Abstract

The relationship between temperamental features and cognitive abilities in children has been reported in the literature. In order to prevent learning disabilities, it looks important to analyze the association between temperament and prerequisites in preschool children. The aim of the present study is to analyze the relationship between cognitive abilities and temperamental profile in 149 pre-school children during the last year of kindergarten. The results show a strong correlation between some temperamental features, in particular attention, measured with the QUIT scale (Axia, 2002) and some pre-school abilities measured with the IPDA scale (Terreni et al., 2002) for early identification of learning disabilities. Children at risk for learning difficulties show temperamental profiles significantly different from their peers; in particular, a higher risk for learning disabilities is associated with a temperamental profile characterized by low levels of attention and high levels of motor activity.