Dyscalculia

Dyscalculia (or acalculia) is defined as a specific neurological-disorder affecting a person's ability to understand and/or manipulate numbers. Dyscalculia can be caused by a visual perceptual deficit. Dyscalculia is often used to refer specifically to the inability to perform operations in math or arithmetic, but is defined by some educational professionals as a more fundamental inability to conceptualize numbers themselves as an abstract concept of comparative quantities. It is a lesser known disability, much like and potentially related to dyslexia and dyspraxia. Dyscalculia occurs in people across the whole IQ range, but means they often have specific problems with mathematics, time, measurement, etc. Dyscalculia (in its more general definition) is not rare. Many of those with dyslexia or dyspraxia have dyscalculia as well. There is also some evidence to suggest that this type of SpLD is partially hereditary.

Dyscalculia can be detected at a young age and measures can be taken to ease the problems faced by the younger students. The main problem is understanding the way mathematics is taught to children. In the same way that Dyslexia can be dealt with by a slightly different approach to teaching so can dyscalculia. Dyscalculia is the lesser known of these types of learning difficulties and so is often not picked up. A child can be left very frustrated with a learning difficulty such as this as in some cases they incredibly good at langauges and subjects related with their only frustrations lying with maths. The numbers can become jumbled in their head or the concepts confused.

Potential symptoms

 * Frequent difficulties with numbers, confusing the signs: +, -, / and x, reversing or transposing numbers etc.
 * Problems differentiating between left and right as well as compass directions.
 * Inability to say which of two numbers is the larger.
 * Reliance on 'counting-on' strategies, often using fingers, rather than any more efficient mental arithmetic strategies.
 * Difficulty with times-tables, mental arithmetic, measurements, etc.
 * Good in subjects like science and geometry until a higher level requiring calculations is needed.
 * Difficulty with conceptualising time and judging the passing of time.
 * Difficulty with everyday tasks like checking change and reading analogue clocks.
 * Inability to comprehend financial planning or budgeting, sometimes even at a basic level, for example estimating the cost of the items in a shopping basket.
 * Inability to grasp and remember maths concepts, rules, formulae, sequences.
 * Difficulty keeping score during games.
 * Difficulty in activities requiring sequential processing, from the physical (such as dance steps) to the abstract (reading, writing and signalling things in the right order). Failing even with a calculator due to difficulties in the process of feeding in variables.
 * The condition may lead in extreme cases to a phobia of mathematics and mathematical devices (i.e. numbers).

Potential causes

 * Neurological: Dyscalculia has been associated with lesions to the supramarginal and  angular gyri at the junction between the  temporal and parietal lobes of the cerebral cortex.
 * Deficits in Working Memory: Adams and Hitch argue that working memory is a major factor in mental addition. From this base, Geary conducted a study that suggested there was a working memory deficit for those who suffered with dyscalculia. However, working memory problems are confounded with general learning difficulties, thus Geary's findings may not be specific to dyscalculia but rather may reflect a greater learning deficit.

Studies of mathematically gifted students has shown increased EEG activity in the right hemisphere during mathematical processsing.There is some evidence of right hemisphere deficits in dyscalculia.

Dealing with students having dyscalculia

 * Give them extra time for numerical problems.
 * Make sure that the student has actually understood the problem.
 * Attempt to determine whether the learning style of the student is primarily visual, auditory or kinaesthetic.
 * Encourage students to "visualize" the quantities involved in mathematics problems.
 * Be aware that students may use non-standard methods to solve problems. If their method is helpful, encourage it.
 * Where appropriate have the student read problems out loud and listen carefully.
 * Provide plenty of examples and try to relate problems to real-life situations.
 * Provide uncluttered worksheets.
 * Dyscalculic students will probably need to spend considerable extra time memorizing mathematical facts. Repetition is greatly important. Rhythm or music may help the process.
 * Severely dyscalculic students, particularly if they are also dyslexic, may in fact have too poor a memory to memorise by rote at all. In this case, they should first concentrate on strengthening the basic numerical bonds and then use of calculation strategies.
 * Do not scold or pity the student.
 * Where appropriate, seek the advice of the SENCO or Ed. Psych.

Dyscalculia and the university student
When dealing with a student with dyscalculia it is best to evaluate their academic strengths and use that to their advantage. Dyscalculia can create great difficulty for university students in choosing majors. It is best advised for the student to talk with the disabled student services counselors. Majors in engineering,the natural and medical sciences require an excellent grasp of advanced mathematics whereas programs in the social sciences depending on the specific area of study within social sciences generally require minimal math with the exception of statistics. In the United States,policies regarding the management of dyscalculia and other learning disabilities varies greatly from university to university. Some universities allow students who have been formally diagnosed with dyscalculia to substitute other courses for the math requirements whereas  other schools require the student to complete the course but offer additional tutoring.