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Many children fail in geometric learning, but factors underlying these failures have not been explored in detail. The present study addresses this issue by comparing fifth and sixth-grade children who had good or poor geometric learning, and were otherwise comparable on verbal intelligence, gender and age. Results showed that children with poor geometric learning have deficits in both arithmetic and geometric problem solving but they are more impaired in the latter. Results also showed that poor geometric learners have weaknesses in working memory, calculation, and visuospatial mental imagery. The results from logistic regressions pointed out that mental imagery skills and arithmetic problem solving ability had the highest discriminatory power in distinguishing between the two groups. Theoretical and practical implications of this research for designing interventions to help poor geometric learners are discussed. © 2018 Elsevier Inc.

The present study aimed at exploring relationships among the visuospatial tasks included in the Battery for Visuospatial Abilities (BVA), and at assessing the relative contribution of different facets of visuospatial processing on tests tapping constructional abilities and nonverbal abstract reasoning. One hundred forty-four healthy subjects with a normal score on Mini Mental State Examination completed the BVA plus Raven’s Coloured Progressive Matrices and Constructional Apraxia test. We used Principal Axis Factoring and Parallel Analysis to investigate relationships among the BVA visuospatial tasks, and performed regression analyses to assess the visuospatial contribution to constructional abilities and nonverbal abstract reasoning. Principal Axis Factoring and Parallel Analysis revealed two eigenvalues exceeding 1, accounting for about 60% of the variance. A 2-factor model provided the best fit. Factor 1 included sub-tests exploring “complex” visuospatial skills, whereas Factor 2 included two subtests tapping “simple” visuospatial skills. Regression analyses revealed that both Factor 1 and Factor 2 significantly affected performance on Raven’s Coloured Progressive Matrices, whereas only the Factor 1 affected performance on Constructional Apraxia test. Our results supported functional segregation proposed by De Renzi, suggesting clinical caution to utilize a single test to assess visuospatial domain, and qualified the visuospatial contribution in drawing and non-verbal intelligence test.

Nonverbal learning disability (NVLD) can be defined as a specific learning disorder peculiar for deficits in non-verbal area, such as visuospatial and visuo-constructive difficulties, fine motor coordination impairments, and poor mathematics achievement, associated with well-developed language skills. aim of the present work is suggesting rehabilitative proposal for management treatment of NVLD in pediatric age tailored on children and based on EBM.