Dyscalculia

What is Dyscalculia?

Pronounced DIS-KAL-KOOL-EE-AH, ‘dyscalculia’ comes from Greek and Latin and means ‘counting badly’.

Dyscalculia, a specific learning disability that hampers one’s ability to comprehend and work with numbers, isn’t limited to childhood challenges. It can persist into adulthood, significantly affecting various aspects of life and work.

Dyscalculia is a specific learning disorder that affects 5-6% of the population. This group of individuals process numbers differently from their typically developing peers and use a wide range of approaches: inefficient and laborious methods, rely on using their fingers whilst counting, unable to tell which of two numbers is larger, have difficulty estimating, and use uneconomical methods to solve problems. No two adults with developmental dyscalculia present the same profile of strengths and needs.

Adults with developmental dyscalculia show difficulties in the acquisition of core foundational number skills. It is, therefore, important to identify their Specific areas of Learning Difficulties (SpLD) so that a targeted and intentional intervention can be offered.

The developmental building blocks of acquiring, recalling and applying numbers in their symbolic and non-symbolic forms requires the efficient coordination of numerous cognitive and sensory pathways involved in supporting number development: working memory, auditory and visual processing, attention and visuospatial perception.

Studies show that Developmental Dyscalculia is often encountered as a co-occurring difficulty in a variety of medical conditions such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), developmental language disorders, dyslexia, epilepsy, and Fragile X syndrome, Williams Syndrome, Autism, Turners Syndrome, Duchenne Muscular dystrophy, DiGeorge syndrome and foetal alcohol syndrom

Adults grappling with dyscalculia may encounter some or more of the following difficulties:

Basic arithmetic struggles: Performing basic calculations like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division becomes arduous. Mental maths and quantity estimation pose significant challenges.
Impaired number sense: Conceptualizing numbers and grasping their magnitude becomes problematic. Comparing numbers, recognizing patterns, and establishing relationships between them become hurdles.
Time and measurement obstacles: Comprehending and estimating time, reading analogue clocks, and understanding units of measurement (e.g., kilometres, centimetres, pounds) become daunting tasks.
Financial management challenges: Effectively managing finances becomes an uphill battle. Budgeting, comprehending interest rates, calculating discounts or percentages, and organizing financial information prove difficult.
Spatial and navigational difficulties: Dyscalculia affects spatial awareness and sense of direction. Tasks involving spatial relationships, such as reading maps, following directions, or estimating distances, become challenging.
Organization and sequencing issues: Organizing and sequencing information becomes a struggle. Following multi-step procedures, understanding schedules, and recalling mathematical formulas pose difficulties.
Anxiety and low self-esteem: Mathematical tasks trigger anxiety and frustration in adults with dyscalculia. This can lead to negative attitudes towards maths and feelings of embarrassment or inadequacy due to their challenges.

It’s crucial to note that dyscalculia is a specific learning disability and is not a reflection of intelligence. With the right support, assessment, accommodations, and targeted instruction, adults with dyscalculia can develop strategies to manage their difficulties and enhance their mathematical skills.

If you suspect or know someone struggling with dyscalculia, seeking a dyscalculia assessment and guidance from a qualified assessor, is highly recommended.

Dynamo Post14 focus is on supporting adults with developmental dyscalculia using its researched and validated developmental NumberSenseMMR™ framework.

A label of developmental or maths developmental delays serves no purpose if the individual cannot be supported. Dynamo Post14 offers recommendations to re-position the learning of numbers and maths.

Some examples of difficultes in professions that require the use of numbers and maths

Hairdressing

Dyscalculia, a specific learning disability that impacts numerical comprehension, can present unique obstacles for hairdressers in their daily work. While hairstyling primarily focuses on creativity and aesthetics, there are certain numerical aspects that can pose difficulties for individuals with dyscalculia. Hairdressers with dyscalculia may encounter challenges in the following areas:

Mixing Hair Color: Dyscalculia can make it difficult for hairdressers to accurately measure and mix hair color formulas. Achieving the desired shade and maintaining consistency across multiple applications can be challenging.
Timing and Processing: Accurate timing is crucial when applying hair color, bleach, or chemical treatments. Dyscalculia may make it difficult for hairdressers to estimate and track the required processing time, potentially leading to over- or under-processing.
Cutting and Styling Measurements: Dyscalculia can impact a hairdresser’s ability to accurately measure and execute precise cuts or styles. Estimating lengths, angles, and proportions may be challenging, affecting the overall symmetry and balance of the hairstyle.
Pricing Services: Dyscalculia may pose challenges when calculating prices, discounts, or additional charges for salon services. Accurate charging and handling financial transactions can become problematic for hairdressers with dyscalculia.
Appointment Scheduling: Managing a busy salon schedule requires time management and the ability to accurately schedule appointments. Dyscalculia can make it difficult for hairdressers to estimate time intervals or calculate available time slots, potentially causing scheduling conflicts.
Inventory Management: Keeping track of salon supplies, such as hair products, tools, and equipment, requires accurate inventory management. Dyscalculia can make it challenging for hairdressers to calculate stock levels, place orders, and maintain appropriate inventory levels.
Financial Planning: Dyscalculia can affect a hairdresser’s ability to manage personal finances effectively, such as budgeting, tracking income and expenses, and calculating taxes or deductions.

