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Dowker A. Arithmetic in developmental cognitive disabilities. RESEARCH IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2020; 107:103778. [PMID: 33035783 DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2020.103778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2020] [Revised: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
This paper reviews and discusses research on arithmetical strengths and weaknesses in children with specific developmental cognitive disabilities. It focusses on children with dyslexia, developmental language disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism. In general, studies show that arithmetical weaknesses are commoner in children with any of these disorders than in controls. Autism is sometimes associated with specific strengths in arithmetic; but even in autism, it is commoner for arithmetic to be a relative weakness than a relative strength. There may be some genetic reasons why there is an overlap between mathematical difficulties and other developmental learning difficulties; but much of the reason seems to be that specific aspects of arithmetic are often influenced by other factors, including language comprehension, phonological awareness, verbal and spatial working memory and long-term memory, and executive functions. The findings discussed here will be discussed in relation to Pennington's (2006) Multiple Deficit Model.
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Habermann S, Donlan C, Göbel SM, Hulme C. The critical role of Arabic numeral knowledge as a longitudinal predictor of arithmetic development. J Exp Child Psychol 2020; 193:104794. [PMID: 32062163 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2019.104794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2019] [Revised: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the cognitive underpinnings of children's arithmetic development has great theoretical and educational importance. Recent research suggests symbolic and nonsymbolic representations of number influence arithmetic development before and after school entry. We assessed nonverbal ability and general language skills as well as nonsymbolic (numerosity) and symbolic (numeral) comparison skills, counting, and Arabic numeral knowledge (numeral reading, writing, and identification) in preschool children (4 years of age). At 6 years of age, we reassessed nonsymbolic (numerosity) and symbolic (numeral) comparison and arithmetic. A latent variable path model showed that Arabic numeral knowledge (defined by numeral reading, writing, and identification at 4 years of age) was the sole unique predictor of arithmetic at 6 years. We conclude that knowledge of the association between spoken and Arabic numerals is one critical foundation for the development of formal arithmetic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Habermann
- Department of Language and Cognition, University College London, London WC1N 1PF, UK
| | - Chris Donlan
- Department of Language and Cognition, University College London, London WC1N 1PF, UK.
| | - Silke M Göbel
- Department of Psychology, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Charles Hulme
- Department of Education, University of Oxford, Oxford OX2 6PY, UK
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Cross AM, Joanisse MF, Archibald LMD. Mathematical Abilities in Children With Developmental Language Disorder. Lang Speech Hear Serv Sch 2019; 50:150-163. [DOI: 10.1044/2018_lshss-18-0041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose
This review article provides a scoping review of the literature on mathematical abilities in developmental language disorder (DLD). Children with DLD typically struggle with learning in school; however, the mechanism by which DLD impacts academic success is unclear. Mathematics involves demands in the multiple domains and therefore holds potential for examining the relationship between language and academic performance on tasks mediated by verbal and nonverbal demands.
Method
A scoping review was performed via computerized database searching to examine literature on mathematics and DLD. The 21 review articles meeting inclusion criteria compared children with typical development or DLD on various tasks measuring numerical cognition.
Results
Children with DLD consistently performed below peers with typical development on number transcoding, counting, arithmetic, and story problem tasks. However, performance was similar to peers with typical development on most number line, magnitude comparison, and conceptual mathematics tasks.
