Sex differences in learning abilities and disabilities

Nass, Ruth

doi:10.1007/bf02928174

Cited by 61 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…Thus first grade repetition has a dramatic academic prognosis, at least in France (Duru-Bellat et al, 2004). Male prevalence of learning disorders in the general population has been previously reported, and the male prevalence in NF1 is likely to share similar mechanisms (Nass, 1993). According to Geschwind, males usually have less left hemisphere abilities or at least an increased left hemisphere susceptibility probably related to the action of some hormonal male factor during fetal development (Geschwind and Galaburda, 1985).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

Academic Impairment is the Most Frequent Complication of Neurofibromatosis Type-1 (NF1) in Children

Coudé

Mignot²,

Lyonnet

et al. 2006

Behav Genet

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Neurofibromatosis type-1 (NF1) is a common genetic disorder associated with a variety of medical complications, cognitive impairments, and behavioral problems. One hundred and sixteen patients with NF1 (62 males, 54 females; mean age 12.4 years) and 80 typically developing children of the same ages (46 males, 34 females; mean age 11.5 years) were studied in terms of complications and learning impairment (one or more grade repetitions or school exclusion). Seventy of 116 patients had significant learning impairment. Classical complications were present in 53 patients including the three.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

Academic Impairment is the Most Frequent Complication of Neurofibromatosis Type-1 (NF1) in Children

Coudé

Mignot²,

Lyonnet

et al. 2006

Behav Genet

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“…Adelman & Vogel, 1998;Spear-Swerling & Sternberg, 1996), although there is some evidence from New Zealand and the United States to suggest that boys do not necessarily commence their schooling with levels of cognitive and literacy-related language skills that are indicative of learning disabilities (Fergusson & Horwood, 1997;Prochnow et al, 2001;Shaywitz, Shaywitz, Fletcher & Escobar, 1990). The higher incidence of boys than girls receiving remedial assistance for learning difficulties may be due to the more frequent behaviour problems exhibited by boys with LD as well as the co-occurrence with LD of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) among boys (Nass, 1993;Vogel, 1990). As a result, teachers are more likely to refer boys and at an earlier stage than girls with the same degree of need but without co-occurring behaviour difficulties or ADHD (Anderson, 1997;Shaywitz & Shaywitz, 1993).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Findings from the International Adult Literacy Survey on the incidence and correlates of learning disabilities in New Zealand: Is something rotten in the state of New Zealand?

2003

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New Zealand data from the International Adult Literacy Survey were analysed to examine the incidence and correlates of self-reported specific reading learning disability (SRLD). The results showed that 7.7% of New Zealand adults reported having had a learning disability. The ratio of males to females with SRLD was 3:2. Between 40% and 50% of New Zealand adults performed below the minimum level of proficiency required for meeting the complex demands of everyday life in knowledge-based societies. For adults with SRLD, around 80% performed below the minimum level, and the literacy proficiency of adults with SRLD in younger age bands appears to have declined since the early 1960s. Almost 100% of adults with SRLD in the 16-20 years age range performed below the minimum level for document and quantitative literacy and 92% for prose literacy. Compared to non-SRLD adults, those with SRLD were found to leave school earlier, engage more often in manual occupations, are more frequently unemployed, and rely on more state assistance to bring their income levels closer to the levels enjoyed by non-SRLD adults. The results are discussed in terms of SRLD not being officially recognised or provided for in New Zealand, the lack of appropriate remedial provisions for children who experience difficulties with reading, and the effects of a strong whole language orientated approach to literacy instruction in schools that has been in place since 1963.

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“…Nevertheless, in both referred and research-identified samples, a greater number of males with reading problems has typically been reported (Rutter et al, 2004;Stevenson, 1992), and this gender ratio is higher in more severely affected samples (Olson, 2002). Several hypotheses, including Xlinked recessive inheritance (Symmes & Rapoport, 1972), differences in brain functioning due to differential exposure or sensitivity to androgens (Geschwind, 1981;Nass, 1993;Tallal & Fitch, 1993), immunological factors, sexual imprinting, perinatal complications, and differential resilience to neural insult (Liederman, Kantrowitz, & Flannery, 2005) have all been proposed to account for this gender difference in prevalence of reading disabilities.…”

Section: Introduction Ementioning

confidence: 97%

Genetic influences on reading difficulties in boys and girls: the Colorado twin study

2006

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To test the hypothesis that the genetic etiology for reading disability may differ in males and females, data from identical and fraternal twin pairs were analysed using both concordance and multiple regression methods. The sample included 264 identical (129 male, 135 female) and 214 same-sex fraternal (121 male, 93 female) twin pairs in which at least one member of each pair had reading difficulties. The difference between the identical and fraternal twin pair concordance rates was slightly larger for females than for males, suggesting a possible sex difference in etiology; however, a loglinear analysis of the three-way interaction of sex, zygosity, and concordance was not significant (p50.17). The estimate of group heritability ðh 2 g Þ, a standardized measure of the extent to which reading difficulties are due to genetic influences, was somewhat greater for females than males (0.65 vs 0.54), but this difference was also not significant (p50.35). Gender differences in h 2 g were larger for younger children (less than 11.5 years of age) than for older children. However, the three-way interaction of sex, zygosity, and age was not significant when age was treated either categorically (p50.86) or continuously (p50.71). Thus, results of this study provide little or no evidence for a differential genetic etiology of reading difficulties in males and females.

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Sex differences in learning abilities and disabilities

Cited by 61 publications

References 36 publications

Academic Impairment is the Most Frequent Complication of Neurofibromatosis Type-1 (NF1) in Children

Academic Impairment is the Most Frequent Complication of Neurofibromatosis Type-1 (NF1) in Children

Findings from the International Adult Literacy Survey on the incidence and correlates of learning disabilities in New Zealand: Is something rotten in the state of New Zealand?

Genetic influences on reading difficulties in boys and girls: the Colorado twin study

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