The DOI matches its Crossref record; 110 of the 110 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Are specific learning disorders truly specific, and are they disorders?
Open accessAbstract
Specific learning disorders, such as dyslexia and dyscalculia, are frequently studied to inform our understanding of cognitive development, genetic mechanisms and brain function. In this Opinion Paper, we discuss limitations of this research approach, including the use of arbitrary criteria to select groups of children, heterogeneity within groups and overlap between domains of learning. By drawing on evidence from cognitive science, neuroscience and genetics, we propose an alternative, dimensional framework. We argue that we need to overcome the problems associated with a categorical approach by taking into account interacting factors at multiple levels of analysis that are associated with overlapping rather than entirely distinct domains of learning. We conclude that this research strategy will allow for a richer understanding of learning and development.
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“Dyslexia and dyscalculia seem to involve distinct cognitive profiles in terms of domain-specific processes (mainly phonological deficits for the former, and number processing deficits for the latter), but similar domain-general cognitive processes (particularly concerning WM).”
From Executive Functions in Neurodevelopmental Disorders: Comorbidity Overlaps Between Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder and Specific Learning Disorders (2021) · cites this paper as Peters and Ansari, 2019
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“Domain-general cognitive processes like WM may therefore substantially overlap between dyslexia and dyscalculia (Peters and Ansari, 2019).”
From Executive Functions in Neurodevelopmental Disorders: Comorbidity Overlaps Between Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder and Specific Learning Disorders (2021) · cites this paper as Peters and Ansari, 2019
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Citations
Cites
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
American Psychiatric Association (2013) · doi:10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596 · Cited by 116,369
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
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Power failure: why small sample size undermines the reliability of neuroscience
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“Put differently, the same genes that contribute to individual differences in the lower end of the distribution, also contribute to individual differences in the upper end (see [25] for a review).”
BackgroundNetwork analysis: An integrative approach to the structure of psychopathology
Borsboom, D., & Cramer, A. O. J. (2013) · Annual Review of Clinical Psychology · doi:10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-050212-185608 · Cited by 4,359
Specific reading disability (dyslexia): what have we learned in the past four decades?
Vellutino, F. R., Fletcher, J. M., Snowling, M. J., & Scanlon, D. M. (2004) · Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry · doi:10.1046/j.0021-9630.2003.00305.x · Cited by 2,555
The p Factor: One General Psychopathology Factor in the Structure of Psychiatric Disorders?
Caspi, A., Houts, R. M., Belsky, D. W., Goldman-Mellor, S. J., Harrington, H., Israel, S., Meier, M. H., Ramrakha, S., Shalev, I., Poulton, R., et al. (2014) · Clinical Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/2167702613497473 · Cited by 2,449
Scanning the horizon: towards transparent and reproducible neuroimaging research
Poldrack, R. A., Baker, C. I., Durnez, J., Gorgolewski, K. J., Matthews, P. M., Munafò, M. R., Nichols, T. E., Poline, J.-B., Vul, E., & Yarkoni, T. (2017) · Nature Reviews Neuroscience · doi:10.1038/nrn.2016.167 · Cited by 1,410
Development itself is the key to understanding developmental disorders
Karmiloff-Smith, A. (1998) · Trends in Cognitive Sciences · doi:10.1016/s1364-6613(98)01230-3 · Cited by 1,299
From single to multiple deficit models of developmental disorders
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Cited by
Sorted by citations
Crisci, G., Caviola, S., Cardillo, R., & Mammarella, I. C. (2021) · Frontiers in Human Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnhum.2021.594234 · Cited by 103
“Domaingeneral cognitive processes like WM may therefore substantially overlap between dyslexia and dyscalculia (Peters and Ansari, 2019).”
BackgroundIt’s Time to Be Scientific About Dyslexia
Elliott, J. G. (2020) · Reading Research Quarterly · doi:10.1002/rrq.333 · Cited by 100
No evidence for a core deficit in developmental dyscalculia or mathematical learning disabilities
Mammarella, I. C., Toffalini, E., Caviola, S., Colling, L. J., & Szűcs, D. (2021) · Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry · doi:10.1111/jcpp.13397 · Cited by 76
Peters, L., de Beeck, H. O., & Smedt, B. D. (2020) · Research in Developmental Disabilities · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2020.103806 · Cited by 66
Self-citationDecarli, G., Sella, F., Lanfranchi, S., Gerotto, G., Gerola, S., Cossu, G., & Zorzi, M. (2022) · Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/09567976221097947 · Cited by 62
Metadata
- Authors
- Peters, L., & Ansari, D.
- Affiliations
- Western University (CA)
- Corresponding author
- Peters, Lien
- Venue
- Trends in Neuroscience and Education
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2019-12
- Volume
- 17
- Pages
- 100115
- ISSN
- 2211-9493 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2956070372
- Cited by
- 151
- References
- 108
- Citations by year
- 2026: 13 · 2025: 18 · 2024: 25 · 2023: 27 · 2022: 29 · 2021: 26 · 2020: 12
- FWCI
- 3.57
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Trends in Neuroscience and Education (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Ghent University Academic Bibliography (Ghent University) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
- Lirias (KU Leuven) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Scholarship@Western (Western University) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Funders
- Jacobs Foundation
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research (93609)
- Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (RGPIN/04644-2017)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Reading and Literacy Development
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology › Developmental and Educational Neuropsychology
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Cognitive and developmental aspects of mathematical skills
- Keywords
- specific learning disorders, dyslexia, dyscalculia, categorical classification, diagnostic criteria, group heterogeneity, cognitive development, brain function
- MeSH terms
- Specific Learning Disorder, Child, Developmental Disabilities, Child, Preschool, Cognition, Dyslexia, Humans, Learning Disabilities, Dyscalculia
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