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In This Article

  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Introduction
  • Protocol
  • Representative Results
  • Discussion
  • Disclosures
  • Acknowledgements
  • Materials
  • References
  • Reprints and Permissions

Summary

BM-PROMA is a valid and reliable multimedia diagnostic tool that can provide a complete cognitive profile of children with mathematical learning disabilities.

Abstract

Learning mathematics is a complex process that requires the development of multiple domain-general and domain-specific skills. It is therefore not unexpected that many children struggle to stay at grade level, and this becomes especially difficult when several abilities from both domains are impaired, as in the case of mathematical learning disabilities (MLD). Surprisingly, although MLD is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders affecting schoolchildren, most of the diagnostic instruments available do not include assessment of domain-general and domain-specific skills. Furthermore, very few are computerized. To the best of our knowledge, there is no tool with these features for Spanish-speaking children. The purpose of this study was to describe the protocol for the diagnosis of Spanish MLD children using the BM-PROMA multimedia battery. BM-PROMA facilitates the evaluation of both skill domains, and the 12 tasks included for this purpose are empirically evidence-based. The strong internal consistency of BM-PROMA and its multidimensional internal structure are demonstrated. BM-PROMA proves to be an appropriate tool for diagnosing children with MLD during primary education. It provides a broad cognitive profile for the child, which will be relevant not only for diagnosis but also for individualized instructional planning.

Introduction

One of the crucial objectives of primary education is the acquisition of mathematical skills. This knowledge is highly relevant, as we all use mathematics in our everyday lives, for example, to calculate change given at the supermarket1,2. As such, the consequences of poor mathematical performance go beyond the academic. At the social level, a strong prevalence of poor mathematical performance within the population constitutes a cost to society. There is evidence that improvement of poor numerical skills in the population leads to significant savings for a country3. There are also negat....

Protocol

This protocol was conducted in accordance with the guidelines provided by the Comité de Ética de la Investigación y Bienestar Animal (Research Ethics and Animal Welfare Committee, CEIBA), Universidad de La Laguna.

NOTE: The Batería multimedia para la evaluación de habilidades cognitivas y básicas en matemáticas [Multimedia Battery for Assessment of Cognitive and Basic Skills in Mathematics (BM-PROMA)]61 was developed .......

Representative Results

In order to test the utility and effectiveness of this diagnostic tool, its psychometric properties were analyzed in a large-scale sample. A total of 933 Spanish primary school students (boys = 508, girls = 425; Mage = 10 years, SD = 1.36) from grade 2 to grade 6 (grade 2, N = 169 [89 boys]; grade 3, N = 170 [89 boys]; grade 4, N = 187 [106 boys]; grade 5, N = 203 [113 boys]; grade 6, N= 204 [110 boys]) participated in the study. The children were .......

Discussion

Children with MLD are at risk not only of academic failure but also of psycho-emotional and health disorders8,9 and, later on, of employment deprivation4,5. Thus, it is crucial to diagnose MLD promptly in order to provide the educational support that these children need. However, diagnosing MLD is complex due to the multiple domain-specific and domain-general skill deficits that underlie the disorder

Disclosures

The authors listed above certify there are no financial interests or other conflicts of interest associated with the present study.

Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge the support of the Spanish government through its Plan Nacional I+D+i (R+D+i National Research Plan, Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness), project ref: PET2008_0225, with the second author as principal investigator; and CONICYT-Chile [FONDECYT REGULAR Nº 1191589], with the first author as principal investigator. We also thank the Unidad de Audiovisuales ULL team for their participation in the production of the video.

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Materials

NameCompanyCatalog NumberComments
Multimedia Battery for Assessment of Cognitive and Basic Skills in MathsUniversidad de La LagunaPending assignmentBM-PROMA

References

  1. Henik, A., Gliksman, Y., Kallai, A., Leibovich, T. Size Perception and the Foundation of Numerical Processing. Current Directions in Psychological Science. 26 (1), 45-51 (2017).
  2. Henik, A., Rubinsten, O., Ashkenazi, S. The "where" and "what" i....

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