title: The prevalence of specific arithmetic difficulties and specific reading difficulties in 9- to 10-year-old boys and girls.
abstract: Data from an epidemiological sample (n = 1206) of British schoolchildren were used to estimate the proportions of 9- to 10-year-olds with specific arithmetic difficulties (SAD), combined with arithmetic-and-reading difficulties (ARD), and specific reading difficulties (SRD). Children in the sample contributed scores on separate tests of arithmetic, reading and nonverbal intelligence. Using a cutting-score approach, which took into account performance on all three tests, a small group of children with SAD (1.3%) were distinguished from larger groups with ARD (2.3%) and SRD (3.9%). Contrary to some previous reports, there were equal numbers of males and females within each of the two groups with arithmetic difficulties but a preponderance of males over females amongst the group with specific reading difficulties.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Lancaster, U.K.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Hitch
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Walker
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D004410:Dyslexia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D008433:Mathematics; D012737:Sex Factors; D014477:Underachievement