Children with dyscalculia struggle to learn basic arithmetic and number sense. Like dyslexia, dyscalculia is a learning disability that affects people of all intelligence levels. Boys and girls are equally affected and most research suggest that between 3 to 7 percent of the population have dyscalculia.
Diagnosing Dyscalculia
Researchers, psychologists, and educators are gaining experience and awareness of dyscalculia, but there are still many misconceptions. This makes getting a diagnosis challenging. Of the children who do get diagnosed with dyscalculia, they are typically already 3 to 5 years behind in school before the diagnosis is made. The lag between early symptoms and diagnosis creates many problems for these children. Kids feel despair that they might just be “dumb” instead of people who learn differently. They also lose critical time when they could have been getting the help they needed. Like other therapies that require the brain to work differently (such as speech therapy), early detection and early intervention has tremendous benefits.
Symptoms of dyscalculia include:
Children with dyscalculia often have other disorders as well. This is referred to as “comorbidity.” Many people with the following diagnosis also have dyscalculia:
The Cause of Dyscalculia
There are two types of dyscalculia, developmental and acquired. Acquired dyscalculia happens because of a brain trauma including sports concussions. Developmental dyscalculia is sometimes caused by a medical condition, such as fetal alcohol syndrome, but often is not. Very little research has been done on developmental dyscalculia. Brain images taken on people with dyscalculia show less brain activity in the parietal lobes (the math area). However, cognitive science shows that our brains are incredibly plastic and that new synapses and neural pathways are created when people get the right interventions. While dyscalculia might not currently have a “cure,” early diagnosis and intervention often does wonders at treating the symptoms.
What Interventions Work?
Since children with dyscalculia have difficulty memorizing facts, such as the times tables, it is important that they focus on understanding math concepts. Using concrete materials helps them conceptualize quantities. They will need more time to complete math tasks. They will also need more practice to master new math skills than someone without dyscalculia. In other words, they will have to work harder, but they can become proficient in math. Children with dyscalculia need to work on mathematical reasoning. This is accomplished by having the teacher or instructor ask open-ended, strategy questions and giving the student plenty of time to both answer and ask questions. Children who have already experienced a decline in self-confidence about math need to build confidence. This is best done by starting with relatively easy tasks so they experience success, and then they can progress to more difficult concepts.
How Does Mathnasium of Littleton Address Dyscalculia?
The interventions that work for treating dyscalculia also work for addressing learning gaps in math caused from other reasons. These strategies include:
We are also willing to speak with the classroom teacher and the special education teacher about strategies that work for an individual child.
Next Steps
If you suspect your child may have dyscalculia contact the school’s special education department. Start the evaluation process as soon as possible. If your child’s school does not serve students with mathematical special needs, contact your district’s special education department, or the Colorado department of education for further help. You may also want to speak with an educational advocate and your child’s pediatrician to further advocate for the needs of your child. If it is determined that your child has dyscalculia, he or she will receive an IEP requiring the school to provide certain services and accommodations.
Don’t wait for the diagnosis before getting your child extra help in math. The sooner they get intensive math instruction at the right level the better. Mathnasium of Littleton will get them started right away.
Further resources:
http://www.aboutdyscalculia.org/SPELDKeynote_AnnaWilson_2008.pdf
http://www.aboutdyscalculia.org/symptoms.html
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3514770/
http://www.aboutdyscalculia.org/index.html
https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/child-learning-disabilities/dyscalculia/understanding-dyscalculia
https://ldaamerica.org/types-of-learning-disabilities/dyscalculia/
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