Dyscalculia

By: Fenny Patel

Dyscalculia is a math disability that affects a person's ability to calculate and use mathematical reasoning. Completing number-related problems and activities can prove to be quite difficult and result in confusion, stress, and anxiety. Dyscalculia can allow people to be advanced in other skill sets such as reading and speech. There are many different types of dyscalculia, that can range from severe to minor.

Dyscalculia can be broken down into three subgroups. There is quantitative dyslexia, intermediate dyscalculia, and qualitative dyscalculia. Quantitative dyscalculia is a struggle in calculating and counting. Intermediate dyscalculia is about having a hard time using mathematical symbols and numbers. Qualitative dyscalculia is the inability or struggles to understand instructions and learn the skills for an operation. It is also about not being able to understand number facts, which are beneficial when solving math problems that require the knowledge of those facts.

There are also different types of dyscalculia that Dr. Kosc has described. Verbal dyscalculia is the inability to name a certain amount of an object or objects. Practognostic dyscalculia is the struggle to think about problems mathematically. One example would be failing to describe which item is smaller. Lexical dyscalculia refers to the inability to comprehend or read mathematical signs and symbols. A child would have a hard time reading the plus sign or the subtraction sign. Graphical dyscalculia is about the struggle to write and draw mathematical symbols and signs. Diagnostic dyscalculia is about the inability to comprehend concepts and correlation in math. Operational dyscalculia refers to the difficulty of performing mathematical operations.

Symptoms of dyscalculia can be very severe or minor. Most children who have dyscalculia will have a hard time understanding mathematical signs and symbols. Can have problems guessing a measurement of an item and can have a very bad sense of direction. The children will have a difficult time comprehending the different concepts, formulas, and rules in math. Many also struggle with finance because financial planning involves mathematical concepts and numbers. Can have a hard time reading numbers and symbols. Many have a hard time understanding word problems and will have a struggle using calculators. Children also have an inability or struggle to do mental math.

Dyscalculia is caused because of bad cognitive abilities. Some of those cognitive abilities are thinking logically and memory. Children with dyslexia have a hard time understanding mathematical operations and rules and it is because of their inability or difficulty remembering the different rules and concepts. The children also don't have the skill for math and lack knowledge.

There are many different things that parents can do to help their children if they have dyscalculia. A parent or teacher can help by trying to teach the concepts and rules that the child is not comprehending. Also improving visual memory may help when it comes to child learning and remembering mathematical concepts. Math skills and concepts being taught in a sequential fashion will also help the child understand. The best way to help anyone who may struggle with the ability to understand math is to find out if they have dyscalculia and then address it.