Skip to main content
Article
Language, reading, and math learning profiles in an epidemiological sample of school age children.
PLoS One
  • Lisa M D Archibald, School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, the University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada & Department of Psychology, the University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
  • Janis Oram Cardy, School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, the University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
  • Marc F Joanisse, Department of Psychology, the University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
  • Daniel Ansari, Department of Psychology, the University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2013
URL with Digital Object Identifier
10.1371/journal.pone.0077463
Disciplines
Abstract

Dyscalculia, dyslexia, and specific language impairment (SLI) are relatively specific developmental learning disabilities in math, reading, and oral language, respectively, that occur in the context of average intellectual capacity and adequate environmental opportunities. Past research has been dominated by studies focused on single impairments despite the widespread recognition that overlapping and comorbid deficits are common. The present study took an epidemiological approach to study the learning profiles of a large school age sample in language, reading, and math. Both general learning profiles reflecting good or poor performance across measures and specific learning profiles involving either weak language, weak reading, weak math, or weak math and reading were observed. These latter four profiles characterized 70% of children with some evidence of a learning disability. Low scores in phonological short-term memory characterized clusters with a language-based weakness whereas low or variable phonological awareness was associated with the reading (but not language-based) weaknesses. The low math only group did not show these phonological deficits. These findings may suggest different etiologies for language-based deficits in language, reading, and math, reading-related impairments in reading and math, and isolated math disabilities.

Citation Information
Lisa M D Archibald, Janis Oram Cardy, Marc F Joanisse and Daniel Ansari. "Language, reading, and math learning profiles in an epidemiological sample of school age children." PLoS One Vol. 8 Iss. 10 (2013) p. 77463 - 77463
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/daniel-ansari/85/