Banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO: THEO ALEXANDRIA

Uma banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO de MESTRADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : THEO ALEXANDRIA
DATE: 08/08/2026
TIME: 15:00
LOCAL: Auditório B206 IMD
TITLE:

Developmental Dyscalculia and the Need for a "Conceptual Nervous System":
Theoretical Formulations on Models of Numerical Cognition

KEY WORDS:

Developmental dyscalculia; Numerical cognition; Historical-Cultural
Neuropsychology

PAGES: 34
BIG AREA: Ciências Humanas
AREA: Psicologia
SUMMARY:

Developmental dyscalculia, a syndromic category included among the Specific Learning Disorders in the
DSM-5-TR, is described as a disorder that affects the acquisition and use of academic skills related to the
processing of numerical information and the performance of mathematical operations. Developmental
dyscalculia may present with different clinical manifestations characterized by impairments in: (1) number
sense; (2) memorization of arithmetic facts; (3) calculation accuracy or fluency; and (4) mathematical
reasoning accuracy (APA, 2022). According to Kosc (1974), the definition adopted for the concept of
mathematical abilities in relation to the clinical presentation of dyscalculia—referred to in this study as
developmental dyscalculia (DD)—encompasses the abilities that provide the necessary conditions for
mathematical performance and learning. Accordingly, Kosc argued that DD should include only disorders
arising from hereditary factors and the developmental dynamics of brain centers, as these would constitute
the "organic substrates of mathematical abilities" (Kosc, 1974).However, clinical research conducted over
the course of studies on this condition has consistently demonstrated the heterogeneity of the profiles
associated with these difficulties (Kaufman et al., 2013), highlighting the need for a more refined
understanding of the different forms of clinical presentation and the qualitative characteristics of the

various types of impairments. Consequently, markedly distinct conditions may receive the same clinical
diagnosis, making it difficult to accurately identify preserved and impaired abilities. This challenge is largely
associated with the theoretical models that have been developed to conceptualize and systematize
mathematical learning difficulties.Within this context, the present dissertation aims to critically analyze the
main models of numerical cognition employed to understand developmental dyscalculia and to develop a
theoretical proposition grounded in Historical-Cultural Neuropsychology. To achieve this objective, the
study adopts a theoretical research design inspired by the perspective of Theoretical and Philosophical
Psychology (Fontes, 2016), organized into four complementary stages: (i) a scoping review of the literature
on the neuropsychological profile of developmental dyscalculia; (ii) a conceptual analysis of the principal
models of numerical cognition; (iii) a documentary analysis of the Battery for the Assessment of Numerical
Processing and Calculation (PRONUMERO), aimed at identifying the theoretical assumptions underlying its
structure; and (iv) the development of a theoretical proposition based on the concepts of syndromic
analysis and functional systems within Historical-Cultural Neuropsychology.It is expected that this
investigation will contribute to a broader understanding of mathematical activity as a historically
constituted functional system, providing theoretical foundations for the advancement of
neuropsychological assessment and for a more comprehensive understanding of the clinical heterogeneity
of developmental dyscalculia.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Externo à Instituição - ANA PAULA ALMEIDA DE PEREIRA - UFPR
Externa à Instituição - CLAUDIA BERLIM DE MELLO - UNIFESP
Interna - 1321136 - IZABEL AUGUSTA HAZIN PIRES