Dyscalculia – Specific Learning Disability in Mathematics

Dyscalculia refers to a syndrome found in people with specific learning disability in mathematics. Individuals with dyscalculia suffer with the inability to memorize and/or retain mathematical concepts and also have other characteristics and display other symptoms. In spite of their academic acuity in other subjects, those with dyscalculia are baffled when they read, understand and work math problems, but mysteriously forget how they did so, sometimes within an hour!

Dyscalculia affects 4% – 6% of the world population, yet it is relatively unknown. Like many learning disabilities, it is believed dyscalculia may be inherited or be the result of brain damage or problems with brain development. What is perhaps the most frustrating about the dyscalculia syndrome is that students with dyscalculia are generally gifted in most other academic subjects. In fact, the students might be in Honors class, have excellent grades in other subjects and learn and retain other information with great facility.

Dyscalculics exhibit normal or accelerated verbal, reading and writing skills and often possess above average poetic ability. They also have good visual memory for the printed word. Dyscalculics are good in science until they reach a level that requires higher math skills and do well in the creative arts. But dyscalculia can severely limit career choices and pursuit of higher education.

Why is dyscalculia such a big deal when we live in a world with computerized cash registers, laptops, handheld calculators, etc.? Dyscalculia can detrimentally impact every aspect of the life of someone with dyscalculia syndrome. Those with the syndrome will find even the most routine tasks involving numbers nearly impossible and at best, terribly challenging.

Measurements are challenging for a dyscalculic as well as conceptualizing time, counting or making change, reading a clock, keeping score during games, budgeting and any other activity that involves numbers and sequencing. Even playing a musical instrument may be out of the question because dyscalculics have difficulty reading music and remembering the proper fingering sequences for playing a melody.

Some of the annoying habits of a friend or family member could actually be indicators of dyscalculia. Dyscalculics tend to be chronically late because they’re unable to keep track of time or to recall scheduled appointments or events. Those with dyscalculia seem to be absent minded, often lose things and frequently get lost or become disoriented because they have a poor sense of direction. An individual with dyscalculia may not be able to remember names or may substitute names for others that begin with the same letter.

Dyscalculia sufferers may have difficulty keeping score during games and may often forget even how to keep score. Bowling, card games and board games are challenging for those with dyscalculia because they often lose track of whose turn it is! A game of strategy like chess would be next to impossible for a dyscalculic to play.

Dyscalculia causes inconsistent results in working math problems because those with the syndrome have poor mental math ability. Dyscalculics are poor with all types of money transactions and money management. Not only can they not balance a checkbook, but they are unable to budget or do financial planning because they don’t have long-term financial thinking. When reading or writing numbers, dyscalculics may include extra numbers, substitute numbers, transpose, reverse or omit numbers altogether.

Athletics are frustrating for dyscalculics because they have poor coordination even they may be in fine physical condition and have good muscle tone. They have difficulty remembering rules for playing sports and have difficulty keeping up with aerobics, dances or any type of exercise with frequent and rapid direction changes.

Children in school can receive intense tutoring and specialized education to help them compensate for their shortfall in mathematics. They may even be able to master some basic math skills through therapy, training and reinforcement. Often dyscalculia goes undiagnosed or misdiagnosed so proper intervention is often not done.

In this day and age, dyscalculics have the advantage of technology and the computer age to help them live a fairly high-functioning life. Blackberries, cell phones with alarms and calculators, computer programs that can do just about anything one needs to do and many other technological marvels are a tremendous boon to those with dyscalculia and many other learning disabilities in spite of the obvious career limitations and challenges of everyday life.