Dyscalculia and working memory deficits in Moroccan children

Abstract

Background: Dyscalculia, a specific learning disorder, impairs number comprehension and arithmetic skills and is often associated with working memory deficits. However, this relationship remains understudied in Morocco because of diagnostic and linguistic challenges.
Aim: This study aimed to examine how dyscalculia specifically affects different components of working memory – verbal, visuospatial, and executive –among Moroccan primary school children.
Setting: Public primary schools in Morocco.
Methods: A cross-sectional design was employed with 64 fourth-year pupils (32 diagnosed with dyscalculia and 32 typically developing controls), randomly selected from Moroccan schools. Dyscalculia was confirmed using standardised diagnostic tools, and working memory was assessed with validated subtests adapted for Moroccan children.
Results: The dyscalculia group (DD) demonstrated significantly lower performance across all working memory components compared to typically developing peers (p < 0.001), with marked deficits in verbal updating (r = 0.75) and visuospatial capacity (r = 0.70).
Conclusion: Findings confirm that dyscalculia is associated with pronounced working memory impairments, particularly in verbal and visuospatial domains, consistent with theoretical models of cognitive deficits in developmental dyscalculia.
Contribution: This pioneering Moroccan study extends international evidence by demonstrating similar cognitive patterns in an underrepresented cultural context and underscores the need for culturally adapted interventions to strengthen phonological and visuospatial skills, while acknowledging limitations linked to the small sample size.