MEGAN PAUGH

Dyscalculia

What is it?

Dyscalculia is a term referring to a wide range of life-long learning disabilities 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

3-6%

(Tajar and Sharifi, 2011)

Characteristics

Deficits in:Automatic processing of numerical info

Efficiency of making associations between symbolic meaning and quantity

Retrieving arithmetical facts

Executing efficient calculation procedures

(Kadosh and Walsh, 2007)

Number Sense

The key to understanding and doing math

Numerical and spatial relationship of numbers

(Callaway, 2013)

Early Childhood Difficulties

Difficultly learning number sense

Trouble with tasks (sorting, patterns, compare & contrast)

(Tajar and Sharifi, 2011)

School-Age Difficulties

Difficulty in solving basic math problems (addition, subtraction, multiplication & division)

Struggle retaining basic math facts

Trouble with applying knowledge to math

(Tajar and Sharifi, 2011)

Teenager and Adult Difficulties

Trouble moving on to advanced math

Difficulty in grasping vocabulary

(Tajar and Sharifi, 2011)

Cause

Neurological (brain damage)

Genetics (congential/hereditary)

(Ashkenazi, Rosenberg-Lee, Tenison & Menon, 2012)

(Kadosh and Walsh, 2007)

Evaluation

Teacher or professional

Full range of math-related skills Counting, adding, subtracting, multiplying & dividing;

predicting appropriate procedures; organizing components in a logical way; measuring, telling time and using money; estimation; self-checking work

Pencil and paper

(Tajar and Sharifi, 2011)

Services, Tips & Accommodations

Strengths and weaknesses Tutor (individual attention)

Finding different ways to approach problems Practice estimation

Graph paper Begin with concrete examplesLimited distractionsSupply student with necessary suppliescomputers

(Tajar and Sharifi, 2011)