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Updated: Jul 10, 2026
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Multimedia Battery for Assessment of Cognitive and Basic Skills in Mathematics (BM-PROMA)
Published on: August 28, 2021
Verbal and visual short-term memory in children with arithmetic disabilities
Cheryl H Silver1, Jeremiah Ring, H Deborah Pennett
1Department of Rehabilitation Counseling, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390-9088, USA. cheryl.silver@utsouthwestern.edu
Developmental Neuropsychology
|October 25, 2007
Summary
Children with isolated arithmetic disabilities showed better verbal memory than those with comorbid arithmetic and reading disabilities. Contrary to expectations, no visual memory deficits were observed in the arithmetic-only group.
Area of Science:
- Neuropsychology
- Child Development
- Learning Disabilities
Background:
- Limited understanding of cognitive profiles differentiating isolated arithmetic (A) disabilities from comorbid arithmetic and reading (AR) disabilities.
- Existing research often suggests visual deficits in children with arithmetic disabilities (Subtype A).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate short-term memory differences between children with isolated arithmetic disabilities and those with comorbid arithmetic and reading disabilities.
- To test the hypothesis that children with isolated arithmetic disabilities exhibit poorer visual memory compared to verbal memory.
Main Methods:
- Study included 45 children classified into two subtypes: isolated arithmetic disabilities (Subtype A) and comorbid arithmetic and reading disabilities (AR subtype).
- Short-term memory, including verbal and visual memory, was assessed in both groups.
Main Results:
- Children in Subtype A demonstrated superior verbal memory on certain tasks compared to the AR subtype.
- No significant differences in visual short-term memory were found between the two subtypes.
- Results did not support the hypothesis of relatively poorer visual memory in Subtype A.
Conclusions:
- The findings suggest a mixed neuropsychological profile for children with isolated arithmetic disabilities.
- Absence of visual short-term memory weaknesses challenges the notion that visual deficits are a defining characteristic of the arithmetic-only subtype.
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