Understanding Dyscalculia

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Understanding Dyscalculia

• Speaker Information
• Kay Haralson
• Associate Professor of Mathematics
• Developmental Studies Program
• Austin Peay State University
• Clarksville, TN 37044
• haralsonk_at_apsu.edu
• www.apsu.edu/haralsonk

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Understanding Dyscalculia

• Definitions of Dyscalculia
• No universal definition (a few samples)
• An unexpected difficulty that some people have in
  dealing with mathematical problems (Attwood)
• A condition that affects the ability to acquire
  arithmetic skills (The British Dyslexia
  Association, www.bda-dyslexia.org.uk)
• Having huge problems in math, in spite of being
  of normal intelligence (www.dys.dk)

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Understanding Dyscalculia

• Definitions of Dyscalculia
• Difficulties in performing mathematics
  calculations of certain types (www.dyscalculiainfo
  .org)
• A term referring to a wide range of life-long
  learning difficulties involving math. There is no
  single form of math disability, and difficulties
  vary from person to person and affect people
  differently in school and throughout life.
  (www.ld.org)

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Understanding Dyscalculia

• Diagnostic Criteria for Mathematics Disorder
  (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
  Disorders, 4th Edition, American Psychiatric
  Association)
• Mathematical ability, as measured by individually
  administered standardized tests, is substantially
  below that expected given the persons
  chronological age, measured intelligence, and
  age-appropriate education.
• The math difficulties significantly interfere
  with academic achievement or activities of daily
  living that require mathematical ability.
• If a sensory deficit is present, the difficulties
  in mathematics ability are in excess of those
  usually associated with it.

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Understanding Dyscalculia

• Skills Impaired in Mathematics Disorder
• (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
  Disorders, 4th Edition, American Psychiatric
  Association)
• Linguistic skills understanding or naming
  mathematical terms, operations, or concepts, and
  decoding written problems into mathematical
  symbols
• Perceptual skills recognizing or reading
  numerical symbols or arithmetic signs and
  clustering objects into groups
• Attention skills copying numbers or figures
  correctly, remembering to add in carried
  numbers, and observing operational signs
• Mathematical skills following sequences of
  mathematical steps, counting objects, and
  learning multiplication tables

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Understanding Dyscalculia

• Underlying Causes (www.ldonline.org)
• Visual-spatial difficulties-trouble processing
  what the eye see
• Weakness in visual processing of numbers and
  mathematical situations
• Auditory processing difficulties- trouble
  processing and making sense of what the ear hears.

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Understanding Dyscalculia

• Underlying Causes (www.ldonline.org)
• Attention deficits
• Memory problems
• Information processing deficits
• Motor disabilities
• Problems with sequencing, organizing information
• Problems with understanding concepts and symbols

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Understanding Dyscalculia

• Prevalence of Dyscalculia
• 5-8 of school age children (Strauss, 2003)
• 3-6 of population (www.bda-dyslexia.org)
• 6-7 of school age children (www.ldonline.org)
• 1 of all children (www.dys.dk)
• 1 of all school age children have Mathematics
  Disorder (DSM-IV-TR, 2000)
• 5-6 of all children (Adler, 2001)

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Understanding Dyscalculia

• Symptoms or Warning Signs by Age
• Young Children (www.ld.org)
• Difficulty with number sense
• Difficulty learning to count
• Trouble recognizing printed numbers
• Difficulty with connecting the idea of a number
  with what it represents in the real world

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Understanding Dyscalculia

• Symptoms or Warning Signs by Age
• Young Children (www.ld.org)
• Poor memory for numbers
• Trouble organizing things in a logical way,
  sorting by shape, size, color, etc.
• Trouble recognizing groups and patterns
• Trouble comparing and contrasting,
  smaller/larger, taller/shorter

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Understanding Dyscalculia

• Symptoms or Warning Signs by Age
• School Age Children (www.ld.org)
• Trouble learning math facts
• Difficulty developing math problem solving skills
• Poor long term memory for math functions
• Not familiar with math vocabulary
• Difficulty with measuring things

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Understanding Dyscalculia

• Symptoms or Warning Signs by Age
• School Age Children (www.ld.org)
• Avoiding games that require strategy
• Visual-spatial difficulties hinder comprehension
  of written mathematics
• Difficulties reading a clock
• Problems with time perception, leads to problems
  with planning time required to complete a task

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Understanding Dyscalculia

• Symptoms or Warning Signs by Age
• Teenagers and Adults (www.ld.org)
• Difficulty estimating cost (shopping, groceries)
• Difficulty learning math concepts beyond basic
  math facts
• Poor ability to budget or balance a checkbook
• Trouble with concepts of time, such as going by a
  schedule or approximating time

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Understanding Dyscalculia

• Symptoms or Warning Signs by Age
• Teenagers and Adults (www.ld.org)
• Trouble with mental math
• Difficulty finding different approaches to one
  problem
• Trouble with visualizing patterns, different
  parts of a math problem or identifying critical
  information needed in problem solving

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Understanding Dyscalculia

• Signs That Difficulties With Math are Beyond
  Normal
• (www.ld.org, www.as.wvu.edu, www.dyscalculia.org)
  
• Good in verbal skills, but difficulty with math
  skills
• Good memory for printed words, but difficulty
  reading numbers or recalling numbers in sequence.
• Good with general math concepts, but frustrated
  when specific computation or organization skills
  need to be used.

