Abstract
This study aimed to conduct a comparative assessment of mathematical competence, including vocabulary, operations, and mathematical problem-solving, in children diagnosed with Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Individual assessments were administered to evaluate intelligence quotient (IQ), mathematical competence, reading, and written language for both groups (SLD: N = 17; ADHD: N = 17). The results revealed statistically significant differences between the groups in several WISC-IIIGR measures, including Verbal IQ, Information (factual knowledge, long-term memory, recall), Arithmetic (attention, concentration, numerical reasoning), Digit Span (short-term auditory memory, concentration), Picture Arrangement (planning, logical thinking, social knowledge), Verbal Comprehension Index (VCI), and Freedom from Distractibility Index (FDI), as well as in Mathematical Operations and Mathematical problem-solving. Both groups demonstrated challenges across several assessed domains. To explore these difficulties in greater depth, canonical correlation analyses (CCA) were conducted on three variable sets. Findings suggest that while both SLD and ADHD are associated with cognitive challenges, they present largely distinct patterns of cognitive deficits. Findings are interpreted in terms of differential cognitive profiles and their potential implications for differentiated instructional approaches. In particular, results are linked to the design of mathematical tasks in 5th-grade mathematics inclusive classrooms, aiming at reducing cognitive load and supporting mathematical learning in students with ADHD and SLD.
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Article Type: Research Article
Journal of Mathematics and Science Teacher, Volume 6, Issue 3, 2026, Article No: em108
https://doi.org/10.29333/mathsciteacher/18528
Publication date: 01 Jul 2026
Online publication date: 05 May 2026
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