A Novel Diagnostic Test Battery for Specific Learning Disorder in Mathematics in a Multilingual Education Context

Diagnosing specific learning disorder in mathematics includes a thorough assessment of a child’s weaknesses and strengths in numbers and arithmetic, with the objective of providing adequate support and minimizing the impact on scholastic achievement. Diagnostic instruments are typically language-based, yet they rarely consider linguistic heterogeneity among multilingual populations where many children do not speak the test language (i.e., language of math instruction) at home. Given the observed impacts of test language proficiency on math performance, the reliable and valid use of these tools in multilingual settings must be questioned. To address this gap, we have developed a standardized test battery in mathematics for third-grade children in a multilingual education context. It is based on diagnostic guidelines and neurocognitive models of number processing, and comprises a set of core and optional subtests assessing basic numerical (e.g., transcoding, ordinal judgement) and arithmetic skills (e.g., fact retrieval, mental arithmetic). Special emphasis was placed on the language aspect, both during test development and data analysis. Following a pilot study (N=211), the tool was validated on N=697 third-grade children in schools across Luxembourg. The results indicate overall good psychometric quality, including objectivity, internal consistency and different types of validity. Performance differences between linguistically diverse children were accounted for with separate reference norms for four different home language groups. Consequently, the present test battery provides fairer insights into individual weaknesses and strengths in the area of numbers and arithmetic in a multilingual education context, hence fostering more tailored support for children experiencing persistent math difficulties.