Cognitive Performance of Students with Learning Disabilities: A Meta-Analysis of the Literature

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the cognitive performance of students having learning disabilities with typical students and students with other similar disabilities (at-risk students and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). This study also investigated how the groups’ cognitive performance differs based on subtypes of cognitive performances (working memory, information process, metacognition, cognitive flexibility) and specific learning disabilities (reading, mathematics). Method: This study included a total of 19 studies published in South Korea between 1994 and 2015. This study applied a Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software program to analyze the data. Results: First, students with learning disabilities had significantly low cognitive performance on most cognitive measures compared with typical students and at-risk students. Second, students with learning disabilities and students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) did not demonstrate significant differences on most cognitive measures. Lastly, regarding the comparison based on specific learning disabilities, students with reading and mathematics learning disabilities did not show significant cognitive differences. Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrated the role of cognitive variables in identifying learning disabilities and suggested there needs to be a consideration of the limited cognitive performance of students with learning disabilities when developing intervention programs.