Impulsive cognitive tempo in severe and mild learning disabled children

The purpose of the study was to compare the performance of severe and mild learning disabled children to normal children on a problem‐solving task. The three types of children were assessed on the Matching Familiar Figures task, which provides a measure of impulsivity during problem‐solving tasks. Results indicated that on the MFF, LD children, as a group, were more impulsive than normal children, and severe LD were more impulsive than mild LD children. Impulsivity scores were correlated with reading achievement, indicating a relationship between problem‐solving strategy and academic performance. Educational implications are discussed regarding the usefulness of the reflection‐impulsivity dimension in the area of learning disabilities and the applicability of the MFF as a diagnostic and evaluative measure.