DYSCALCULIA

What is Dyscalculia?

The DfES defines dyscalculia in terms of ?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, and 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.? (DfES, Guidance to support pupils with dyslexia and dyscalculia, 0512/2001)
Preliminary evidence suggests that there may be a specific dyscalculia genotype - that is, a genetic anomaly that may result in a specific deficit in the learning of numerical skills.
Research at UCL suggests that dyscalculic children are troubled by even the simplest numerical tasks: selecting the larger of two numbers, counting the number of objects in a display, and activating the meanings of numerals.

Guidelines
Recognising dyscalculic problems
Numbers and the number system: dyscalculic children seem to have an impaired sense of number size. This may affect tasks involving estimating numbers in a collection and comparing numbers.

Dyscalculic children can usually learn the sequence of counting words, but may have difficulty navigating back and forth, especially in twos, threes or more.They may also find it especially difficult to translate between number words, where powers of ten are expressed by new names (ten, hundred, thousand) and numerals (where powers of ten are expressed by the same numerals but in terms of place value).
Reading and writing numbers may nevertheless be competent, though some Dyscalculic children may find numbers over 1,000 cause problems, even for Year 6 children.
CalculationsDyscalculic 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.Lack of an intuitive grasp of number magnitudes makes checking calculations especially difficult.

Solving problems

Dyscalculic children often don't understand which type of arithmetical operation is asked for.
Measures
They may have trouble, even with money. There may be exaggerated difficulties with intensive numbers - i.e. those involving x per y, either explicitly or implicitly - such as speed (miles per hour), temperature (energy per unit of mass), averages and proportional measures. Some will have spatial problems, which affects understanding of position and direction.
Handling dataThis will be handicapped by all of the above problems.

Classroom management

Being unable to do what their classmates can do with ease, can lead to anxiety and, from there to avoidance. Avoidance of number work will, of course, make things worse, and the children will fall farther and farther behind. Dyscalculic children may be particularly vulnerable where teachers follow an interactive whole class method of teaching, recommended in the National Numeracy Strategy.
Pupils are expected to play an active part by answering questions, contributing points to discussions, and explaining/demonstrating their methods to the class. Asking dyscalculic children to answer maths question in public, so difficult for them, but easy for the rest of the class, will inevitably lead to embarrassment and frustration.
Dyscalculia is a special need, and children will require diagnosis and appropriate counselling, as well as support away from whole class teaching.
Support

Compared with dyslexia, very little research has focussed on the problems of dyscalculic children's difficulties and how to overcome them. We are not sure whether there is just one form of dyscalculia or several, and therefore whether different approaches may be needed. It is likely that dyscalculic children will need one-to-one teaching to support what they learn in the classroom. A useful approach to helping children with dyscalculia has been published this year by Kay and Yeo.