Numerosity estimation in children with ADHD across space, time, vision and action

20/09/2026

AI Summary

Unadjusted analyses showed children with ADHD had lower numerosity estimation precision than controls.
Group precision differences vanished after adjusting for age, reasoning ability and mathematical performance.
No group differences in estimation accuracy; results do not support a core non-symbolic number sense deficit in ADHD.

TL;DR (AI Generated)

Here, we tested this hypothesis by asking children with ADHD (N = 20) and typically developing controls (N = 43) to verbally estimate briefly presented dot arrays, temporal sequences of flashes, and self-generated hand actions (button presses).

In the unadjusted analysis, children with ADHD showed lower overall estimation precision than controls.

Taken together, these findings provide no clear evidence of impaired approximate numerosity processing in ADHD and are consistent with the possibility that mathematical difficulties do not primarily arise from a core deficit in the non-symbolic number sense.

Basic summary

Front Hum Neurosci. 2026 Sep 4;20:1940478. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2026.1940478. eCollection 2026.

ABSTRACT

Children with ADHD often experience difficulties in mathematics, but the mechanisms underlying these difficulties remain unclear. One possibility is that they reflect a basic impairment in the “number sense,” that is, the ability to approximate the number of objects and temporal events without counting. Here, we tested this hypothesis by asking children with ADHD (N = 20) and typically developing controls (N = 43) to verbally estimate briefly presented dot arrays, temporal sequences of flashes, and self-generated hand actions (button presses). Performance was quantified in terms of precision (Weber fraction) and accuracy (absolute bias). In the unadjusted analysis, children with ADHD showed lower overall estimation precision than controls. The group difference disappeared after adjustment for age, reasoning abilities, and mathematical performance. No group differences emerged for estimation accuracy. Taken together, these findings provide no clear evidence of impaired approximate numerosity processing in ADHD and are consistent with the possibility that mathematical difficulties do not primarily arise from a core deficit in the non-symbolic number sense.

PMID:42761099 | PMC:PMC13585964 | DOI:10.3389/fnhum.2026.1940478

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