Dyscalculia, when calculations are a problem 2017/07/06

We talk about a little disorder that is generally accompanied by other disorders, but in the rare cases it can isolate itself

Dyscalculia is the difficulty in learning math, the numeral system and calculus.

But careful: we are not talking about the child or teenager who didn’t understand the math lesson. We are talking about a specific real disorder in absence of neurological lesions and diverse types of cognitive problems.

Dyscalculia is divided in:

-PRIMARY refers to the disturbance of the numeric and arithmetic skills.

-SECONDARY it presents in association with other learning disorders, like dysgraphia, dyslexia, etc. The problem must be treated from the source and not only as a calculation disorder in itself.

Children who suffer dyscalculia have difficulty in the whole mathematical sphere:

- they can’t recognize numbers specially if they are formed by various digits (for example 1234), individual units that compose the number (for example, the number 1, 2 etc.) and don’t understand relationships between numbers (for example, 1 thousand, 2 hundreds, 3 tens, 4 units); they have difficulty writing numbers in ascending order 1-2-3-4 and descending 4-3-2-1 and dictation of numbers, without being able to transcribe them

- not memorizing multiplication tables

- have problems with calculations of the four mathematical operations and recognizing the signs of each one (addition +, subtraction -, multiplication x, division /)

- can’t associate a specific quantity with the number

- can’t apply the rules to make calculations, like placing the numbers in columns (by units, tens, and hundreds) to make addition or subtraction operations

- in the text of a mathematical operation, they can’t recognize the indicated elements to solve the problem, ergo, the necessary data for the calculations

Also

- have difficulty in fine and delicate motor skills

- have difficulty managing space-time and visual-spatial, not organizing the space in the sheet of paper

Diagnosing dyscalculia is not easy since first you must exclude particular deficits and neurological causes. Tests will be done to determine if the child has an average IQ and from that point it’s proceeded to more specific analysis of voluntary movement, spatial, memory and language.

Through other tests, it will be evaluated if the child can read and write numbers, if they can count in an ascending or descending order, etc.

Obviously these are specific tests used for the age and school level of the child.

Unfortunately dyscalculia is less known in relation to other learning disorders and a rehabilitation has less possibility of intervening adequately.

It’s true that there has to be a wide collaboration and trust between the family and the school to offer the child the necessary tools to treat and solve the problem.