Dyscalculia Information

“Numeracy problems impact more negatively on job prospects than literacy problems so dyscalculia is very likely to affect people in adulthood”.

(source – Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology)

1. What is dyscalculia?

Dyscalculia is derived from the Greek and means literally ‘difficulty with counting’.

The Department for Education (Dfes 2001) defines dyscalculia as:

  • ‘A condition that affects the ability to acquire arithmetical skills’.

Dyscalculic learners may

  • have difficulty understanding simple number concepts
  • lack an intuitive grasp of numbers,
  • have problems learning number facts and procedures. Even if they produce a correct answer or use a correct method, they may do so mechanically and without confidence’.

It goes on to state; ‘very little is known about the prevalence of dyscalculia, its causes or treatment. Purely dyscalculic learners who have difficulties only with number will have cognitive and language abilities within the normal range, and may excel in non-mathematical subjects’.

Other definitions include:

  • ‘A cognitive disorder of childhood affecting the ability of an otherwise intelligent child to learn arithmetic’. (Ta’ir, Brezner and Ariel 1997).
  • ‘Dyscalculia is characterised by incomplete procedural knowledge and inefficient strategies to solve numericsl problems’. (Shalev and Gross-Tsur 2001).

Dyscalculia is like dyslexia for numbers. But unlike dyslexia, very little is known about its prevalence, causes or treatment. The first research into this condition did not commence until 1974 (Kosh). However awareness of dyscalculia is now coming to the forefront.

Current thinking suggests that it is a congenital condition, caused by the abnormal functioning of a specific area of the brain. People with dyscalculia experience great difficulty with the most basic aspects of numbers and arithmetic.

Best estimates indicate that somewhere between 3% and 6% of the population are affected. These statistics refer to children who are ‘purely’ dyscalculic – i.e. they only have difficulties with maths but have good or even excellent performance in other areas of learning.

There is a screener available from nferNelson but it is currently in its infancy and is used to screen primary school children. There is no collection of standardised tests that can be used to say definitively that a pupil is dyscalculic. Teachers still have to work on a principle of ‘exclusion’ ie if a pupil is of average or above average cognitive ability and has no problems with literacy or other general subjects, and all other reasons for failure such as attendance have been excluded, and yet is unable to understand the maths that their peers are coping with easily, then they might be dyscalculic.

Like dyslexia, dyscalculia is not caused by low intelligence or by poor or interrupted teaching, although both of these may result in the appearance of characteristics similar to those of dyscalculia.

Some medical conditions are associated with dyscalculia. Tuners Syndrome – a genetic condition, more prevalent in females, is associated with mild dyscalculia and Gerstmann’s Syndrome, which also includes an inability to count on fingers or point accurately, right/left disorientation, poor writing and inability to copy letters, is associated with severe dyscalculia. It can also be acquired through brain injury.

2. Does dyscalculia also affect people with dyslexia?

  • Research suggests that 40-50% of dyslexics show no signs of dyscalculia.
  • The remaining 50-60% do have difficulties with maths. Not surprisingly, difficulty in decoding written words can transfer across into a difficulty in decoding mathematical notation and symbols.
  • For some dyslexic pupils, however, difficulty with maths may in fact stem from problems with the language surrounding mathematical questions rather than with number concepts – e.g. their dyslexia may cause them to misunderstand the wording of a question.

In summary, dyscalculia and dyslexia occur both independently of each other and together. The strategies for dealing with dyscalculia will be fundamentally the same whether or not the learner is also dyslexic.

3. Typical symptoms of dyscalculia.

  • Counting: Dyscalculic children can usually learn the sequence of counting words, but may have difficulty navigating back and forth, especially in twos and threes.
  • Calculations: Dyscalculic children find learning and recalling number facts difficult. They often lack confidence even when they produce the correct answer. They also fail to use rules and procedures to build on known facts. For example, they may know that 5+3=8, but not realise that, therefore, 3+5=8 or that 5+4=9.
  • Numbers with zeros: Dyscalculic children may find it difficult to grasp that the words ten, hundred and thousand have the same relationship to each other as the numerals 10, 100 and 1000.
  • Measures: Dyscalculic children often have difficulty with operations such as handling money (checking change) or telling the time on analogue clocks. They may also have problems with concepts such as speed (miles per hour) or temperature. They may also have difficulty in conceptualising time and judging the passing of time.
  • Direction/orientation: Dyscalculic children may have difficulty understanding spatial orientation (including left and right) causing difficulties in following directions or with map reading.Also characteristic is difficulty in activities requiring sequential processing such as dance steps.

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Common indicators in school (Many of these stages are typical of younger children so take age into account)

  • A poor concept of numerosity which is demonstrated by a deficit in subitising ( the ability to know from a quick glance, and without counting, how many objects there are in a small group. It is an innate disability, present in human infants from birth).
  • Lack of understanding of number size eg – 2 is bigger than 8
  • Slow to gain 1-1 correspondence eg 1 = one = one counter
  • Reliance on counting in ones rather than using calculations
  • Struggles to count on and always goes back to 1
  • Have to recount when amount is redistributed
  • No recognition of commutative process eg 2+4 = 4+2
  • Very reliant on concrete materials but will also use fingers inefficiently
  • Lack of problem solving strategies
  • Inability to consistently link symbols to concepts – eg – means take away
  • Poor visual imagery – can’t group or count in 2’s, 4’s etc
  • Very slow/or never learns basic number bonds
  • No understanding of the role of zero
  • Poor understanding of place value
  • Difficulty with times tables
  • Difficulty mentally estimating the measurement of an object or a distance
  • Difficulty keeping scores during games

Interventions and Support

Support for pupils with dyscalculia should be consistent with national guidance following the three ‘waves’ of support and provision.

Wave One – high quality inclusive teaching supported by effective whole school policies and frameworks, clearly targeted on all learners’ needs and prior learning. This should include a range of concrete materials to develop rich number concepts

Wave Two – Wave One high quality inclusive teaching plus additional time - limited Wave Two interventions, designed to increase rates of progress and put children back on course to meet or exceed national expectations.

Examples of Wave Two provision include the use of the National Numeracy Strategy

Additional Programmes:

 Springboard 3,4,5,6,7

 Supporting children with gaps in their mathematical understanding (National

Strategies 2005)

 Overcoming Barriers in Maths Levels 1-2, 2-3, 3-4

 Closing the Gap with Numicon

 TheNumicon Intervention Programme

Wave Three – Wave One high quality inclusive teaching plus personalised interventions to maximise progress and minimise gaps in achievement.

 Catch-Up Numeracy

 Numbershark

 Every Child Counts

 Talking Maths

 Numicon: Foundation Kit, Kits 1, 2 and 3

 Closing the Gap with Numicon

 Numicon Intervention Programme

 Visual Models and Images (Brighton and Hove)

The DfE provided the following advice to boost achievement:

1. DfES (2001) The National Numeracy Strategy: Guidance to Support Pupils with

Dyslexia and Dyscalculia. Ref: DfES 0512/2001

2. DfES (2002) The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies: Including all children

in the literacy hour and mathematics lesson. Ref: DfES 0465/2002

Sources

  • Specialist Teaching and Learning Services (Tonbridge and Malling District)