Navigating The Math Maze With Dyscalculia
November 20th, 2008

Children with dyscalculia have normal or higher than normal verbal, reading, writing, and memory skills. They excel at the written word. They are great at any subject that does not require higher-level math skills. Their disability and difficulty lies in the abstract concept of time and direction. They find it hard, if not completely impossible, to remember schedules, and the order of past and/or future events. These children find it difficult to keep track of time and usually are always late or tardy. The simple to some task of remembering a name is just not there for these people. They might know the first letter but after that there is a blank. This can make not only the academic world hard, but socializing, as well. Because of their poor coordination, they have a hard time keeping up with the other children especially if the physical direction of the play is quick. When playing games such as cards, sports or the like, they cannot remember the rules. It is easy for them to lose track or whose turn it is and what the score is as well. This can ostracize them from other children who do not understand.

Those who suffer from dyscalculia produce inconsistent answers in basic mathematical functions such as addition, subtraction, and division. As they get older, this can affect how they handle money and balance a checkbook. They may not be able to figure out how much change they are owed and be scared of using cash. A person with this learning disability will have a difficult time or inability grasping and remembering math concepts and rules. The abstract concepts are placed into long-term memory for retrieval. So even though the child might be able to do math from a book, he or she will probably fail tests and quizzes. It is also common for these children to not understand the concept of maps and directions. They tend to lack the big picture and only see the fine details. Reading a clock or looking up the continents can prove mind blowing for these children. They tend to get lost and disoriented frequently and may seem absent minded. What is truly the case are the inability to visualize the concepts themselves and an inability in sequencing things.

Although dyscalculia is not as well know as other learning disorders and may not be easy to diagnose, there is help. There are several strategies that parents and teachers can use to help a child learn and understand math better. Encourage them to visualize the problem and try to explain what it means. Help them break it down into smaller pieces and do one piece at a time. Have the child read problems out loud so they can use their hearing to aid them in understanding the problem. Make the lesson informative by relating it to real life. This will help the child grasp the concept better. Make sure that visual stimulation is kept at a low at all times. Worksheets and desktops must have minimal items on them. This will make the problems less overwhelming. Children with dyscalculia need to spend extra time memorizing math concepts and facts. The repetition is extremely important.

The student with dyscalculia needs to know that they are just as smart as everyone else but they may need one-on-one help to excel at getting specific concepts. Have your child work with you, a teacher, or a tutor during non-schooling hours. See if tests and quizzes can be given alone in just the teacher's presence. This will allow the student to ask the appropriate questions to fully grasp what is expected and take the extra time he or she might need to finish the exam. It will also keep the child from panicking. Remember that a child with dyscalculia wants to learn this material and be able to retain it. Be patient and understand that this can be a highly emotional and traumatic for the child. Have your child do extra problems. The more practice they get the better they will become. When you give the child new material to learn, make sure you have them write out each step. Have them talk it over and verbalize what needs to be done to figure it out. Once the child can teach it back to you, you know they get it. Go over the next day's lesson so that when they get to class it is not new material. This will give them a heads up on key words and concepts and boost their self-confidence. There are plenty of ways to help your child succeed with some hard work and patience

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