Dyscalculia

Affects a person’s ability to understand numbers and learn math facts.

Individuals with this type of Learning Disability may also have poor comprehension of math symbols, may struggle with memorizing and organizing numbers, have difficulty telling time, or have trouble with counting.

Signs and Symptoms

• Shows difficulty understanding concepts of place value, and quantity, number lines, positive and negative value, carrying and borrowing
• Has difficulty understanding and doing word problems
• Has difficulty sequencing information or events
• Exhibits difficulty using steps involved in math operations
• Shows difficulty understanding fractions
• Is challenged making change and handling money
• Displays difficulty recognizing patterns when adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing
• Has difficulty putting language to math processes
• Has difficulty understanding concepts related to time such as days, weeks, months, seasons, quarters, etc.
• Exhibits difficulty organizing problems on the page, keeping numbers lined up, following through on long division problems

Strategies

• Allow use of fingers and scratch paper
• Use diagrams and draw math concepts
• Provide peer assistance
• Suggest use of graph paper
• Suggest use of colored pencils to differentiate problems
• Work with manipulatives
• Draw pictures of word problems
• Use mnemonic devices to learn steps of a math concept
• Use rhythm and music to teach math facts and to set steps to a beat
• Schedule computer time for the student for drill and practice

Excerpted from the LDA of California and UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute “Q.U.I.L.T.S.” Calendar 2001-2002