Preventing and Understanding Math Disability

描述（由研究者提供）：汇聚证据（例如，Badian，1983年; Gross-Tsur，Manor，& Shalev，1996）揭示了4- 7%的学龄人口患有数学学习障碍（MD）。虽然这种患病率与阅读障碍相似，但针对MD的系统研究要少得多（参见Rasanen & Ahonen，1995）。这种相对忽视是有问题的，因为MD是一个严重的公共卫生问题，导致在学校和工作场所终身困难，并对社会造成经济负担。例如，即使在解释了智力和阅读之后，数学能力仍然可以解释就业、收入和工作生产率的差异（Rivera-Batiz，1992）。该项目的目的是增加对MD的了解并降低其患病率。我们的重点是算术数字组合（有时称为算术事实）：1位数操作数的加法和减法问题（例如，3+5; 9-2），答案可以直接从长期记忆中检索。数字组合是MD学生的标志性缺陷，被认为是其他数学技能困难的前兆和部分解释（例如，Fuchs等人，2006年）。数字组合赤字的研究主要集中在描述与无MD的学生群体之间的表现差异。对以下问题知之甚少：（a）从一年级开始对有MD风险的学生进行干预时，预防数字组合困难的潜力;（B）这种干预的适当重点和性质应该是什么;（c）是否可以预期纵向的维持效果;（d）是否可以预期短期和长期的向其他数学技能的转移效果;（e）在解释短期和长期数字组合和其他数学技能结果差异方面，领域一般能力与有缺陷的数字模块的相对贡献;以及（f）预测结果的儿童特征如何根据干预的性质而有所不同。拟议研究的目标是解决这些问题，从而改善MD人群的结局，并增加对MD的了解。这项研究与公共卫生的相关性：数学残疾（MD）是一个严重的公共卫生问题，有4- 7%的学龄人口患有这种疾病。MD会导致终身学习和工作上的困难，并给社会带来经济负担，即使在解释了智力和阅读之后，也会导致就业、收入和工作效率的差异。

DESCRIPTION (provided by investigator): Converging evidence (e.g., Badian, 1983; Gross-Tsur, Manor, & Shalev, 1996) reveals that 4-7 percent of the school-age population suffers from learning disabilities in mathematics (MD). Although this prevalence rate is similar to that of reading disability, much less systematic study has been directed at MD (cf. Rasanen & Ahonen, 1995). This relative neglect is problematic because MD is a serious public health problem, leading to life-long difficulties in school and in the workplace and creating financial burdens on society. Mathematics competence, for example, accounts for variance in employment, income, and work productivity even after intelligence and reading have been explained (Rivera-Batiz, 1992). The purpose of this project is to increase understanding about and decrease the prevalence of MD. Our focus is arithmetic number combinations (sometimes referred to as arithmetic facts): addition and subtraction problems with 1-digit operands (e.g., 3+5; 9-2) for which answers can be retrieved directly from long-term memory. Number combinations are a signature deficit of students with MD and are thought to be a precursor to and partial explanation for difficulties with other math skills (e.g., Fuchs et al., 2006). Research on number combination deficits has focused predominantly on describing performance differences between groups of students with and without MD. Less is known about (a) the potential to prevent difficulties with number combinations when intervention for students at risk for MD begins in 1st grade; (b) what the appropriate focus and nature of that intervention should be; (c) whether maintenance effects can be expected longitudinally; (d) whether transfer effects to other math skills can be expected in the short- and long-term; (e) the relative contribution of domain-general abilities versus a defective number module in accounting for variance in outcomes on number combinations and other math skills in the short- and long-term; and (f) how child characteristics that predict outcome differ depending on the nature of intervention. The goal of the proposed study is to address these issues and thereby improve outcomes for the MD population and increase understanding about MD. Relevance of this research to public health: Mathematics disability (MD) is a serious public health problem, with 4-7 percent of the school-age population suffering the disorder. MD leads to life-long difficulties in school and in the workplace and creates financial burdens on society, accounting for variance in employment, income, and work productivity even after intelligence and reading have been explained.