Not liking maths is not the only reason someone may struggle with numbers; it could also be a symptom of a Specific Learning Disorder. Dyscalculia affects an individual’s understanding and application of numerical concepts, making routine activities such as measuring ingredients, keeping track of time, or handling money difficult.
Identifying the signs early and understanding the available support options can make an important difference in learning results and confidence. This discussion focuses on how to identify the condition and look out for effective ways to manage it for improved daily functioning and academic success.
Typical Features of Dyscalculia
Dyscalculia is a specific learning difficulty that affects how individuals understand, process, and work with numbers. It can appear in various ways, impacting both educational and social performance. Knowing its common qualities helps to provide immediate support and specific ways to learn.
Some typical features are:
- Trouble understanding number ideas: Have trouble with simple counts, place value and what numbers mean.
- Problems with math operations: One can’t remember or use the rules for addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
- Poor sense of quantity: Lack of ability to calculate amounts, compare sizes or to understand when quantities are equal or different.
- Problems with sequencing: Difficulty following steps in order, such as solving multi-step math problems.
- Frail memory for retaining math facts: Children with dyscalculia have issues with remembering formulas that are needed frequently for complex operations and tend to forget rules even after repeated instructions.
- Misinterpreting time and dates: Children with dyscalculia cannot relate to abstract concepts such as time and money; therefore, performing calculations to estimate the remaining change or addition subtraction regarding money matters can be a struggle.
- Spatial judging issues: Not being able to read and decipher graphs, maps is a common issue with dyscalculic children.
- Number anxiety: Children with dyscalculia try and avoid work related to maths or hesitate to complete math-related tasks due to continuous errors.
The above-listed attributes differ in their severity between different individuals. Recognizing these signs at a primitive stage can help restrict the academic gaps and clear the child’s doubts to build confidence in numeracy skills.
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How is Dyscalculia Diagnosed?
Diagnosing Dyscalculia includes a detailed evaluation to understand how an individual understands numbers and mathematical concepts. The process is usually carried out by educational psychologists or specialists proficient in learning difficulties. Timely noting the struggles of the child helps to arrive at an accurate diagnosis that enables kicking off the intervention approach, aligning with the learning needs of the child.
The diagnosis procedure comprises the following:
Preliminary Scrutiny
The initial struggle signs will be observed by teachers during their early years of schooling. Also, parents may find similar struggle signs at home.
Detailed History
Collecting crucial and minute details about the child’s development history that highlight the developmental milestones missed, academic progress and study of any other learning disorders.
Regular Tests
Performing standardized tests to evaluate the child’s numeracy competencies, such as counting, sequencing and critical thinking skills.
Rational thinking skills review.
Cognitive reviewing is conducted to evaluate the child’s cognitive skills of reasoning, concentration, and memory retention.
Age-related comparisons
Assessments are conducted to compare whether the learning condition is extremely low compared to the age and education of the child.
Eliminate other issues
Be sure that the child doesn’t possess any other impairments, or the teacher uses the Ruling out other factors.
Ensuring the challenges are not due to inadequate teaching, poor attendance, language barriers, or sensory impairments such as vision or hearing loss.
A thorough diagnosis not only confirms the presence of dyscalculia but also guides targeted interventions to improve learning outcomes.
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Source: neuropedia
Instruction and Support for Kids with Dyscalculia
Children with dyscalculia can be a thriving part of the regular classroom when they are offered the precise teaching methods and tools that strengthen their numeracy competencies and clear their doubts, making them confident to tackle the academic math challenges. The teaching techniques used should be aligned well with the child’s learning styles and preferences, which makes learning maths a stress-free process for them.
Effective instruction and support strategies include:
Utilise maximum visual tools:
Interactive visual aids can make learning joyous and interesting for children, making abstract concepts more relatable to them.
Learn by doing:
Let the child experience learning by doing it personally with their own hands, which helps to understand concepts thoroughly, especially for counting, sequencing, and even ordering.
Systematic simple instructions:
Be concise and provide them with systematic step-by-step instruction that helps to break down a big problem into smaller better better-understandable steps.
