Dyscalculia

Dyscalculia. An Overview.

Wha t is Dyscalculia ?. Dyscalculia is a learning disability that makes math challenging to process and understand. Symptoms range from difficulty with counting and basic mental math to trouble with telling time and direction..

Dyscalculia Overview. Individuals with dyscalculia have difficulties with all areas of mathematics — problems not explained by a lack of proper education, intellectual disabilities, or other conditions. The learning disorder complicates and derails everyday aspects of life involving mathematical concepts – like telling time, counting money, and performing mental calculations..

Dyscalculia Symptoms. Difficulties with processing numbers and quantities, including:.

Causes of Dyscalculia. When considering dyscalculia, most people are actually thinking of developmental dyscalculia – difficulties in acquiring and performing basic math skills. Exact causes for this type of dyscalculia are unknown, though research points to issues in brain development and genetics (as the disability tends to run in families) as possible causes.8.

Dyscalculia Diagnosis. Dyscalculia appears under the “specific learning disorder” (SLD) section in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5th Edition (DSM-5).10 For an SLD diagnosis, an individual must meet these four criteria:.

Diagnostic evaluations for dyscalculia are typically carried out by school psychologists and neuropsychologists, though child psychiatrists and school health services and staff may play a role in evaluation. Adults who suspect they have dyscalculia may be referred to a neuropsychologist by their primary care provider..

Dyscalculia Treatment and Accommodations. Like other learning disabilities, dyscalculia has no cure and cannot be treated with medication. By the time most individuals are diagnosed, they have a shaky math foundation. The goals of treatment, therefore, are to fill in as many gaps as possible and to develop coping mechanisms that can be used throughout life. This is typically done through special instruction, accommodations, and other interventions. Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act ( IDEA ), students with dyscalculia are eligible for special services in the classroom. Dyscalculia accommodations in the classroom may include 11 :.

If left untreated, dyscalculia persists into adulthood, leaving many at a disadvantage when it comes to higher education and workplace success.12 Adults with dyscalculia, however, may be entitled to reasonable accommodations in their workplace under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)..

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