Abstract
The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of a new Numerical Fundamentals Test to detect dyscalculia early and thereby enable early intervention. The test consists of three components, namely, cardinal numbers, ordinal numbers, and numerical facts. The subjects were 68 students in the first grade of elementary school with normal development. The test was administered in December to first year students, and its results were compared with those of the mathematical aptitude test given at the end of the school year and again at the end of the second year of elementary school. The efficacy of the Numerical Fundamentals Test to predict the subjects’ mathematical ability was then analyzed by ROC analysis. As a result, the Numerical Fundamentals Test administered in the first year of elementary school was found to be able to predict the low-scoring group in the mathematical aptitude test given in the second year of elementary school. This finding demonstrated the utility of this test for the early detection of dyscalculia and will facilitate early intervention.
