title: Cognitive Profiles of Mathematical Problem Solving Learning Disability for Different Definitions of Disability.
abstract: Three cohorts of third-grade students (N= 813) were evaluated on achievement, cognitive abilities, and behavioral attention according to contrasting research traditions in defining math learning disability (LD) status: low achievement versus extremely low achievement and IQ-achievement discrepant versus strictly low-achieving LD. We use methods from these two traditions to form math problem solving LD groups. To evaluate group differences, we used MANOVA-based profile and canonical analyses to control for relations among the outcomes and regression to control for group definition variables. Results suggest that basic arithmetic is the key distinguishing characteristic that separates low-achieving problem solvers (including LD, regardless of definition) from typically achieving students. Word problem solving is the key distinguishing characteristic that separates IQ-achievement-discrepant from strictly low-achieving LD students, favoring the IQ-achievement-discrepant students.
authors.affiliation: University of Houston, TX, USA ttolar@uh.edu.
authors.forename: Tammy D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Tolar
authors.affiliation: Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
authors.forename: Lynn
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fuchs
authors.affiliation: University of Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Jack M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Fletcher
authors.affiliation: Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
authors.forename: Douglas
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fuchs
authors.affiliation: Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
authors.forename: Carol L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Hamlett
mesh_terms: D000124:Achievement; D002648:Child; D060705:Dyscalculia / Q000145:classification / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D011340:Problem Solving / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: cognitive; elementary education; learning disability; mathematics; problem solving