Conclusions
The findings suggest a relationship between DLD and mathematics was characterized by more detrimental performance on tasks with higher verbal demands. Results are discussed with respect to typical academic curricula and demonstrate a need for early identification and intervention in DLD to optimize academic outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra M. Cross
- School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, The University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
| | - Marc F. Joanisse
- Department of Psychology, The University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
| | - Lisa M. D. Archibald
- School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, The University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
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Frizelle P, Harte J, O’Sullivan K, Fletcher P, Gibbon F. The relationship between information carrying words, memory and language skills in school age children with specific language impairment. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0180496. [PMID: 28672043 PMCID: PMC5495434 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0180496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2016] [Accepted: 06/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The receptive language measure information-carrying word (ICW) level, is used extensively by speech and language therapists in the UK and Ireland. Despite this it has never been validated via its relationship to any other relevant measures. This study aims to validate the ICW measure by investigating the relationship between the receptive ICW score of children with specific language impairment (SLI) and their performance on standardized memory and language assessments. Twenty-seven children with SLI, aged between 5;07 and 8;11, completed a sentence comprehension task in which the instructions gradually increased in number of ICWs. The children also completed subtests from The Working Memory Test Battery for children and The Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals– 4. Results showed that there was a significant positive relationship between both language and memory measures and children’s ICW score. While both receptive and expressive language were significant in their contribution to children’s ICW score, the contribution of memory was solely determined by children’s working memory ability. ICW score is in fact a valid measure of the language ability of children with SLI. However therapists should also be cognisant of its strong association with working memory when using this construct in assessment or intervention methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pauline Frizelle
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Oxford University, Oxford, England
- * E-mail:
| | - Jennifer Harte
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | | | - Paul Fletcher
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Fiona Gibbon
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
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Mononen R, Aunio P, Koponen T. A pilot study of the effects of RightStart instruction on early numeracy skills of children with specific language impairment. RESEARCH IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2014; 35:999-1014. [PMID: 24629543 DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2014.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2013] [Revised: 02/07/2014] [Accepted: 02/14/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
This pilot study investigated the effects of an early numeracy program, RightStart Mathematics (RS), on Finnish kindergartners with specific language impairment (SLI). The study applied a pre-test-instruction-post-test design. The children with SLI (n=9, Mage=82.11 months) received RS instruction two to three times a week for 40 min over seven months, which replaced their business-as-usual mathematics instruction. Mathematical skill development among children with SLI was examined at the individual and group levels, and compared to the performance of normal language-achieving age peers (n=32, Mage=74.16 months) who received business-as-usual kindergarten mathematics instruction. The children with SLI began kindergarten with significantly weaker early numeracy skills compared to their peers. Immediately after the instruction phase, there was no significant difference between the groups in counting skills. In Grade 1, the children with SLI performed similarly to their peers in addition and subtraction skills (accuracy) and multi-digit number comparison, but showed weaker skills in arithmetical reasoning and in matching spoken and printed multi-digit numbers. Our pilot study showed encouraging signs that the early numeracy skills of children with SLI can be improved successfully in a kindergarten small-classroom setting with systematic instruction emphasizing visualization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riikka Mononen
- Department of Teacher Education, Special Education, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 9, 00014, Finland.
| | - Pirjo Aunio
- Department of Teacher Education, Special Education, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 9, 00014, Finland.
| | - Tuire Koponen
- Niilo Mäki Institute, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box, 40014, Finland.
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Park J, Li R, Brannon EM. Neural connectivity patterns underlying symbolic number processing indicate mathematical achievement in children. Dev Sci 2013; 17:187-202. [PMID: 24267664 DOI: 10.1111/desc.12114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2013] [Accepted: 08/01/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
In early childhood, humans learn culturally specific symbols for number that allow them entry into the world of complex numerical thinking. Yet little is known about how the brain supports the development of the uniquely human symbolic number system. Here, we use functional magnetic resonance imaging along with an effective connectivity analysis to investigate the neural substrates for symbolic number processing in young children. We hypothesized that, as children solidify the mapping between symbols and underlying magnitudes, important developmental changes occur in the neural communication between the right parietal region, important for the representation of non-symbolic numerical magnitudes, and other brain regions known to be critical for processing numerical symbols. To test this hypothesis, we scanned children between 4 and 6 years of age while they performed a magnitude comparison task with Arabic numerals (numerical, symbolic), dot arrays (numerical, non-symbolic), and lines (non-numerical). We then identified the right parietal seed region that showed greater blood-oxygen-level-dependent signal in the numerical versus the non-numerical conditions. A psychophysiological interaction method was used to find patterns of effective connectivity arising from this parietal seed region specific to symbolic compared to non-symbolic number processing. Two brain regions, the left supramarginal gyrus and the right precentral gyrus, showed significant effective connectivity from the right parietal cortex. Moreover, the degree of this effective connectivity to the left supramarginal gyrus was correlated with age, and the degree of the connectivity to the right precentral gyrus predicted performance on a standardized symbolic math test. These findings suggest that effective connectivity underlying symbolic number processing may be critical as children master the associations between numerical symbols and magnitudes, and that these connectivity patterns may serve as an important indicator of mathematical achievement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joonkoo Park
- Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Duke University, USA
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Archibald LMD, Oram Cardy J, Joanisse MF, Ansari D. Language, reading, and math learning profiles in an epidemiological sample of school age children. PLoS One 2013; 8:e77463. [PMID: 24155959 PMCID: PMC3796500 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0077463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2013] [Accepted: 09/09/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Dyscalculia, dyslexia, and specific language impairment (SLI) are relatively specific developmental learning disabilities in math, reading, and oral language, respectively, that occur in the context of average intellectual capacity and adequate environmental opportunities. Past research has been dominated by studies focused on single impairments despite the widespread recognition that overlapping and comorbid deficits are common. The present study took an epidemiological approach to study the learning profiles of a large school age sample in language, reading, and math. Both general learning profiles reflecting good or poor performance across measures and specific learning profiles involving either weak language, weak reading, weak math, or weak math and reading were observed. These latter four profiles characterized 70% of children with some evidence of a learning disability. Low scores in phonological short-term memory characterized clusters with a language-based weakness whereas low or variable phonological awareness was associated with the reading (but not language-based) weaknesses. The low math only group did not show these phonological deficits. These findings may suggest different etiologies for language-based deficits in language, reading, and math, reading-related impairments in reading and math, and isolated math disabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa M. D. Archibald
- School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, the University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychology, the University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Janis Oram Cardy
- School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, the University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Marc F. Joanisse
- Department of Psychology, the University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Daniel Ansari
- Department of Psychology, the University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
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Nys J, Content A, Leybaert J. Impact of language abilities on exact and approximate number skills development: evidence from children with specific language impairment. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2013; 56:956-970. [PMID: 23275399 DOI: 10.1044/1092-4388(2012/10-0229)] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Counting and exact arithmetic rely on language-based representations, whereas number comparison and approximate arithmetic involve approximate quantity-based representations that are available early in life, before the first stages of language acquisition. The objective of this study was to examine the impact of language abilities on the later development of exact and approximate number skills. METHOD Twenty-eight 7- to 14-year-old children with specific language impairment (SLI) completed exact and approximate number tasks involving quantities presented symbolically and nonsymbolically. They were compared with age-matched (AM) and vocabulary-matched (VM) children. RESULTS In the exact arithmetic task, the accuracy of children with SLI was lower than that of AM and VM controls and related to phonological measures. In the symbolic approximate tasks, children with SLI were less accurate than AM controls, but the difference vanished when their cognitive skills were considered or when they were compared with younger VM controls. In the nonsymbolic approximate tasks, children with SLI did not differ significantly from controls. Further, accuracy in the approximate number tasks was unrelated to language measures. CONCLUSIONS Language impairment is related to reduced exact arithmetic skills, whereas it does not intrinsically affect the development of approximate number skills in children with SLI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Nys
- Center for Research in Cognition and Neurosciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.
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Kleemans T, Segers E, Verhoeven L. Precursors to numeracy in kindergartners with specific language impairment. RESEARCH IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2011; 32:2901-2908. [PMID: 21640551 DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2011.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2011] [Revised: 05/05/2011] [Accepted: 05/05/2011] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
The present study investigated to what extent children with specific language impairment (SLI) differ in their early numeracy skills, when compared to normal language achieving (NLA) children. It was also explored which precursors were related to the early numeracy skills in both groups. Sixty-one children with SLI (6; 1 years) and 111 NLA children (6; 2 years) were assessed on general intelligence, working memory, naming speed, linguistic ability and early numeracy skills. The results showed lower scores for the children with SLI on logical operations and numeral representations but not on numeral estimations. The variance in numeral estimations was explained by children's intelligence and visual spatial memory. Phonological awareness and grammatical ability explained the variance in logical operations and numeral representations whereas naming speed turned out to be an additional factor in predicting these early numeracy skills of children with SLI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tijs Kleemans
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, Montessorilaan 3, PO Box 9104, 6500 HE Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
