Similarities and Differences in the Learning Profiles of Adolescents with SLD and SLI in Mathematics-A Preliminary Analysis.

Eleni Bonti,Ioannis Diakogiannis,Paraskevi Tatsiopoulou,Maria Efstratopoulou,Maria Sofologi,Georgia-Nektaria Porfyri,Sofia Giannoglou,Afroditi Kamari,Georgios Kougioumtzis

doi:10.3390/brainsci11070850

Abstract

SLI and SLD constitute two independent neurodevelopmental disorders, which frequently cause challenges in the diagnosis process, especially due to their nature. This has caused disagreement among clinicians regarding their recognition as separate or overlapping disorders. The objective of the study was to enlighten the path of valid diagnosis and intervention during adolescence when the two disorders change their manifestation and overlap. Two hundred Greek adolescents (140 boys and 60 girls), 124 already diagnosed with SLD and 76 diagnosed with SLI, 12–16 years old, participated in the study. All participants were assessed in reading, oral and written language and mathematics (mathematical operations and mathematical reasoning) along with IQ testing. In order to determine statistically significant differences, the chi-square test, independent samples t-test, odds ratios and their 95 per cent confidence intervals were implemented. The results revealed that the SLI group presented significantly greater difficulties than SLD in their overall cognitive-mental profile and in most language and mathematical measurements (number concept, executive-procedural part of solving operations and mathematical reasoning). The similarity of the two groups was mainly detected in their deficient metacognitive, metalinguistic and metamnemonic strategies. The research concludes that SLD adolescents managed to overcome their difficulties to a significant degree, while adolescents with SLI still struggle with many learning areas.

Highlights

Specific Language Impairment (SLI) and Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) constitute two independent neurodevelopmental disorders, which appear to be directly associated, often causing challenges in the diagnosis process
As Catts et al [3] mentioned, according to the research traditions, the overlap between the two disorders attributed to three axes: firstly, in the presence of the same cognitive deficit, namely phonological processing, the severity of which, shapes the manifestation of the SLD and/or SLI; secondly, while there is the assumption that phonological deficit is common to both disorders, in the case of SLI, it coexists with other cognitive deficits that worsen oral language performance, as opposed to the corresponding SLD populations; the third research tradition explains the overlap revolving around the axis that SLD and SLI are separate disorders which often co-occur or comorbid
The current study investigated the cognitive/clinical profiles of two groups of adolescents, already diagnosed with SLD or SLI

Summary

Introduction

Specific Language Impairment (SLI) and Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) constitute two independent neurodevelopmental disorders, which appear to be directly associated, often causing challenges in the diagnosis process. Differential diagnosis is often a challenging task for clinicians, since the nature and manifestation of the two disorders pose obstacles in deciding whether it is the same language disorder or as two distinct [1,2] but overlapping disorders [3,4]. This overlap may be evident in several symptoms that children with SLD and SLI share, such as problems in reading comprehension, phonological processing, morph syntax or short-term memory deficits and in difficulties with rapid automatic naming [5]. As Catts et al [3] mentioned, according to the research traditions, the overlap between the two disorders attributed to three axes: firstly, in the presence of the same cognitive deficit, namely phonological processing, the severity of which, shapes the manifestation of the SLD and/or SLI; secondly, while there is the assumption that phonological deficit is common to both disorders, in the case of SLI, it coexists with other cognitive deficits that worsen oral language performance, as opposed to the corresponding SLD populations; the third research tradition explains the overlap revolving around the axis that SLD and SLI are separate disorders which often co-occur or comorbid

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