Comparative Study of Visual-Spatial Working Memory Perception in Normal Students and Students with special learning disabilities

Abstract

Background and Aims: Visual-spatial ability is a complex process involving several interconnected parts that develop with the development of working memory. These processes are performed by students with learning disabilities differently from normal students. The purpose of this study was to compare the visual-spatial perception of working memory between normal students and students with special learning disabilities. Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare visual-spatial perception of working memory between normal students and students with special learning disabilities. Methods: The research method was causal-comparative. The statistical population of the present study was all female and male elementary school students aged 10-12 years with math learning difficulties and dyslexia, and normal students in Khoy. The sample of this study consisted of 90 elementary school students, of whom 30 cases had math disabilities, 30 cases were dyslexic, and 30 cases were normal students. Students with learning disabilities were selected through available sampling in the Learning Disorders Center. Normal students were selected by random cluster sampling from Khoy schools. To diagnose and evaluate mathematical learning disability, the K-Mat test was used and the syndrome checklist was used to diagnose dyslexia. Corsi Blocks Task software was also used to measure the visual-spatial perception of working memory. The One-way ANOVA was used for data analysis. Results: The results showed that the difference between normal students, dyslexic students, and those with visual-spatial abilities was significant (F=10.11, p<0.001). However, there was no significant difference between students with math disorder and dyslexia in the visual-spatial ability of working memory (P> 0.34). Conclusion: Students with math learning difficulties and dyslexia had poor performance in the visual-spatial perception of working memory compared to normal students.