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Understanding Dyscalculia

• Signs That Difficulties With Math are Beyond
  Normal
• (www.ld.org, www.as.wvu.edu, www.dyscalculia.org)
  
• Trouble with the concept of time late, doesnt
  remember schedules, cant approximate how long a
  task will take, confused on past/future events
• Poor sense of direction, confusion on left/right
  orientation
• Easily disoriented and easily confused by changes
  in routine

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Understanding Dyscalculia

• Signs That Difficulties With Math are Beyond
  Normal
• (www.ld.org, www.as.wvu.edu, www.dyscalculia.org)
  
• Poor long term memory, will know math facts one
  day, not remember the next
• Fails to see big financial picture
• History of academic failure contributing to the
  development of learned helplessness in mathematics

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Understanding Dyscalculia

• Strategies to Help Students with Dyscalculia
• (www.ldonline.org, www.ld.org, www.as.wvu.edu)
• First step must be to identify a students
  strengths and weaknesses, understand how a
  student learns best
• Use tutoring outside the classroom, with a
  one-on-one instructor
• Provide a distraction free place to work
• Encourage repeated reinforcement and specific
  practice

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Understanding Dyscalculia

• Strategies to Help Students with Dyscalculia
• (www.ldonline.org, www.ld.org, www.as.wvu.edu)
• Use graph paper to organize work and ideas
• Use different approaches to memorizing math
  facts, formulas, rules, etc.
• Practice estimating as a first step to solve a
  problem
• Encourage students to work hard to visualize
  math problems, draw pictures, look at diagrams,
  etc.

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Understanding Dyscalculia

• Strategies to Help Students with Dyscalculia
• (www.ldonline.org, www.ld.org, www.as.wvu.edu)
• Encourage verbalizing while problem solving, this
  uses auditory skills which may be a strength
• Try to relate problems to real life experiences
• Provide uncluttered worksheets, preferably lined
• Use rhythm or music to help memorize math facts,
  etc.

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Understanding Dyscalculia

• Strategies to Help Students with Dyscalculia
• (www.ldonline.org, www.ld.org, www.as.wvu.edu)
• If possible, let student take tests one-on-one in
  the instructors presence.
• Allow extra time to complete work if needed
• Be aware if students become panicky, provide
  reassurance
• Monitor student progress on a frequent basis

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Understanding Dyscalculia

• Strategies to Help Students with Dyscalculia
• (www.ldonline.org, www.ld.org, www.as.wvu.edu)
• Teach important concepts to mastery
• If needed, allow calculator use for basic
  operations to allow focus on problem solving
• BE PATIENT- Math can be a traumatic experience
  and is highly emotional because of past failures.

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Understanding Dyscalculia

• References
• Adler, B. What is Dyscalculia?, 2001,
  www.dyscalculiainfo.org
• Attwood, Tony. Dyscalculia and Dyslexia, Two
  different issues, or part of the same problem,
  First and Best in Education, Ltd.,
  www.firstandbest.co.uk
• The British Dyslexia Association,
  www.bda-dyslexia.org.uk
• Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
  Disorders, 4th Edition, American Psychiatric
  Association, Washington, DC, 2000.

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Understanding Dyscalculia

• References
• Geary, David C. Mathematics Disabilities, What
  We Know and Dont Know, www.ldonline.org/ld_indep
  th/math_skills/geary_math_dis.html
• Mercer, Cecil D. and Susan P. Miller,
  Educational Aspects of Mathematics
  Disabilities, Journal of Learning Disabilities,
  Vol 30, No. 1, pp 47-56, Jan/Feb 1997,
  www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/math_skills/mathld_mer
  cer. html
• National Center for Learning Disabilities,
  www.ld.org

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Understanding Dyscalculia

• References
• Strauss, Valerie. Trying to Figure Out Why Math
  is So Hard for Some, Theories Abound Genetics,
  Gender, How Its Taught, Washington Post, Dec.
  2, 2003, www.washingtonpost.com/wp_dyn/articles/A2
  6826-2003dec1.html
• West Virginia University, www.as.wvu.edu/scidis/d
  yscalcula.html
• Wright, C. Christina. Learning Disabilities in
  Mathematics, www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/math_ski
  lls/math_1.html
• www.dys.dk/eng/dysk.html
• www.dyscalculia.org
• www.dyscalculia.org.uk
• www.dyscalculiainfo.org