Dyscalculia is a learning disability related to challenges in math. Some children and adults find it difficult to grasp math concepts starting from counting, learning basic operations, and further understanding advanced topics such as algebra, geometry, or trigonometry. It is one thing to have difficulties in these areas but having persistent confusion even at the most foundational levels can be a sign of dyscalculia. Perhaps as a parent or a loved one, you may be wondering how to fix dyscalculia.
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How does dyscalculia affect learning? My personal experience
I have encountered former students who present various learning disabilities. One of the most common was dyslexia, but the less recognized one is dyscalculia. In some instances, these two go hand-in-hand, as children with learning disabilities may take some time or need additional cues to grasp certain academic concepts.
It is important to address learning disabilities right away once they are noticed, to avoid delays in school and overall development. Dyscalculia can affect learning in many ways, such as the difficulties to apply math in everyday life and in the academic setting. For example, things such as recognizing numbers, understanding speed limits, or counting change from the store are some daily things where math is involved. Addressing dyscalculia can help in minimizing these problems for people who are going through this condition.
In this post, I will be sharing not exactly how to get over dyscalculia, but learning to manage it by taking small but concrete steps.
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How to Fix Dyscalculia: Things to Do
Finding a specialist for a diagnosis
If the difficulties in math are persistent, it is best to find a specialist to give you a diagnosis for dyscalculia. Are you wondering how to diagnose dyscalculia? Often, these are developmental pediatricians for children, and for adults it would be rehabilitations specialists or neurologists.
Getting a diagnosis will help you get the right type of intervention you need, such as tool recommendations, finding therapists, or enrolling in certain programs that will help your loved one who has dyscalculia.
Using materials for mastery
Since dyscalculia is a learning difficulty related to the “abstractness” of math, you can use workbooks to help in retaining mastery for arithmetic concepts.
In the material Dyscalculia Math Workbook, children can learn the foundations of math through:
- Number symbol, word, and value recognition
- Breaking down basic operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division)
- Word problems using visual cues
Some workbooks are designed to assume that children should easily master the number symbols associated with the word, plus the value they stand for. This Dyscalculia Math Workbook breaks down the steps progressively so that children can understand how the foundations of arithmetic work hand-in-hand. To get your own, you can find it in Amazon.
Giving cues and actual examples
Visual cues are very helpful for children who have difficulties in math. Learning how to fix dyscalculia means that you need to access other domains of learning for children, such as using actual materials to help in grasping these concepts in daily life.
What helped me in teaching my child math concepts at an early age includes using color pattern blocks, number magnets, and drawing concepts on paper. At present, he has has quite mastered counting. He also has some familiarity with addition and subtraction.
Repetition is key
As with anything, consistency paves the way to improvement. Teaching repetitively (but creatively) can help someone with dyscalculia eventually master the concepts. I remember having mental blocks when I was mastering the multiplication table in 2nd grade.
I spent a lot of time in repetition, looking at the answer keys in my flash cards, and making some tables myself to eventually master the multiplication numbers from factors 1-12. Make sure to include learning math everyday with your loved one in different ways. It can help in eventual mastery later on.
I hope these simple strategies on how to fix dyscalculia helped you out. As always, don’t forget to check out my Dyscalculia Math Workbook on Amazon:
Also read:
How to Teach Opinion Writing for Kids
Auditory Memory Disorder: Strategies To Improve for Kids and Adults
How to Teach Prepositions: Easy, Simple Ways
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Interesting. This is the first I’ve heard of this learning disorder.
This was a great post because I have never even heard of this disability before!
I’ve heard of this but don’t have any experience with it. Glad that there are resources like this to help those afflicted!
Always grateful for resources that help children learn with their disabilities.
I was not aware of this.. and thanks for sharing this.. it helps to understand that there may be other issues at play when kids struggle with math (like with reading)
It wasn’t until I became an adult that I realized that I had dyscalculialia. I struggled all through school only to be told by everyone that I wasn’t studying enough. I hope this helps other parents sooner with their children or themselves.