Differential diagnostics of dyscalculia in junior schoolchildren: testing of the au-thor's method of complex assessment of dyscalculia (CAT)

Authors

  • Darya Tarasova N.P. Bekhtereva Institute of Human Brain of the Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
  • Elena Isaeva First St. Petersburg State Medical University named after Acad. I.P. Pavlov First St. Petersburg State Medical University, St. Petersburg, Russia
  • Alexander Bizyuk First St. Petersburg State Medical University named after Acad. I.P. Pavlov First St. Petersburg State Medical University, St. Petersburg, Russia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54359/ps.v18i103.1974

Abstract

The article addresses the issue of differential diagnosis of dyscalculia in Russia, namely the lack of standardized tools for detecting the disorder, whose prevalence is estimated at up to 6% of the population. Developmental dyscalculia is a specific learning disorder characterized by difficulties in processing numerical and mathematical information despite a normal level of intelligence. The authors present their own specialized methodology — the Comprehensive Assessment of Dyscalculia (CAD) — and the results of its validation in a sample of 91 pupils in grades 2–4 of regular schools in St. Petersburg (Russia), with varying levels of mathematical skills (neurotypical children aged 8 to 11 years). The CAD methodology consists of two components: the Mathematical Skills Assessment Block (including an Arithmetic Block and a Mathematical Problems Block), developed on the basis of the Federal State Educational Standards, and the Neurocognitive Block, comprising subtests designed to assess neuropsychological factors involved in the functional system of mathematical skills. The CAD results were compared with those of the Number Knowledge Test (NKT), an internationally recognized tool considered reliable and sensitive for identifying difficulties in numerical processing specific to dyscalculia. The findings confirmed a strong positive correlation between the overall scores of the two methodologies, their consistency and convergent validity, as well as the absence of significant differences in sensitivity and specificity. The authors highlight the differential diagnostic potential of CAD: its ability to detect dyscalculia and to distinguish specific difficulties in acquiring counting skills from nonspecific ones, including those resulting from pedagogical gaps. Prospects for further research include adapting CAD for preschool children, conducting longitudinal studies of its validity, and developing a computerized version of the methodology.

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Author Biographies

  • Darya Tarasova, N.P. Bekhtereva Institute of Human Brain of the Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia

    Clinical psychologist, postgraduate student at the N.P. Bekhtereva Institute of Human Brain of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 9, Akademika Pavlov St., 197022 St. Petersburg, Russia.

  • Elena Isaeva , First St. Petersburg State Medical University named after Acad. I.P. Pavlov First St. Petersburg State Medical University, St. Petersburg, Russia

    Doctor of Psychological Sciences, Professor, Head of the Department of General and Clinical Psychology, First St. Petersburg State Medical University named after Acad. I.P. Pavlov, 6-8, Leo Tolstoy St., 197022 St. Petersburg, Russia.

  • Alexander Bizyuk , First St. Petersburg State Medical University named after Acad. I.P. Pavlov First St. Petersburg State Medical University, St. Petersburg, Russia

    Candidate of Psychological Sciences, Associate Professor, Department of General and Clinical Psychology, First St. Petersburg State Medical University named after Acad. I.P. Pavlov, 6-8, Leo Tolstoy St., 197022 St. Petersburg, Russia.

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Published

2025-11-29

Issue

Vol. 18 No. 103 (2025)

Section

New methods

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How to Cite

Tarasova, D., Isaeva , E., & Bizyuk , A. (2025). Differential diagnostics of dyscalculia in junior schoolchildren: testing of the au-thor’s method of complex assessment of dyscalculia (CAT). Psychological Studies, 18(103), 1. https://doi.org/10.54359/ps.v18i103.1974