[Is a specific disorder of arithmetic skills as common as reading/spelling disorder?].
BACKGROUND
Referring to the prevalence rates of learning disorders in the research literature, the numbers of mathematics disorder and reading/spelling disorder are often reported to be identical. However, the correlation between intelligence level and reading/spelling skills is much weaker than between intelligence and arithmetic skills. If the same definition criterion is applied to both disorders, a lower prevalence rate for mathematics disorder should be expected.


OBJECTIVE
Are there differences in the prevalence estimates for learning disorders depending on the definition criterion?


METHODS
A large representative sample of German students (N=1970) was used to review the hypothesis.


RESULTS
Depending on the definition criterion, we could show a prevalence range of mathematics disorder between 0.1% and 8.1% in the same sample. Using the same definition criterion for both learning disorders, there are two to three times as many students with reading/spelling disorder than those with mathematics disorder.


CONCLUSIONS
Whenever children with reading/spelling disorder are compared to children with mathematics disorder, the same definition criterion has to be applied.
Wyschkon
Anne
A
Lehrstuhl für Klinische Psychologie/Psychotherapie, Universität Potsdam, Potsdam-Golm. awysch@uni-potsdam.de
Kohn
Juliane
J
Ballaschk
Katja
K
Esser
Günter
G
D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D004410:Dyslexia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008433:Mathematics; D014477:Underachievement