Dyscalculia is a mathematical learning disability. People suffering from the condition may have difficulty in performing basic mathematical computations. This learning disability can lead to a wide range of problems for children in school in their daily life during adulthood.
The Top 3 Dyscalculia Symptoms Based on Research
1. Delay in Counting
Children may show less understanding in the basic mathematical principles compared to their peers. It applies in counting of numbers or objects.
2. Difficulty in Memorizing Arithmetic Facts
Children suffering from the condition may have difficulty in memorizing simple facts in addition, subtraction, and multiplication. This symptom persists and gets worse when children reach the age of thirteen.
3. Delay in Using Addition Counting Strategies
Children may tend to keep using strategies that are inefficient for calculating addition facts than their peers.
The Top 2 Dyscalculia Difficulties
Based on studies and researched, these Dyscalculia symptoms are caused by two fundamental difficulties – lack of number sense, and the inability of children to automatically process written numbers.
1. Lack of Number Sense
Children suffering from the condition may have the difficulty in underrating quantity. They can be slow in processing even the smallest quantity tasks like comparing tow numbers, and determining how many objects are present in a group of objects.
2. Inability of Children to Automatically Process Written Numbers
For normal people, reading a number symbol immediately accesses the quantity of the number. However, individuals suffering from the condition appear to access the quantity of the number symbol slower. This means that individuals with dyscalculia have difficulty in linking spoken or written numbers to quantity.
The 6 Other Difficulty Symptoms
1. Difficulty Imagining an Imaginary Number Line
2. Difficulty in Using Fingers in Counting Particular difficulty with subtraction
3. Difficulty in Understanding Place Value
4. Anxiety or Negative Attitude toward Mathematical Computation
5. Difficulty in Decomposing Numbers
6. Trouble in understanding and Learning Basic Math Reasoning Methods
Top 5 Symptoms Associated With Other Conditions
The symptoms of dyscalculia may vary from person to person. Also, these symptoms can be associated with other conditions, but not in all cases. Some of the conditions that can be associated with the dyscalculia symptoms in your child may include:
1. Difficulty in Reading or Dyslexia
2. Attention Difficulties
3. Dyspraxia or Poor Coordination of Movement
4. Short Term Memory Difficulties
5. Spatial Difficulties
Dyscalculia Treatment
The primary approach in treating dyscalculia is to determine the math disability that has been causing anxiety or traumatic experience to children. It is important that individuals providing guidance to children, such as parents, teachers, tutors, and friends to be supportive.
The 6 Most Effective Treatments Of A Dyscalculia Child
Secondly, you need to identify the specific weaknesses of a dyscalculia child, such as sequencing problems, memory issues, etc. Once the specific weaknesses of a child are identified, effective and efficient remedial strategies must be implemented and reinforced at all times. Some of the most common and effective dyscalculia treatments include:
1. Helping students efficiently visualize math problems
2. Providing one-on-one tutorial lessons after regular school hours
3. Using a graph paper to helping students to keeping numbers aligned
4. Providing examples, which relate to real-life situations
5. Spending extra time to helping students easily memorize math facts
6. Make children learn the basics of math fun through computer games and flash cards
When dyscalculia is detected at an early age, it must be remedied with patience using effective corrective strategies. Through this way, a student can overcome the condition and excel at the subject, and even grow with not just a successful career, but a fulfilling life.
