It’s not as well known as dyslexia, but it can make math very hard. This learning disability can affect kids and adults.
It may run in families. Experts don’t know why it happens. It seems to involve differences in certain areas of the brain.
People who think they have Dyscalculia can get an evaluation at any age. It’s usually done by school psychologists or neuropsychologists for kids, and a primary care provider for adults.
Diagnosis
When kids have trouble with math, they often feel embarrassed or ashamed, which can make it hard to seek help. Getting evaluated and diagnosed is the first step to getting the right supports.
All kids have trouble with math from time to time, but if your child’s difficulties persist, it’s worth talking to their doctor or teacher about it. They can help rule out other causes, such as anxiety or other physical problems. Then they’ll ask questions about your child’s family history, review their academic records, and give them standardized tests to measure how well they understand math skills. They’ll also want to know more about your child’s struggles in school and at home, and how they affect their daily life.
Typically, a person with dyscalculia shows low performance on a standardized test for math skills when compared to other people of the same age or grade level. This information is taken into consideration with other evidence, such as clinical examination, thorough history-taking, and further psychosocial assessment.
While we don’t fully know what causes dyscalculia, some common theories are that it happens when children are taught math as a set of concepts to memorize, rather than as a hands-on process of reasoning and building neural pathways in the brain. It’s also possible that dyscalculia results from genetics, and it’s often more noticeable in kids who have parents with dyscalculia or other learning disabilities.
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A diagnosis of dyscalculia allows kids to get the supports they need in school and at home, such as special instruction or accommodations for work. Adults with dyscalculia may also be able to get support from their employer, since laws protect workers with disabilities.
When you’re ready to evaluate your child, it’s important to find a specialized psychologist or neuropsychologist who has experience diagnosing learning disabilities. They’ll have a strong understanding of the different types of learning differences, including dyscalculia, and will be able to administer the correct tests to determine if your child has dyscalculia. They’ll also be able to provide recommendations for the best treatment options for your child.
Treatment
A GP will ask about your child’s symptoms, then conduct tests to assess your child’s mathematical abilities and other areas like logical reasoning, memory, processing speed and organizational skills. A diagnosis can be made based on these results, as well as a clinical examination and further psychosocial assessment.
While numbers are innately processed by most people, those with dyscalculia struggle to process number information and processes. For this reason, it’s important for children to receive a diagnosis as soon as possible so they can begin treatment immediately.
Kids with untreated dyscalculia often feel shame and frustration over their difficulty with math. This can lead to poor grades, a negative self-image and resistance to school participation/homework completion. They may also experience anxiety about day-to-day activities like playing board games, spending money and reading clocks.
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Treatment for dyscalculia involves symptom-specific intervention by educational specialists and therapists. These services may be provided in individual sessions or groups. However, the evidence shows that individual sessions (45 minutes or more) have a stronger effect than group treatment.
Children with dyscalculia need extra support to help them stay on track in class, manage homework and prepare for tests. This could include access to a calculator, extra time on tests and quiet spaces to work. It’s also important to encourage your child’s efforts and praise their hard work, rather than focusing on the final outcome. Some children with dyscalculia have higher rates of mental health disorders, including depression and anxiety. Helping them to develop coping strategies can help improve their overall mental health and reduce their anxiety about numbers.
Adults who have a diagnosis of dyscalculia can get help at private, low-cost or free evaluations in their community. The treatment for adults is similar to the treatment for children, with a focus on the individual’s unique mathematical problem areas.
Adults who have a diagnosed learning disability can benefit from the same strategies as their younger counterparts, such as support at school and at home and one-to-one instruction from educational specialists and therapists. Those with dyscalculia can also use supports such as graph paper, pre-set alarms and reminders to prevent them from getting distracted during numbers-heavy tasks like transferring data onto spreadsheets.
Education
A large study has shown that poor math skills affect people throughout their lives. It has a big impact on their jobs, relationships and self-esteem. Often, dyscalculia goes undiagnosed. People may also struggle with day-to-day activities that require mathematical reasoning such as managing money, following directions, reading maps or calculating tips.
Although people with dyscalculia can struggle in all areas of math, it is most pronounced when they are trying to make connections between numbers and quantities. This is because they have a fundamental inability to subitize, or quickly associate a number with the quantity it represents. For example, someone who can subitize can recognize there are three apples in a bowl without counting them one by one. Alternatively, a person with dyscalculia might count the apples to figure out how many there are.
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People with dyscalculia may have trouble with more advanced concepts such as fractions, decimals and percentages, and they may be at risk for failing or dropping out of school. They are also at greater risk for developing anxiety and depression and having difficulty with other life tasks.
As with other learning disabilities, students with dyscalculia can be at risk of being misdiagnosed. Symptoms are sometimes misinterpreted as signs of attention issues or depression, and some teachers may not be aware of how to diagnose the condition.
It is important to understand the difference between dyscalculia and other types of learning disorders, such as ADHD or emotional regulation problems. Dyscalculia is a distinct disorder that is rooted in brain anatomy and development, rather than an emotional or attention issue.
The best way to help kids with dyscalculia is to teach them math in a way that makes sense to them. Providing individualized instruction, using technology tools and teaching multisensory strategies are all helpful. It is also important to educate parents about dyscalculia and encourage them to help their children with math at home. Overdeck recommends schools host parent math nights where families can practice with games and puzzles. In addition, schools can partner with programs such as Bedtime Math to provide math conversation starters and homework help sheets for kids.
Support
The good news is that as dyscalculia becomes better known, more states, organizations, and educators are taking steps to help kids and adults who struggle with the disorder. Some are establishing committees, providing ongoing research opportunities, and writing dyscalculia specific language into state law. Others are developing programs to provide teachers with resources for helping students with dyscalculia, and there are an ever-increasing number of home screening options that can be used to identify the early symptoms of this math learning disability.
Parents and other caregivers can help by encouraging their children to be more self-advocates. They can talk to their teacher and ask for a referral to a psychologist or specialist who is experienced in working with students who have dyscalculia. They can also look into private, low-cost, or free evaluations for dyscalculia that are available in their area.
Educators can help by encouraging their students to be more self-advocates and by talking with them about the difficulties they experience. They can encourage their students to practice new math concepts with a tutor, and they can use multiple methods of teaching – oftentimes a student will grasp a concept more quickly if it is presented in a different way.
Oren Zarif
They can also provide them with tools to manage anxiety and avoid distractions while trying to do their math homework or study for a test. And they can make sure to create a positive growth mindset around math by praising their hard work and ensuring that they feel encouraged to continue learning.
For adults, it is much the same. Adults who struggle with the disorder can often find that it negatively impacts their life, career, and relationships. They can have difficulty keeping track of money, following directions, or making simple calculations. They can also find themselves overwhelmed by simple tasks like reading a clock or buying groceries. There are a growing number of resources available for adults who have dyscalculia, from home screening options to apps designed to help with specific aspects of math.
Educators can help by introducing new concepts in small, easy-to-understand chunks and then building on them. They can also use multisensory instruction — for example, using both visual and aural techniques to teach a concept. They can encourage students to practice and review new materials regularly, and they can ensure that they have the opportunity to repeat complex mathematical processes until they are fluent in them.
