Effect of Cognitive Rehabilitation Training on Information Processing Speed, Response Inhibition, Attention, and Perceptual Reasoning in Students With Dyscalculia

Objectives: Children with learning disabilities have problems with processing speed, reaction inhibition, attention and perception, hearing, and visual clarity. Accordingly, this study examines the effects of cognitive rehabilitation on processing speed, response inhibition, attention, and Perceptual Reasoning in students with mathematics learning disabilities. Methods: This was a semi-experimental study with a pre-test-post-test design and a control group. The statistical population included all third-grade students with mathematics problems in Tehran City, Iran, in ۲۰۱۷. They were referred to Roozbeh Counseling and Rehabilitation Clinic for treatment and met the inclusion criteria. A total of ۳۰ students were selected from among these individuals using the purposive sampling method. The participants were assigned to experimental (n=۱۵) and control groups (n=۱۵). The participants in the experimental group underwent a ۲۰-session cognitive rehabilitation program. The Grant and Beck Wisconsin test (۱۹۴۸), the Wechsler intelligence test (۲۰۰۳), the fourth edition, the Sarrold continuous achievement test (۱۹۵۶), and the Toulouse-Piron attention test (۱۹۸۶) were used to collect data. The data were analyzed using the multivariate analysis of variance and the SPSS software, version ۲۲. Results: Cognitive rehabilitation strategies effectively affect information processing speed, responsiveness, attention and perceptual reasoning in children with math learning disabilities (P<۰.۰۰۱). Furthermore, the results showed that learning cognitive rehabilitation strategies had a considerable impact on perceptual reasoning (P<۰.۰۰۱) according to the resulting Eta coefficient (η۲=۰.۹۲). Discussion: Cognitive rehabilitation is a practical approach to improving information processing speed, reaction inhibition, attention, and Perceptual Reasoning skills in students with special mathematical learning disabilities.

Keywords:

Cognitive rehabilitation training , Speed of information processing , Response inhibition , Attention , Perceptual reasoning , Students with dyscalculia