscalculia definition

Answer 1

When mathematical ability, as measured by individually administered standardised tests, is substantially below that expected given the person’s chronological age, measured intelligence and age appropriate information

Question 2

Dyscalculia Prevalence (Shalev et al, 2000)

Answer 2

3-6% of people worldwide. Understudied though

Question 3

Primary dyscalculia definition

Answer 3

Maths deficits stemming from an impaired ability to acquire these skills

Question 4

Secondary dyscalculia “pseudo-dyscalculia” definition

Answer 4

Maths deficits caused by external factors such as poor education or low socio-economic status

Question 5

Szucs and Goswami (2013)

Answer 5

P0rimary and secondary may be applicable to other conditions

Question 6

Early impairments in dyscalculia

Answer 6

• Difficulties dealing with quantities and numbers as a preschool child e.g. in number-rhymes, counting out
  loud, and playing board games
• Difficulties counting to ten before starting school
• Difficulties recognising small numbers of objects (one, two, or three objects) at a glance before starting school

Question 7

Later impairments in dyscalculia

Answer 7

Impaired arithmetic fact retrieval
Impaired basic number processing
Non-numerical deficits eg impairments in working memory and visa-spatial attention

Question 8

Mazzocco, Devlin and McKenney (2008)

Answer 8

Dyscalculics have impaired arithmetic fact retrieval

Question 9

Koontz and Berch (1996)

Answer 9

Dyscalculics have impaired basic number processing

Question 10

Geary (2004)

Answer 10

Dyscalculics have impairments in working memory and visa-spatial attention

Question 11

Kucian and von Aster (2015)

Answer 11

Dyscalculics often added extra 0s in the middle of words they hear, and often overestimate the number of objects they see

Question 12

Diagnosis of dyscalculia

Answer 12

Diagnostic evaluation must go beyond mathematical components to include a thorough personal, familial, and scholastic developmental history

Question 13

Shalev et al (2001)

Answer 13

Family disposition significant for parent-offspring, sibling-sibling and mother-daughter for diagnosis and significance for parent-offspring, sibling-sibling, mother-daughter, mother-son and father-daughter for performance in mathematical ability.

Question 14

Carvalho (2019)

Answer 14

Reviewed genetic foundations of dyscalculia. Only a small number of studies had been conducted and while some candidate genes were identified, none were confirmed in independent studies

Question 15

Price and Ansari (2013)

Answer 15

Reviewed neural basis of dyscalculia. Revealed Intraparietal Sulcus (IPS) is a key region and found that as a risk factor for dyscalculia.

Question 16

Landerl et al (2013)

Answer 16

High comorbidity between dyscalculia and dyslexia / reading difficulties and dyscalculia and attention deficits.

Question 17

Domain specific or domain general impairment?

Answer 17

Domain specific - an impairment in number processing and number sense
Domain general - a general cognitive impairment

Question 18

Von Aster and Shalev (2007)

Answer 18

Proposed 4 steps to number acquisition:
1. An inherited basic number sense based on a core representation of magnitude (i.e., the quantity to which a number corresponds)
2. The acquisition of number words during preschool
3. The learning of Arabic symbols in primary school
4. The development of a mature mental number line (MNL)

Question 19

Koontz and Berch (1996)

Answer 19

Dyscalculics have impaired magnitude judgements

Question 20

Price et al (2007)

Answer 20

Dyscalculics have larger numerical distance effects

Question 21

Van Luit and Toll (2018)

Answer 21

Examined frequency of cognitive impairments. Found dyscalculics had difficulties in:
1. Planning e.g. connecting randomly distributing stimuli in the correct order
2. Naming speed i.e. naming visually presented colours/ letters/numbers/objects
3. Short-term/ working memory i.e. remembering and storing verbal and visuo-spatial information
4. Attention e.g. focussing attention in order to match visual stimuli to some target stimuli

Question 22

Morsanvi et al (2018)

Answer 22

Examined whether dyscalculia is characterised by order processing deficits:
* Questionnaire of ordering behaviours
* Measures of working memory with order requirements
* Number ordering ability (i.e. are triads in the correct order)
* Annual ordering ability (i.e. are annual events in the correct order)
* Measures of magnitude, estimation, and inhibition

Question 23

Wang et al (2012)

Answer 23

Examined inhibition ad found significance with graph inhibition, number inhibition and word inhibition

Question 24

Agostini et al (2022)

Answer 24

Conducted a review of the literature on domain-general cognitive skills in children with mathematical difficulties and dyscalculia

Question 25

Kodosh et al (2013)

Answer 25

Reviewed different types of interventions used for improving numerical skills in dyscalculia
* Catch-up numeracy
* Computer based interventions
* Transcranial direct current stimulation

Question 26

Kodosh et al (2013) - Catch up numeracy

Answer 26

Children received 15 minute interventions each week for dyscalculia for one school term, along with no intervention and unrelated independent time with teacher. Found catch-up numeracy does help

Question 27

Computer based interventions

Answer 27

• Programmes adapt to children’s ability
• They may foster motivation and positive self-concept due to feelings of success
• Computers are an attractive medium for children

Question 28

Rasanen et al (2009)

Answer 28

Number race interventions resulted in improvements in basic numerical cognition, but there was no transfer to counting or arithmetic

Question 29

Fuchs et al (2006)

Answer 29

Found a computer intervention to improve addition, but there was no transfer to arithmetic story problems

Question 30

Butterworth (2010)

Answer 30

Transcranial direct current stimulation involves the application of a constant current, increasing tissue excitability, and it helps improve numerical skills, arithmetics and automaticity

Question 31

Kadosh et al (2010)

Answer 31

Some studies have found long-lasting effects of transcranial direct current stimulation

Question 32

Snowball et al (2013)

Answer 32

Studies have found transfer of benefits to non-learned tasks from transcranial direct current stimulation