Middle Eastern Journal of Disability Studies

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Vahidi S, Manzari Tavakoli A, Manzari Tavakoli H, Soltaninejad A. The Role of Executive Functions in Predicting Math Anxiety in Students with Dyscalculia. MEJDS 2020; 10 :51-51
URL: http://jdisabilstud.org/article-1-1262-en.html

Background & Objectives: The term "learning disorder" refers to the need to recognize and serve students who are incessantly failing in their classroom work, while do not fit into exceptional age groups. Their physical appearance, height, and weight indicate their health in this respect. Their intelligence is, to some extent commonplace, they speak well, play like their healthy peers, and communicate with others like normally. However, they are unable to stream information, i.e., to express those, and in particular, in a written form. Besides, these students are impaired in one or more psychological aspects, i.e., perceived through oral or written language. This disorder could be presented as a complete inability to listen, speak, read, write, spell, or perform mathematical calculations. This term covers conditions, such as cognitive impairments, brain damage, partial defects in brain functions, and readings. The Diagnostic and Diagnostic Manual for Psychiatric Disorders (DSM–5), published by the American Psychiatric Association has raised the following symptoms for learning disorder: tough, slow, and wrong words, A difficulty in understanding the meaning of what is read. Spelling problems, writing mistakes, problems in learning the concepts of numbers or calculations, and problems in mathematical reasoning; even a severe symptom may indicate a learning disorder. Executive functions are the forces that are inherited by the child, and as the child grows, this force also develops. Furthermore, at the age of 12 years, the child functions as adults. Functioning has numerous implementations and roles that affect individuals of all ages and genders, in terms of age, function, and health–related performance. This force, as a cognitive structure, is responsible for tasks, such as problem–solving, attention, reasoning, organizing, planning, memory, inhibitory control, impulse control, retention, alteration, and response inhibition; consequently, defects and disruptions in this area disrupt daily functioning. The present study aimed to determine the role of executive functions in predicting math anxiety.
Methods: This was a descriptive correlational study. The statistical population of this study consisted of all students with learning disabilities in Kerman City, Iran. The required sample size was calculated using Cochran's formula. Accordingly, 100 individuals were selected by cluster random sampling technique. Initially, Kerman Province was divided into 5 districts of north, south, east, west, and center. Then, 10 schools were randomly selected in each district. Next, by referring to the schools, 95 students with dyslexia were selected, using the checklist of math disorders (Tabriz, 2010) and Rayon Intelligence test. The applied data collection tools were Wechsler's Similarities Test (Wechsler, 2003), Andréry's test (Andrea Rey, 1942), Wechsler Memory Scale–digital format (Wechsler, 2003), the Math Anxiety Scale (Chihu Henry, 1990), and intelligence tests (Raven, 1983). The obtained data were analyzed using descriptive (Pearson correlation coefficient) and inferential (regression analysis) tests by SPSS 21. 
Results: Results indicated that the functions of working memory, reasoning, and organizing were good predictors of math anxiety in students with special learning disorders (p<0.001). Additionally, among these variables, reasoning demonstrated a greater role in predicting math anxiety among the studied students.
Conclusion: The achieved study results suggested that reasoning, organization, and active memory significantly impacted predicting math anxiety in students with special learning disorders. The effectiveness of cognitive rehabilitation programs has been supported in improving performance by various research studies. Moreover, mathematical instruction plays an important role in the academic achievement of students; therefore, it is suggested that applying these programs be recommended to specialists in this field.