Specific problems in arithmetic in the brain-injured child

Abstract

This paper is based on my experience in teaching "exceptional chil dren" in my schools for children with learning difficulties. The majority of these children, ranging in age from 7 to 17 years, have been diagnosed as brain-injured, with varying degrees of educational retardation. We have found that the problems arising in teaching and in comprehending number concepts and processes are closely related to language, and suc cess depends largely on the child's ability to make adequate use of re ceptive and expressive language. Since many, of the characteristic learn ing difficulties of the organically damaged child are found to a milder degree in children with specific language disabilities,'" it is our hope that the methods of training which have proved helpful to the brain injured child may also prove of value to others with similar problems in arithmetic.