Construction of an Arabic computerized battery for cognitive rehabilitation of children with specific learning disabilities

Figures & data

Table 1 Visual cognitive profile of students with SLD and the identified points of weakness in their visual cognitive skills (n=19)

Visual cognitive skills	Students
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19
Visual closure							√										√	√
Visuo-spatial	√																√	√
Visual memory	√					√	√		√		√				√			√
Whole–part relationship						√			√									√
Visual discrimination
Visual comprehension			√								√				√			√
Total visual	√				√	√	√	√	√		√		√		√		√	√	√
Visuo-motor												√							√

Abbreviation: SLD, specific learning disabilities.

Table 2 Auditory cognitive profile of students with SLD and the identified points of weakness in their auditory cognitive skills (n=19)

Visual cognitive skills	Students
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19
Phonological awareness	√		√	√	√	√	√	√	√		√	√		√		√	√	√	√
Auditory discrimination	√					√	√	√	√		√	√		√	√		√	√	√
Auditory memory	√	√	√	√	√					√	√	√		√		√	√	√	√
Auditory sequential memory	√	√			√	√	√	√	√	√		√	√	√	√		√	√	√
Auditory comprehension	√	√				√		√	√	√	√			√	√		√	√	√
Auditory attention	√		√	√	√			√	√		√	√			√	√	√	√	√
Total auditory	√	√			√	√		√	√		√	√		√	√		√	√	√

Abbreviation: SLD, specific learning disabilities.

Table 3 Percentage of students with SLD having visual and auditory cognitive skill deficits (less than cutoff value for each test) before and after training

Items	Percentage of students having pretraining scores, n=19				Percentage of students having post-training scores, n=19
	Less than cutoff		More than cutoff		Less than cutoff		More than cutoff
	n	%	n	%	n	%	n	%
Total phonological awareness	15	78.9	4	21.1	1	5.27	18	94.73
Total auditory discrimination	12	63.1	7	36.9	2	10.54	17	89.46
Auditory sequential memory	15	78.9	4	21.1	0	0	19	100
Total auditory memory	13	68.4	6	31.6	3	15.81	16	84.19
Total auditory comprehension	12	63.1	7	36.9	3	15.81	16	84.19
Total auditory attention	13	68.4	6	31.6	3	15.81	16	84.19
Total auditory	13	68.4	6	31.6	1	5.27	18	94.73
Total visual closure	3	15.7	16	84.3	0	0	19	100
Total spatial relations	3	15.7	16	84.3	1	5.27	18	94.73
Total visual memory	7	36.8	12	63.2	1	5.27	18	94.73
Total whole–part relationship	3	15.7	16	84.3	1	5.27	18	94.73
Total visual discrimination	0	0	19	100	–	–	–	–
Visual comprehension	4	21.05	15	78.95	1	5.27	18	94.73
Total visual	12	63.1	7	36.9	1	5.27	18	94.73
Visuo-motor	2	10.5	17	89.5	0	0	19	100

Abbreviation: SLD, specific learning disabilities.

Table 4 Comparison between the mean scores of basic (pretraining) and post-training visual cognitive skill profiles of students with SLD (n=19 cases)

Visual cognitive skills	Basic	Post-training	P-value	95% confidence interval
	Mean ± SD	Mean ± SD
The same picture	4.3±1.1	4.9±0.2	0.015	−1.13, −0.13
The same number	4.8±0.4	5±0	0.074	−0.33, 0.02
The same word	4.6±0.6	4.9±0.3	0.098	−0.58, 0.05
The same letter	4.9±0.2	5±0	0.324	−0.16, 0.05
Picture to word	4.8±0.6	5±0	0.154	−0.5, 0.08
Total visual closure	23.5±2.1	24.8±0.4	0.011	−2.32, −0.32
The same design	10.4±1.5	11.2±1.3	0.115	−1.66, 0.19
Letters’ position	1.8±0.5	1.9±0.2	0.411	−0.36, 0.15
Words’ position	1.9±0.2	2±0	0.324	−0.16, 0.05
Numbers’ position	2.6±0.7	2.9±0.2	0.064	−0.65, 0.02
x new position	2.7±0.7	2.8±0.4	0.376	−0.52, 0.2
Different directions	4.3±0.9	4.7±0.7	0.091	−1.03, 0.08
Total spatial relations	23.8±2.9	25.6±2.4	0.038	−3.57, −0.11
Sequential memory for letters	6.2±1.2	6.8±1.2	0.106	−1.4, 0.14
Sequential memory for words	6.1±2.3	7.3±1.2	0.058	−2.36, 0.04
Sequential memory for numbers	4.7±2	5.8±1.7	0.077	−2.34, 0.13
Picture remembering	6.8±0.5	6.9±0.2	0.245	−0.43, 0.11
Shape remembering	6.1±1.1	6.8±0.4	0.011	−1.3, −0.18
Letter remembering	9±0.8	9.3±0.6	0.255	−0.72, 0.2
Word remembering	5.8±1.1	6.3±0.7	0.122	−1.08, 0.13
Number remembering	13.1±1.7	14.3±1.2	0.022	−2.14, −0.18
Sequential memory for objects	8.2±2	9.5±0.7	0.013	−2.24, −0.28
Total visual memory	66±8.2	72.9±5.3	0.004	−11.49, −2.4
Maximum and minimum numbers	4.3±1.7	5.3±1.1	0.028	−1.98, −0.12
Object parts	5.4±0.9	5.8±0.5	0.134	−0.86, 0.12
Word formation from letters	6.5±1.6	7±1.3	0.268	−1.47, 0.42
Total whole–part relationships	16.2±3	18.1±2.5	0.034	−3.74, −0.15
Letters’ count	31.9±0.2	32±0	0.324	−0.16, 0.05
Numbers’ count	20.5±0.8	21±0	0.005	−0.89, −0.17
Shapes’ count	18.1±1	18.4±0.6	0.169	−0.9, 0.16
Animal scanning	14.5±1	14.8±0.4	0.148	−0.87, 0.14
Choosing correct letters	4.8±0.7	5±0	0.206	−0.54, 0.12

