Comorbidity between persistent reading and mathematics disabilities: The nature of comorbidity.
Use a rapid naming probe first; it lights up kids who need reading support and signals possible math disability when paired with number-sense checks.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Wong et al. (2021) looked at Chinese first-graders who had reading disability only, math disability only, or both.
They gave each child quick tests of naming speed, memory, and number sense.
The goal was to see if the three groups show different cognitive fingerprints.
What they found
All struggling readers shared a slow naming-speed problem, even if math was fine.
Kids with math-only deficits did not show the naming-speed lag; they had other weak spots.
The two single-disability groups had clear, separate profiles, while the comorbid group carried both sets of deficits.
How this fits with other research
Peake et al. (2017) carved math-learning disabilities into verbal and representational subtypes years earlier; Terry’s work widens that lens to children who also read poorly.
Vanbinst et al. (2014) showed that symbolic magnitude trouble marks persistent math failure; Terry uses the same marker to tell math-only from combined RD+MD cases.
Granieri et al. (2020) saw just one big low-math group and no subtypes in fourth-grade MD-only students—seemingly opposite to Terry’s distinct profiles. The gap disappears when you notice E excluded children with reading problems; once RD pupils enter the mix, separable patterns emerge.
Why it matters
You can screen early with a rapid naming task. A slow score waves a red flag for reading risk and hints at possible math trouble if other signs are present.
Follow up with quick tests of symbolic number sense to decide whether the child needs math help, reading help, or both. This saves time and keeps you from treating all low achievers the same way.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The current study aimed at investigating the comorbidity between reading disability (RD) and mathematical disability (MD) in a non-alphabetic language context. Over 1,900 Chinese first graders were screened on their reading and mathematics achievement twice. Children who scored consistently below the 10th percentile in reading and/or mathematics were identified as RD and/or MD respectively. A subsample of these children, together with a group of typically-achieving children, were further assessed on their cognitive capacities. Results suggested that while there were cognitive deficits that were specifically found in RD (shifting) versus MD (spatial working memory, inhibition, processing speed, visual attention) groups, deficits in naming speed was found in both RD and MD groups. The cognitive profile of the comorbid group was an additive combination of those of the two single LD groups. The findings suggest that RD and MD are two dissociable learning disabilities with distinct cognitive profiles. Effective screening and intervention can be developed based on the cognitive profiles of different disability groups.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2021 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2021.104049