Dyscalculia – symptoms, diagnosis and exercise. What are the different types of dyscalculia?

First of all, dyscalculia is associated with difficulties at school. However, people suffering from this type of math disorder face a number of problems in their personal lives, especially if they haven’t learned how to deal with their deficit.

Developmental dyscalculia is a disorder of the ability to perform arithmetic operations. It is estimated that about 6 percent of the population has this type of dysfunction. In the past, dyscalculia also included a similarly manifested acalculia, now both units have been separated in the classification of diseases. About 99 percent. People with dyscalculia are not aware of their disorder.

There are many types of dyscalculia, due to the different areas of difficulty.

Types of dyscalculia (typology according to neurologist Ladislav Košč)

1. Verbal (verbal) dyscalculia – disorders of the ability to name concepts and mathematical relations, determining the number of items, difficulties with naming numbers.
2. Lexical dyscalculia (reading) – a disorder of reading mathematical symbols, digits, numbers and operational signs.
3. Graphic dyscalculia (writing) difficulties in writing numbers and mathematical symbols.
4. Executive dyscalculia – disorder of manipulating objects (real objects, e.g. sticks, abacus or pictorial – illustrations for mathematical tasks, e.g. sets) for mathematical purposes. Disturbance in comparing (objects and numerical values) quantity and magnitude, prioritizing in ascending / descending order, indicating which object is smaller / larger / of the same size.
5. Conceptual-cognitive dyscalculia – disturbance of abstract understanding necessary to perform memory calculations, difficulty in perceiving numerical relationships (e.g. multiplication and division, addition and subtraction).
6. Operational dyscalculia – a disorder in the performance of mathematical operations with undisturbed ability to write / read numbers.

See also: Dysorthography – causes of correct writing disorders

Dyscalculia – symptoms

The symptoms of dyscalculia can be divided into two areas of life: direct use of mathematics as a school subject and daily functioning. Depending on the type of disorder and its severity, we observe symptoms of varying intensity.

“School” symptoms of dyscalculia:

1. Inability to perform basic mathematical operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division),
2. difficulties with deducing, analyzing, drawing conclusions from mathematical operations,
3. severe stress, neurotic attacks caused by the need to learn mathematics (performing activities, tasks, etc.),
4. difficulty reading and writing numbers, numbers, mathematical signs, measures, dates, and other numeric values
5. incorrectly rewriting numbers and mathematical symbols from the table,
6. difficulties in understanding and applying concepts and terms (including measures, dates, geographical symbols, etc.),

Symptoms of dyscalculia in everyday life:

1. problems with remembering numbers, numbers and dates,
2. difficulty reading the time from the clock,
3. difficulties in using money, finances and banking services (e.g. with an ATM card),
4. difficulties with cooking due to the use of numerical concepts,
5. problems with keeping the calendar,
6. difficulties in using public transport,
7. disturbances in spatial and temporal orientation.

Dyscalculia – test

To diagnose dyscalculia, you should go to a psychological and pedagogical clinic, the visit is free.

There are a number of specialist tests that allow you to accurately determine the extent and level of a child’s deficits. It is best to do them as early as possible in the case of suspected math abilities, as the child should be allowed to work on the disorder through exercise and school-based learning based on his abilities.

The tools used to diagnose dyscalculia include:

1. tests of school skills in the field of reading, writing and numeracy,
2. intelligence tests (liquid and crystallized),
3. specific ability tests.

Dyscalculia – exercises

The treatment of dyscalculia is not about catching up with school backlogs. It aims to develop by the student their own mechanisms of coping with their deficits and gaps so that they would be able to function independently in the mathematical world. In addition to therapeutic activities, it is necessary to work independently at home, i.e. doing exercises with parents. Regularity is recommended, and the range of exercises is adapted to the age and abilities of the child.

The most popular exercises in the treatment of dyscalculia include:

1. labyrinths,
2. rebusy,
3. lazy eights,
4. mapping geometric figures,
5. writing with the right and left hand at the same time,
6. building spatial graphics,
7. searching for hidden numbers, symbols in illustrations,
8. ordering according to auditory commands,
9. punch lines, etc ..

Good communication in the parent-teacher-therapist triad is also essential to fully support the child and enable it to develop naturally.

See also:

1. The greatest mathematicians of the twentieth century on the border between genius and madness
2. Dysgraphia – what is it?
3. Letter to editor: There were implications that I was simulating or asking if I was cheating on my husband. Doctors’ fantasy knows no bounds