Practical examples:
Let children indulge in simple household activities, such as shopping or even cooking, to understand concepts of value and money properly.
AI-backed teaching tools:
Using interactive and interesting AI-backed teaching techniques that help to enhance the child’s attention span, engaging them in a better manner.
Periodic assessment-
Conduct regular reviews to evaluate the child’s progress.
Positive rewards-
Motivate the child to try hard by rewarding them for their smallest wins, helping them build high self-esteem and confidence in numeracy competency.
A structured, regular, and cooperative approach assists children in building their numeracy skills by clarifying concepts accurately and making maths an interesting aspect of their regular lives.
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Treatment for Co-Occurring Issues
There are higher chances of children with mathematical Learning Disorder of Dyscalculia possessing some other neurological conditions, such as ADHD, Autism, that can make a worsening impact on their overall learning. Understanding these co-occurring issues is essential to provide the child with adequate academic aid and guidance that helps them manage their challenges effectively.
The strategies used for dealing with co-occurring issues are listed below:
Widespread Review:
A complete assessment of the child’s overall learning and emotional needs is done through standardised evaluations.
Individualised education plans (IEPs) –
While framing the IEP, sufficient targeted support to be provided for multiple learning conditions with a systematic plan.
Therapy Treatments-
Offering the child desired assistance in the form of speech therapy for language issues and occupational therapy for helping them strengthen their daily life skills.
Behavioural Management-
A major challenge faced by children with special needs is handling their emotional turmoil, which leads to frustration and aggressive behaviours. Methods and strategies are implemented to train the child to understand these emotions and display acceptable behaviours.
Networking with professionals-
Be in touch with specific professionals, teachers, and special educators to help the child receive the best consistent and all-rounded support.
Emotional guidance-
Be a constant guide for the child, being present for them emotionally, which uplifts their morale and reduces the stress of learning.
Handling the co-occurring issues can be highly beneficial for the child as their overall holistic progress is addressed efficiently, where different developmental domains such as academics, resilience and socio-emotional health are taken care of.
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Ways to Help with Dyscalculia at Home
Supporting a kid with dyscalculia at home includes creating a supportive environment that builds understanding, lowers anxiety and makes learning more engaging. Parents can use practical approaches that include maths in daily routines and ensure steady progress over time.
Means of fostering the child’s numeracy skills are listed below:
Introduce hands-on learning:
Let the child learn maths through simple daily activities. Let the child experience the learning through shopping, where they must perform calculations.
Incorporate visual aids:
Include a variety of visual aids and tangible objects that they can see and touch to make concepts more relatable, helping them understand these concepts well.
Chunking of complex process:
Divide the complex operation into small steps that help children master basic steps, which builds confidence in them.
Repeat numerous times:
Repeat each step numerous times to ensure that the child has understood it well before moving on to the next step.
Play-way learning:
Encourage play-way learning where children learn maths through interesting games such as board games and puzzles, which helps to help children learn. Play math-based games – Board games, puzzles, and apps can make learning fun.
Avoid being critical:
Even if the child is not showing the desired learning outcomes, do not criticise his efforts. On the contrary, provide them with emotional guidance that motivates them to strive harder for better results.
Work closely with teachers:
Align home activities with school learning goals for consistent progress.
Teachers and Parents who want to be a valuable tool in shaping the academic journey of their students effectively should consider pursuing a Learning Disability Course from an eminent learning platform of Vidhyanidhi Education Society (Govt. Regd.), a teacher training institute that has built careers of aspiring teachers who want to make a flourishing career in the field of Special Education.
Undergoing this course equips parents to gain insights about effective strategies and teaching techniques that help to enhance learning at home, fostering their overall holistic progress.
Support Success! Join Vidhyanidhi’s LD Course and Make Learning Easier Today!
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FAQs
How often is Dyscalculia Diagnosed?
It is less frequently diagnosed compared to other learning difficulties, often identified when consistent math struggles appear in school years.
What is a Maths Diagnostic Assessment?
A maths diagnostic assessment evaluates skills, strengths, and weaknesses in number sense and problem-solving. Vidhyanidhi Education Society offers training in this.