Nurses

Dyscalculia, a specific learning disability that affects numerical comprehension, can pose unique challenges for nurses in their daily work. Nurses rely on accurate calculations, measurements, and numerical information in various aspects of patient care. However, individuals with dyscalculia may encounter difficulties in the following areas:

Medication Dosages: Nurses with dyscalculia may find it challenging to calculate and administer medication dosages accurately. This can lead to errors in medication administration, compromising patient safety.
IV Fluids and Infusion Rates: Dyscalculia can affect a nurse’s ability to calculate and adjust IV fluid rates, resulting in incorrect flow rates and potential complications for patients.
Patient Vital Signs: Accurately interpreting and analyzing numerical data, such as blood pressure readings, heart rate, or oxygen saturation levels, may be challenging for nurses with dyscalculia. This can impact their ability to identify trends or changes in a patient’s condition.
Monitoring Fluid Balance: Nurses need to track input and output volumes accurately to monitor a patient’s fluid balance. Dyscalculia may make it challenging to calculate and record these measurements accurately, affecting patient management.
Time Management: Dyscalculia can impact a nurse’s ability to manage time effectively, leading to difficulties in scheduling tasks, adhering to medication administration schedules, or coordinating care efficiently.
Documentation: Dyscalculia may affect a nurse’s ability to accurately record numerical information in patient charts, such as vital signs, measurements, or dosages. This can lead to errors in documentation and potential misunderstandings in patient care.

Builders

Dyscalculia, a specific learning disability that affects numerical comprehension, can significantly impact builders in their daily work. While the construction field relies heavily on mathematical calculations and measurements, individuals with dyscalculia may encounter various difficulties, including:

Estimating quantities: Builders with dyscalculia may struggle to accurately estimate quantities of materials needed for a project. This can lead to over or underordering supplies, resulting in wasted resources or delays.
Reading drawing plans: Dyscalculia can make it challenging to interpret and understand the numerical information presented in drawings and construction plans. This difficulty may lead to errors in construction and the misalignment of crucial elements.
Spatial awareness and measurements: Builders with dyscalculia may find it difficult to visualize and work with spatial dimensions. This can affect their ability to measure and mark precise locations for structures, resulting in inaccuracies and compromised structural integrity.
Calculating dimensions and angles: Dyscalculia can hinder the ability to calculate dimensions accurately and determine angles necessary for proper installation and alignment. This can lead to uneven surfaces, misaligned components, and compromised construction quality.
Budgeting and cost estimation: Managing construction budgets and estimating costs effectively can be challenging for builders with dyscalculia. Difficulties in calculating expenses, tracking financial resources, and staying within budget constraints may arise.
Time management: Dyscalculia can impact a builder’s ability to accurately estimate project timelines and manage construction schedules. This can result in delays, missed deadlines, and complications in coordinating multiple tasks.
Communication and documentation: Dyscalculia may affect a builder’s ability to articulate numerical information accurately or complete documentation, such as recording measurements or creating detailed reports. This can lead to misunderstandings and errors in project communication.

It is important to recognize that dyscalculia does not diminish skills or expertise but highlights specific challenges in numerical tasks. Individuals struggling to use numbers and maths can benefit from seeking support, assessment, accommodations, and alternative strategies to overcome these difficulties and navigate their numerical responsibilities more effectively. By addressing these challenges, individuals with dyscalculia can continue to excel in their creative work while ensuring accurate and professional services.

We appreciate you sharing your experiences of maths difficulties in your profession. Contact us to feature on our website support@dynamopost14.co.uk

Overview of the NumberSenseMMR™ Framework

The NumberSenseMMR™ framework provides a structure to identify and understand the components of developmental dyscalculia and maths developmental delays.

It is symbolised by a tree that provides three dimensions of measurement:

Number Meaning: activation of the Approximate Number System (ANS) to onset the learning and development of the components of the Arabic number system in its declarative, written, quantitative and place value forms.

Number Magnitude: the perceptual and reasoning skills to sequence, order, compare and estimate.

Number Relationships: applying arithmetic operations to solving number problems.

