Dyscalculia: Solving Your Child's Learning Difficulties
of reading - words
Is your child struggling with dyscalculia, or do you suspect they might be?
Don't panic! In any case, it's important to remember that it is not an illness and that effective solutions exist to help your child.
As education professionals, we take a keen interest in learning disorders.
In this article, we will outline the signs of possible dyscalculia in children and the solutions available to help the child and set them on the path to success.
Without further ado, let's get straight to the point.
How Dyscalculia Develops
Learning difficulties in mathematics, also known as dyscalculia, are learning disorders that make it hard to understand numbers and symbols and perform mathematical calculations. Commonly, it is often referred to as "math dyslexia."
Dyscalculia can occur in individuals of all IQ levels. It is often associated with individuals with Turner syndrome. In this article, we will discuss how to support children with mathematical learning difficulties and the most common treatment methods. Let's start with the symptoms of dyscalculia.
Symptoms of Mathematical Learning Disorders
Symptoms of mathematical learning disorders typically appear during childhood. Notably through behaviors of discomfort in children starting primary or preschool education.
Having difficulty with basic math operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication, division (even if the problem is simple), the child thinks about it for too long.
Signs That May Be Linked to Dyscalculia
- The child cannot memorize multiplication tables or forgets them in a few days.
- The child makes simple errors due to poor memory.
- The child mixes up mathematical symbols.
- The child confuses left and right.
- The child shows signs of attention deficit, cannot focus on the subject.
- The child struggles to grasp concepts of date, time, and duration.
- Inability to learn simple geometric shapes.
- The child tends to count on fingers for all mathematical operations.
- The child has difficulty counting coins.
- The child makes many mistakes in logic and strategy games.
If you observe some or all of these symptoms in your child, you may need to consult a specialist. If the child has no mental issues, it is possible to overcome these deficiencies with the help of numerous methods and exercises.
How to Help Children with Mathematical Learning Disorders
Helping as Family Members
Of course, the first step is to seek support from relevant associations. Have the necessary tests done (e.g., a dyscalculia symptoms test). If diagnosed, you will be guided accordingly.
Do not be negative by blaming the child! Instead, consistently foster positive motivation.
Frequently do math exercises with your child, presenting them with various mathematical problems. Support the child until they solve the exercise, don't hesitate to guide them, because if the questions cannot be solved, it can cause frustration and confusion in the child. Praise the effort even if only parts of the question are solved.
Turn Exercises into a Game
- Have the child play games that are beneficial for dyscalculia, such as games involving math. Gamifying learning is one of the best teaching methods. Games allow the child to be engaged and focused.
Build Teamwork with the Classroom Teacher and School Counselor
- Explain your child's specific condition and ensure they treat them sensitively. Evaluate the advice from teachers and also share all your current knowledge about your child. This way, you can provide your child with a personalized learning process.
Seek Tutoring Support
- If you have the opportunity and means, you can get support from a private tutor or an educational institution.
Introduce Your Child to an Abacus
The abacus is a simple yet extremely effective solution to help children grasp mathematical concepts by allowing them to visualize numbers.
Why learn the abacus: what you don't know.
Encourage Your Child to Do Exercises
- Do attention and memory exercises. Have the child play attention and memory games.
Identify the Interest Areas and Specific Talents of a Child with Dyscalculia
- You can increase the child's life satisfaction and motivation by encouraging them in these areas. Children who struggle to learn math need a sense of accomplishment because they are often accused of being "incompetent" by their peers. If you can discover their particular talents, it may be easier to help them feel a sense of achievement.
Have Your Child Play Small Arithmetic Intelligence Games
- Help them develop problem-solving skills through games that require logic and strategy.
Be Patient with Your Child!
- Be very patient. Do not get angry. When the child cannot do simple calculations. Try to help them again, and again, and again until you achieve a result.
How to Treat Dyscalculia?
The best treatment method for math learning difficulty is education, because math learning difficulty is not a disease. Even if you undergo a routine medical check-up, you will be called a patient; however, dyscalculia occurs due to differences in brain function. Education as a treatment method, which we try to explain, involves being aware of the topics we mentioned above and supporting the child with specific educational programs that approach math in a way easier for them to understand.
Attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder can be observed in children with dyscalculia. In this case, treatment for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is recommended.
Social Problems Threatening Children with Dyscalculia
Unfortunately, children with math disorders can be bullied by their friends. The worst would be an unaware teacher calling them "stupid" or "lazy." These mistakes can also be followed by unaware parents. Indeed, children with dyscalculia can be very capable in subjects other than math. Parents might accuse them by saying:
"You're not doing it because you're lazy."
"You're good for nothing."
"It's not that hard, why don't you understand?"
This is obviously a huge mistake to view the situation this way. If your child is very talented in other areas, it proves to you that they do not have an intelligence problem. There is also no need for special abilities. If your child has normal aptitudes for other subjects besides math, it proves they do not have an intelligence problem. Instead of acting alone, you must get help from a specialized child psychiatrist as soon as possible.
Family members and others who cannot show empathy in such situations can have negative effects on the mental health of children with dyscalculia. Children who cannot express themselves properly and are subjected to various forms of humiliation tend to lose their motivation over time and run away from all their responsibilities. There is always the possibility for these children, who are introverted and have lost their sense of self, to become isolated from society and face serious psychological problems!
The family and society must be aware of this problem to avoid all these negative outcomes. The child's particular skills must be supported and the child must receive help to improve. The best way to achieve this is by using appropriate training and helpful exercises.
Conclusion
You can take various math learning disorder tests by making an appointment with a psychiatrist. Then, specialized child psychiatrists can diagnose and apply treatment both for dyscalculia and for other triggered disorders. There is no specific treatment (medication or surgery) for dyscalculia itself. The best treatment methods can be evaluated according to the recommendations in this article. It is necessary to be attentive and aware that only education can resolve this disorder.
By approaching math with an abacus, the child can visualize these concepts. Therefore, the abacus can be a very relevant solution for children with dyscalculia.
