Executive Dysfunctions in Different Learning Disabilities: A Review

Abstract

Background: Executive functions (EFs) are a set of cognitive processes required to select and monitor behaviors that facilitate the achievement of desired goals. Many studies reported that students with learning disabilities appear to have impaired EFs and difficulties in performing school-related and daily activities. Methods: This review attempts to focus on identifying different components of executive functioning and its relationship with specific learning disabilities from the published literature. A search using 3 databases identified 37 relevant articles that met the inclusion criteria. Results: Many recent studies have found a relation between EFs with specific learning disabilities including meta-analysis and non-experimental comparative studies. Most of the studies were conducted among school children with reading, learning difficulties, and writing difficulties, university students with developmental dyscalculia and adults with or without dyslexia. Conclusion: Working memory is the key component affecting performances in children with learning disabilities whereas emotional control and metacognition skills such as organization of material, monitoring, planning, etc have a more specific role in different skills in performing the act of reading, writing, and mathematical operations. They may play a subdued role, but their involvement cannot be segregated because of the complex interplay between them.