Speed of Processing

Number Meaning:

Numbers as symbols
Subitising and counting

Number Magnitude:

Number comparison
Estimation
Approximation
Ordering
Sequencing

Number Relationship (Facts and Reasoning):

Place value
Number bonds and facts
Mental strategies
Problem solving
Time measurement
Multiplication
Division
Measurement
Algebra

When pupils successfully access the Number Meaning and Number Magnitude components, it gives them the foundation to develop Number Relationships.

Identifying Developmental Dyscalculia with Dynamo Post14

Developmental dyscalculia is a condition that affects the ability to access the foundational components of Number Meaning and/or Magnitude. These foundational components form the basis of Number Sense development, which is a prerequisite for later maths development. These number sense components are not at the expected level of the person’s chronological age, stage of schooling or intellectual abilities.

Components:

Meaning: decoding the symbolic Arabic number in its declarative and written form, quantitative representation and place value by the activation of the Approximate Number System (ANS)

Magnitude: perceptual and reasoning skills to order, sequence and estimate (Esmail 2013)

Development of Number Sense

The acquisition of arithmetic skills isn’t the domain of just one part of the brain and research suggests that the beginnings of the development of a number sense starts with non-symbolic numbers and this triggers the Approximate Number System (ANS.)

The ANS system can be activated visually, auditorily and through tactile senses. The roots of the NumberSenseMMR™ framework depict the activation of the sensory pathways to trigger the process of the ANS and this in turn onsets the development of the skills to subitise, leading to the acquisition of the symbolic numbers. Dehaene’s Triple-Code Model (1995) gives clarity on the dimensions of numbers – shape, sound, quantity (symbolic, non-symbolic, quantitative) and place value.

For some pupils, the introduction of these early skills has either been missed or is compromised due to their unique biological or co-occurring conditions, which impede their association to numbers and their application.

At the root level of the framework, the components of visually discriminating objects, subitising, associating the declarative forms to the correct written symbol, one-to-one correspondence and counting are assessed through methods that involve sensory pathways, verbal and non-verbal memory, vocabulary and language. Where pupils show difficulty with these areas, the indicators within the framework identifies this as being at risk of developmental dyscalculia.

A significant amount of research in the area of dyscalculia is associated with difficulties in accessing the magnitude from numbers. An important skill that underpins the ability to access magnitude from numbers is in the application of numbers using visuospatial, perceptual and reasoning skills. This area of development is depicted in the trunk area of the symbolic representation of the tree and the framework detects the profile of the pupil in accessing components of magnitude with numbers.

The skills of comparing two numbers or quantities, approximating, estimating, using mathematical vocabulary and language, ordering numbers, sequencing forwards and backwards, following a sequence of pattern- all these are areas of number development toward building the flexibility and fluidity in applying the Four Basic Mathematical Operations meaningfully and within problem settings.

The NumberSenseMMR™ framework indicates that the aggregation of marginal gains – the small improvements in the number meaning and magnitude areas – can bring greater progress in the maths areas. This means that little improvement within the many early strands will make a huge difference in securing the relationship part of the pupil’s number sense development.

Pupils performing below age-appropriate level within the Number Meaning and Number Magnitude area suggests symptoms of dyscalculia.

Where pupils show difficulty at an age-appropriate level, the indicators within the framework detect this at the trunk level as being at risk of developmental dyscalculia.
Pupils performing below age-appropriate level within the Relationship area suggests maths developmental delay.

The NumberSenseMMR™ framework can be used to develop number sense milestones according to the pupil’s age and the curriculum. It profiles the strengths and age-mapped gaps in the pupil’s learning and development.

Each of the stages in the NumberSenseMMR™ framework has a range of components and the ease and agility in which the meaning, magnitude and relationship of numbers are extracted gives an overall profile of the pupil’s number sense development. The ultimate aim is to have pupils who can apply their knowledge of numbers efficiently and with fluidity within different contexts. This is the top end of the tree within the NumberSenseMMR™ framework -Number Relationship area. In this area, the pupil’s understanding of number concepts, recalling number facts and applying these to solve problems using mental and written strategies within different contexts. Research shows that the small-step improvements in the Meaning and Magnitude areas bring greater progress in the maths areas.

The NumberSenseMMR™ framework can also serve as an inclusive model and can be used as early as age 5. The advantage of this approach is that pupils struggling can be identified quickly and early at school. This preventative approach with a front-loaded intervention is invaluable as this can build capacity in the pupil’s formative years and teachers can take advantage of the brain’s malleability and plasticity. A study by University of Oxford was conducted to provide correlating validity. NumberSenseMMR™ validation technical details…

Dyscalculia

What is Dyscalculia?

Some examples of difficultes in professions that require the use of numbers and maths

Overview of the NumberSenseMMR™ Framework

Identifying Developmental Dyscalculia with Dynamo Post14

Development of Number Sense

Pages

Details

Connect with us

Follow me on Twitter