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Mainela-Arnold E, Alibali MW, Ryan K, Evans JL. Knowledge of mathematical equivalence in children with specific language impairment: insights from gesture and speech. Lang Speech Hear Serv Sch 2010; 42:18-30. [PMID: 20679410 DOI: 10.1044/0161-1461(2010/09-0070)] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE This study investigated understanding of mathematical equivalence in children with and without specific language impairment (SLI). METHOD A total of 34 children (ages 8;1 [years;months] to 11;7), including 9 with expressive SLI (E-SLI), 8 with expressive and receptive SLI (ER-SLI), and 17 age-matched typically developing (TD) children completed addition and mathematical equivalence problems. The problem-solving strategies revealed in solutions and in gestural and verbal explanations were coded. RESULTS The children with SLI were less accurate than their TD peers in solving addition and equivalence problems. None of the children in the ER-SLI group solved the equivalence problems correctly; however, the number of children who solved any of the equivalence problems correctly did not differ in the E-SLI and CA groups. Children in the ER-SLI group tended to express incorrect strategies for solving the equivalence problems in both gesture and speech, whereas children in the E-SLI group often expressed correct strategies in gestures, but incorrect strategies in speech. CONCLUSION Children with SLI showed delays in their knowledge of mathematical equivalence. Children with ER-SLI displayed greater delays than children with E-SLI. Children with E-SLI sometimes expressed more advanced knowledge in gestures, suggesting that their knowledge is represented in a nonverbal format.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elina Mainela-Arnold
- Pennsylvania State University, Communication Sciences and Disorders, 105 Moore Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
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Iuculano T, Tang J, Hall CWB, Butterworth B. Core information processing deficits in developmental dyscalculia and low numeracy. Dev Sci 2008; 11:669-80. [PMID: 18801122 DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-7687.2008.00716.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 166] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Iuculano
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
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Froud K, van der Lely HKJ. The count-mass distinction in typically developing and grammatically specifically language impaired children: new evidence on the role of syntax and semantics. JOURNAL OF COMMUNICATION DISORDERS 2008; 41:274-303. [PMID: 18206904 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcomdis.2007.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2006] [Revised: 09/13/2007] [Accepted: 11/25/2007] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED By the age of three, typically developing children can draw conceptual distinctions between "kinds of individual" and "kinds of stuff" on the basis of syntactic structures. They differ from adults only in the extent to which syntactic knowledge can be over-ridden by semantic properties of the referent. However, the relative roles of syntax and semantics in determining the nature of the count-mass distinction in language acquisition are still not well-understood. This paper contributes to this debate by studying novel noun acquisition in a subgroup of children, aged 8-15 years, with specific language impairment, whose core deficits are limited to within the grammatical system (G-SLI), We conducted two experiments: a production task and a word extension task. Such children might be expected to rely to a greater extent than their age-matched peers on semantic properties of referents in order to assign noun interpretations, since by hypothesis they have greater difficulty in accessing and utilizing syntactic category distinctions than typically developing children. In the production task, the Children with G-SLI demonstrated rigid over-application of a pluralization rule which masked even basic knowledge of semantic information about individuated objects versus non-individuated substances. Age-matched control children only performed in this way when all syntactic and conceptual/perceptual cues were neutralized. In the word extension task, which required a non-verbal response, the Children with G-SLI showed evidence of only very limited abilities to use syntactic or semantic information for word-learning. Thus, developmental deficits in the grammatical system can be seen to impact on lexical acquisition as well as syntactic development. LEARNING OUTCOMES As a result of this activity, the reader will be able to: (1) describe how syntactic (grammatical) impairment affects the ability to use syntactic cues for lexical acquisition, resulting in difficulties representing the structure of even simple phrases; (2) discuss the interaction between language components throughout development, and the cumulative impact of impairment in one or more aspect of language, which results in secondary impairments in other parts of the system; (3) consider the effects of an impairment in the ability to use syntactic cues for narrowing down word meanings, and how this can result in a much bigger problem affecting the subtle semantics of words and word classes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Froud
- Department of Biobehavioral Sciences, Teachers College, Columbia University, UK
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Donlan C, Cowan R, Newton EJ, Lloyd D. The role of language in mathematical development: evidence from children with specific language impairments. Cognition 2006; 103:23-33. [PMID: 16581052 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2006.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2005] [Revised: 02/15/2006] [Accepted: 02/20/2006] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
A sample (n=48) of eight-year-olds with specific language impairments is compared with age-matched (n=55) and language matched controls (n=55) on a range of tasks designed to test the interdependence of language and mathematical development. Performance across tasks varies substantially in the SLI group, showing profound deficits in production of the count word sequence and basic calculation and significant deficits in understanding of the place-value principle in Hindu-Arabic notation. Only in understanding of arithmetic principles does SLI performance approximate that of age-matched-controls, indicating that principled understanding can develop even where number sequence production and other aspects of number processing are severely compromised.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris Donlan
- Department of Human Communication Science, University College London, UK.
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Cowan R, Donlan C, Newton EJ, Llyod D. Number Skills and Knowledge in Children With Specific Language Impairment. JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY 2005. [DOI: 10.1037/0022-0663.97.4.732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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