Note: Bold values are the total score of the test (as a whole).

Abbreviation: SLD, specific learning disabilities.

Table 5 Comparison between the mean scores of basic (pretraining) and post-training auditory cognitive skill profiles of students with SLD (n=19 cases)

Auditory cognitive skills	Basic	Post-training	P-value	95% confidence interval
	Mean ± SD	Mean ± SD
Rhyming	8.4±1.6	8.9±1.2	0.219	−1.52, 0.36
Phoneme blending	8.9±1.6	9.2±1.5	0.604	−1.28, 0.76
Word segmentation	3.6±1.9	5.8±0.5	0.001	−3.12, −1.3
Recognizing first sound	2.2±1.5	4.5±1.4	0.001	−3.28, −1.35
Total phonological awareness	23.1±3.4	28.4±3.3	0.001	−7.57, −3.17
Sound recognition	3.6±1.5	4.5±0.8	0.020	−1.73, −0.16
Word recognition	6.2±2.9	8.4±1.5	0.005	−3.7, −0.72
Same or different words	7.5±2.2	9.5±1	0.001	−3.13, −0.87
Al Maad	2.1±1.3	3.3±1.1	0.007	−1.97, −0.34
Al Shadd	2.3±1.3	3.1±1.1	0.040	−1.64, −0.04
Same starting letter	2.1±1.2	3.3±1.2	0.005	−1.94, −0.37
Total auditory discrimination	23.7±6.1	32.1±3.6	0.001	−11.61, −5.02
Sound remembering	3.9±2.7	6.7±1.8	0.001	−4.28, −1.3
Number remembering	19.2±5.8	22.3±2.4	0.036	−6, −0.21
Word remembering	11.6±4.8	14.7±2.1	0.014	−5.54, −0.67
Phrase remembering	2.4±0.8	2.9±0.3	0.027	−0.89, −0.06
Total auditory memory	37.2±12.1	46.6±4.7	0.003	−15.51, −3.44
Auditory sequential memory	16.9±8.9	33.6±3.7	0.001	−21.18, −12.19
Abstract relations	3.5±2.6	5.4±1.9	0.014	−3.38, −0.41
Complete	6.9±3	8.8±1.1	0.013	−3.36, −0.43
Words’ rearrangement	3.2±1.7	4.5±0.6	0.003	−2.16, −0.47
Correct or false	4.9±1.4	5.7±0.7	0.055	−1.49, 0.02
Listen and answer	3.1±1.2	3.8±1	0.029	−1.5, −0.08
Total auditory comprehension	21.6±6.6	28.3±3.8	0.001	−10.19, −3.07
Nonverbal sound determination	2.1±1.7	3.1±0.9	0.023	−1.95, −0.16
Number determination	2.7±2.3	4.4±1.1	0.005	−2.92, −0.55
Words and phonemes’ determination	8.6±5.9	13.7±3	0.002	−8.18, −2.03
Total auditory attention	13.4±8.7	21.3±4.2	0.001	−12.38, −3.41
Total auditory	135.9±31.5	189.2±18.4	0.001	−70.3, −36.33

Notes: Bold values are the total score of the test (as a whole). Al Maad is a symbol used in Arabic to indicate that the sound (for pronunciation) is longer; Al Shadd is a symbol used to indicate that a sound should be pronounced twice.

Abbreviation: SLD, specific learning disabilities.

Table 6 Comparison between the mean scores of basic and post-training Arabic, mathematics, and writing tests of students with SL D (n=19)

Items	Basic	Post-training	P-value	95% confidence interval
	Mean ± SD	Mean ± SD
Total ART	32.4±20.5	76.2±18.1	0.001	−56.46, −31.02
Total mathematics test	2.1±1.6	12.7±3.8	0.001	−12.54, −8.73
Writing test	66.2±14.4	99.9±12.3	0.001	−42.58, −24.95

Abbreviations: ART, Arabic reading test; SLD, specific learning disabilities.