Category Archives: Detection

DYSCALCULIA is caused by cell wall biomechanics

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A recent study revealed the following in flytraps:

………………….The refined transcriptomic analysis uncovered widespread misregulation of cell wall related genes in DYSC, implicating altered cell wall plasticity in the sluggish mutant. Cell indentation studies by atomic force microscopy revealed a strictly localized and strikingly enhanced stiffening of the cell wall for DYSC that may hinder rapid trap closure and snap buckling. Together, these genomic, transcriptomic, and biophysical data identify cell wall elasticity as a key constraint on voltage and Ca2+ dependent trap kinetics. This finding documents the interrelationship between mechanosensing and Ca2+ signaling in the ultrafast capture organ of the Venus flytrap.

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Tool to identify strengths in students as young as preschool

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University of Kansas researchers have developed and validated the effectiveness of the Preschool Strengths Inventory, which can be key to helping parents, teachers, clinicians and practitioners capitalize on children’s strengths from an early age to improve their education and well-being.

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WISC-IV profile in Developmental Dyscalculia

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Results in a recent study showed that cognitive abilities related to both reasoning (fluid and crystallized) and executive functioning (verbal working memory and processing speed) are involved in math achievement, with different roles played for different math tasks. Verbal working memory and crystallized intelligence, as evaluated with Digit Span and Similarities subtests, were the functions most involved in math achievement, with the former more involved in tasks related to Number System and the latter more involved in tasks related to Calculation System. Furthermore, the degree of impairment of verbal working memory influenced the BDE profiles in the subgroup of children with Developmental Dyscalculia. 

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The Building Blocks of Math That Young Students Need to Excel — But Aren’t Always Getting

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Many American students struggle in math. According to the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress, nearly 1 in 4 fourth graders and 39 percent of eighth graders scored “below basic,” the test’s lowest category. An analysis of state tests shows that few states have recovered students from pandemic math losses, with disadvantaged students from low-income neighborhoods hit especially hard. For those struggling students — including those diagnosed with dyscalculia and related learning challenges — lack of number sense often plays a significant role. “For kids that have a fundamental weakness in mathematics, 80 percent or 90 percent of the time that’s going to be linked to a lack of understanding numbers,” said Ben Clarke, an early math researcher and department head of special education and clinical sciences at the University of Oregon. “If we want students to be able to access other pieces of mathematics that are really important, then they need to build this foundational understanding of numbers

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The effect of content domain and question format to identify dyscalculia

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Developmental Dyscalculia (DD) is characterised by persistent difficulties in learning mathematical skills, which usually becomes apparent in the early years of schooling. Traditionally, DD is known to affect children’s arithmetic processing, whilst other domains of mathematics receive much less research attention. Nevertheless, contemporary diagnostic guidelines suggest that DD is linked to widespread and diverse difficulties, both within and outside of the domain of numbers. This study examined the performance (i.e., accuracy and number of questions attempted) of children on a curriculum-based mathematics assessment, considering the effect of content domains, question format (i.e., multiple-choice questions vs. constructed response questions) and test half. 

Read all about this research HERE