Language Disorders, Special Needs and Mathematics Learning

Definition

Language disorders are shown by children whose oral language skills, such as producing speech and understanding what others say, are significantly impaired relative to their peers. They are at risk for poorer educational achievement in mathematics just as in other curriculum subjects. This is not surprising when one considers the general importance of communication in schooling, the role of oral language in classroom mathematical investigations, and more specific connections such as the fundamental contribution made by knowledge of the number-word sequence to developing understanding of symbolic notation.

Characteristics

Language disorders can be the consequence of physical problems (such as hearing loss, visual impairment, or accidental injury), impoverished experience, or general learning disabilities such as are common in children with conditions such as autism, Down syndrome, fragile X, Williams syndrome, Apert syndrome, and cerebral palsy (Bishop 1997; Dockrell and...