A comparative assessment of mathematical vocabulary, operations, and problem-solving in 5th grade children with ADHD and SLD: Cognitive profiles and implications for educational approaches to instruction and task design
Stergiani Giaouri 1 , Garyfalia Charitaki 2 * , Anastasia Alevriadou 3
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1 University of Western Macedonia, GREECE2 University of Thessaly, GREECE3 Aristotle University, GREECE* Corresponding Author

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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This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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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