Differences in Mathematics Performance between Students with Learning Disabilities and Students with Mild Retardation

Abstract

Many educators use the term “mildly disabled” to refer to both students with learning disabilities and those with mild mental retardation, who are frequently placed together in classrooms and provided with similar curricula. This study examined the performance of a large sample of students in both groups, age 8–14 years, in four mathematics domains: Basic Concepts, Listening Vocabulary, Problem Solving, and Fractions. Results indicated that the students with learning disabilities scored higher and had greater growth rates than did age-equivalent students with mild mental retardation. Implications for curriculum and instruction include discussions of choice of topic and timing, sequence, and intensity of instruction, particularly regarding the 1989 recommendations of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.