What is Dyscalculia?

As we mentioned last week, we get a lot of questions about the different types of learning disabilities. Which, as we noted before, makes a lot of sense because while there is a ton of information out there, it can be super confusing to make sense of it all.

Another one of the most common questions we get is -

What is Dyscalculia?

And…how does one even pronounce dyscalculia?

Dyscalculia (dis-cal-Q-lee-uh) is another term that is used synonymously with Specific Mathematics Disorder.

Basically, it can be used to describe a student or adult who struggles with mathematic concepts and their foundational constructs.

When we consider dyscalculia, we have to think about all the requirements of mathematics. Mathematics requires an incredibly complex set of skills that require multiple connections in the brain to come together quickly.

When students are required to complete math problems or solve equations, they need to have basic number sense, they need to understand the language of math (what do certain words mean, which words are related to which concepts), and they need to have strong enough executive functioning skills (in this case working memory, the ability to sequence information, the ability to self-check their work to know if their answer is reasonable - just for starters).

Let’s break that down a bit.

Number Sense -

When students are solving math problems, they need to understand that the picture/symbol we write down signifies an amount of something. For example, recognizing that 5 is a pictorial symbol/representation for 5 units of something - being able to associate that the number actually is just an abstract symbol to signify a quantity.

A STRONG INDICATOR OF A POTENTIAL UNDERLYING PROBLEM -

If a student is unable to show you using concrete objects (blocks, cubes, Skittles, etc) an amount that matches the pictorial number (for example providing you 5 Skittles when you ask for 5/show the number 5) that would signify a potential problem with number sense.

Language of Mathematics -

Mathematics requires a great deal of language. At earlier ages, we need to understand what words like “altogether,” “sum,” “take away,” “difference,” and “equation” mean. At older ages, we need to understand what words like “mean,” “median,” “mode,” and “perimeter” mean. Even more advanced we need to understand what words like “cosine,” “sine,” and “tangent” mean. If students don’t have a solid grasp of mathematics vocabulary, it can create significant difficulties for them as they try to solve problems.

A STRONG INDICATOR OF A POTENTIAL UNDERLYING PROBLEM -

If students typically do better solving paper and pencil calculations than word problems we want to consider whether the difficulty with word problems is due to:

1. Difficulty with the Language of Mathematics

2. Difficulty reading the word problems.

Executive Functioning Skills -

Executive functioning is another critical skill in mathematics. Executive functioning simply put is our ability to achieve a goal. If we set a goal we have a number of things we need to be able to do in order to achieve the goal. We must remember the goal, put together steps in an organized sequence to achieve the goal, we must start on the tasks to achieve our goal, self-monitor our progress, and so on and so forth.

A STRONG INDICATOR OF A POTENTIAL UNDERLYING PROBLEM -

Math relies very heavily on strong executive functioning skills and many students struggle with math not because of an underlying mathematics disability but because of poor executive functioning skills. They may have solid number sense and understand what they’re trying to accomplish but get lost somewhere along the way. Students who struggle with organization, short-term memory, or simply missing problems due to solving problems with the incorrect operation (e.g., adding instead of subtracting) may be struggling with executive functioning.

When looking at dyscalculia -

We want to consider a student’s ability in all three of these areas. If he or she is showing deficits in all three areas, there is a high likelihood that the student may have dyscalculia.

If the student is only struggling in one of the three categories, a student wouldn’t necessarily qualify for dyscalculia because the struggle with writing could likely better be attributed to another difficulty such as dyslexia, ADHD, a language disorder, etc.

If the student has difficulty in two areas but not three, it may be more of a borderline case. Regardless, to receive a diagnosis, a comprehensive assessment must be completed that measures a student’s ability in ALL three areas.