Abstract
Context: The aim was to further understand the heterogeneity of developmental dyscalculia (DD). Utilizing four children (8-9 year-old) performance was contrasted against predominant hypotheses of DD. Case report: Despite showing similar mathematical deficits, these children showed remarkable inter-individual variability regarding cognitive profile and deficits. Two cases were consistent with the approximate number system deficit account, and the general magnitude-processing deficit account. One case had an access deficit in combination with a general cognitive deficit. One cases suffered from general cognitive deficits only. Conclusion: The results showed that DD cannot be attributed to a single explanatory factor. These findings support a multiple deficits account of DD and suggest that some cases have multiple deficits, whereas other cases have a single deficit. We discuss a previously proposed distinction between primary DD and secondary DD, and suggest hypotheses of dysfunctional neurocognitive correlates responsible for the displayed deficits.
Highlights
More attention is being directed towards identifying the neurocognitive profile and origins of developmental dyscalculia (DD), a specific learning disorder characterized by severe impairments in acquiring mathematical competency [1]
The aim of the present paper was to expand our knowledge regarding the origin(s) of DD, by testing the main core deficit accounts previously described in relation to four cases of DD with similar profiles of mathematical deficits
The aim of the present study was to further understand the heterogeneity of DD, by testing the main core deficit accounts in relation to four cases of DD with similar profiles of mathematical deficits
Summary
More attention is being directed towards identifying the neurocognitive profile and origins of developmental dyscalculia (DD), a specific learning disorder characterized by severe impairments in acquiring mathematical competency [1]. It has been known for quite some time that children show different kinds of mathematical difficulties [2]. It is increasingly recognized that DD is heterogeneous and the observed phenotype(s) might be caused by a multitude of underlying neurocognitive causal factors [3,4,5]. Determining these specific causal factors is further complicated by frequent comorbidities, such as ADHD or dyslexia [6]. Primary DD is characterized by a severe deficit in numerical or arithmetic functioning, caused by different underlying biological factors. Even primary DD may be subject to further subtyping, dependent on different underlying factors
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