PSYC1120-1 : Development and disturbances in arithmetics

Study Programmes 2015-2016

PSYC1120-1

Development and disturbances in arithmetics

Duration :

30h Th

Number of credits :

Bachelor in psychology and education : speech and language therapy		3
Bachelor in psychology and education : speech and language therapy		3
Master in speech and language therapy (120 ECTS)		3
Master in psychology : general (120 ECTS)		3
Master in psychology : general (120 ECTS)		3
Master in psychology : general (120 ECTS)		3
Master in psychology : general (120 ECTS)		3
Master in psychology : general (120 ECTS)		3

Lecturer :

Laurence Rousselle

Language(s) of instruction :

French language

Organisation and examination :

Teaching in the second semester

Units courses prerequisite and corequisite :

Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program

Course contents :

This class of 30 hours is organized into 9 modules depicting the development and the origins of math competences
1. Nature and origin of mathematic
- Plan - Skills to develop and acquire to be able to train children and adults with math disabilities - Broad concepts for understanding the class: o The vocabulary commonly used o The general concepts of perception and process of numerosity - The origin of mathematics: "Where the number sense come from? " - A summary of the important matters which needed to be mastered for the rest of the class - The neurobiological determinism as an introduction to the following modules

2. The development of the approximate number system: how to deal with large numerosities - The phylogenetic point of view

- What are the numerical abilities in animals? What skills seem to be part of our biological heritage? - Evidence of a numerical representation in animals - An accumulator (model Meck and Church, 1983) as a tool to add and compare without language

3. The development of the approximate number system: how to deal with large numerosities - The ontogenetic point of view

- Similar skills in humans and animals - The early numerical skills and their development since birth o The development according to Piaget - what is questioned and why o The contribution of new theories of child development - Number competences without number words in indigenous Tribes (to understand the influence of language on the treatment of numerosities) - The importance of a good understanding of the approximate number system in the case of dyscalculia. Brief presentation of fMRI studies to make the connection between brain structures involved in the processing of approximate numerosities, the acalculia and the dyscalculia.

4. The development of the exact system

- The perception and process of small numerosities - The nature of these representations

5. The development of counting

- The learning of the different symbolic codes. - The model of McCloskey - The learning of the different analog codes (including the use of fingers)

6. The mathematical difficulties and dyscalculia

- Definitions and prevalence - Illustrations (case presentation) - The persisting difficulties - The dyscalculia (or mathematical disabilities) in genetic diseases - The study of comorbidities (dyslexia, impaired working memory, visuo-spatial disorders, math anxiety, ADD / ADHD), disorders and specific profiles - The existence of different types of dyscalculia - The imaging data - The different assumptions reflecting dyscalculia

7. Evaluation of the numerical processing (mainly in children but also in adolescents and adults)

- The INAMI's rules - Two complementary types of assessments: first and second line testing - Depending on the critical periods of development, various tests are presented regarding the numerical functions they evaluate (previously studied trough other modules)

8. Presentations

- Students (gathered in small groups) and based on a real child's assessment, present to the class an intervention. They are asked to propose a rehabilitation planning and to focus on an ability to rehabilitate - The class is encouraged to discuss the propositions made by the group (e.g., to identify the positives and negatives of the proposed intervention)

9. Rehabilitation computational difficulties

- Conventional interventions: improving the internal representation of the number (from the symbolic to non-symbolic, numerosity comparison, etc...) - Presentation of some games and existing software and limitations of these methods (the point on the literature) - Targeted interventions (e.g., "over ten")

Learning outcomes of the course :

The objective of the first modules is to give students the necessary theoretical background in order to understand the vast field of numerical cognition. They will be encouraged to be critical over theoretical propositions brought in the different modules.
Modules from 7 to 9 aim to develop students capacity to dispense a real intervention, so they will be armed for their internship.Students will be able to use the tests and provide, on the basis of an assessment, original and effective rehabilitations.
Students will also be able to evaluate whether an assessment is complete or should be deepened.

Prerequisite knowledge and skills :

Planned learning activities and teaching methods :

In terms of pedagogical design, several learning methods are used to enable students to grasp the content of the different modules in the best possible manner and meet the requirements of the examination. It is therefore proposed to students theoretical content, illustrations, experiences, videos, work groups, periods of synthesis, ...

Mode of delivery (face-to-face ; distance-learning) :

The class attendance is recommended. In addition, a small group presentation is scheduled for the end of the semester.
The slides will be posted on the dedicated course area on e-campus.