Early numerical skills in individuals with Down Syndrome

The aim of the present work was to explore early mathematical competences in individuals with Down Syndrome (DS). Intellectual Disability has been identified as one of the most important features in this population. The behavioral phenotype of individuals with DS is characterized by deficits in cognitive functions and learning abilities. A numerical battery was administered to a group of 11 individuals with DS and 11 Typically Developed (TD) children matched for mental age, as assessed with the Logical Operations Test. The findings revealed that early numerical skills of individuals with DS were well aligned to mental age: the two groups presented similar competences in counting, in mental calculation and cardinality. Moreover, individuals with DS read better Arabic numbers than the control group. Data concerning the discrimination of numbers in individuals with DS was also taken into consideration. Certainly, more research on children with DS is needed although the findings here presented have implications to understand the development of numerical skills in DS and to improve the neuropsychological assessment of children with this genetic condition.