Children with hydrocephalus have poor math skills. We investigated
the nature of their arithmetic computation errors by comparing
written subtraction errors in good readers with hydrocephalus,
typically developing good readers of the same age, and younger
children matched for math level to the children with hydrocephalus.
Children with hydrocephalus made more procedural errors (although
not more fact retrieval or visual–spatial errors) than
age-matched controls; they made the same number of procedural
errors as younger, math-level matched children. We also
investigated a broad range of math abilities, and found that
children with hydrocephalus performed more poorly than age-matched
controls on tests of geometry and applied math skills such as
estimation and problem solving. Computation deficits in children
with hydrocephalus reflect delayed development of procedural
knowledge. Problems in specific math domains such as geometry
and applied math, were associated with deficits in constituent
cognitive skills such as visual spatial competence, memory,
and general knowledge. (JINS, 2002, 8, 72–82.)