Dyscalculia should not be confused with a general decrease in intelligence. Depending on the person affected, dyscalculia is based on different causes that can be influenced. In contrast to dyslexia (reading and spelling disability), dyscalculia is a math disability.
What is dyscalculia?
Dyscalculia is the term used to describe an existing arithmetic weakness or arithmetic disorder. Affected persons who suffer from dyscalculia show, among other things, long-term difficulties in dealing with numbers and also in the comprehension of arithmetic facts. The prerequisite for a diagnosis of dyscalculia is that the dyscalculia is not merely due to a lack of education or a reduction in intelligence. Especially the basic arithmetic operations such as subtraction, addition, division and multiplication cause difficulties for people suffering from dyscalculia. Less impaired, on the other hand, are often abstract mathematical processes such as those underlying geometry. If a person is diagnosed with dyscalculia (which is by no means always the case), this usually happens during the primary school years. According to estimates, dyscalculia is present in approximately 10 to 15% of children throughout Germany.
Causes
Depending on its severity, dyscalculia can have many different underlying causes. In most cases, dyscalculia results from a confluence of several causes. Since the sum of causes of a dyscalculia is interindividually very different, it is often not easy to identify corresponding causes clearly. In educational psychology, there are various approaches to explaining dyscalculia; depending on the person affected, these can be more or less applicable: for example, it is possible that dyscalculia is based on a developmental disorder in a certain area. It is also possible that an affected person has not yet understood arithmetical relationships. Frequent teacher changes and teaching methods as well as class size and structure can also influence dyscalculia. In rare cases, dyscalculia may also mask concentration problems and/or performance blocking caused by anxiety or depressive moods.
Symptoms, complaints, and signs
As a rule, those affected by dyscalculia suffer from a severely pronounced reduction in intelligence. Various weaknesses are present, which have a negative impact on everyday life and on the quality of life of the affected person. Likewise, child development is also considerably delayed and restricted by dyscalculia. Those affected by this disorder primarily suffer from problems with arithmetic with numbers. Even simple arithmetic operations with small numbers cause severe discomfort and difficulties, so that the affected children already show problems at school. Concentration problems can also occur, so that the children do not pay attention at school or appear hyperactive. Furthermore, many children are also irritable or even slightly aggressive. They can also suffer from apathy, which can lead to severe social discomfort. Due to dyscalculia, some suffer from bullying or teasing, especially in childhood, and develop psychological discomfort or even depression as a result. If dyscalculia is not treated, it leads to considerable discomfort in everyday life even in adulthood. The disease does not usually have a negative effect on the life expectancy of the affected person.
Diagnosis and course
To diagnose dyscalculia, various testing procedures can be performed. Appropriate tests are to be carried out, for example, at responsible school psychology offices. Both the test results and the behavior of an affected person during the test can provide relevant information to the test administrators. Usually, an affected child is first subjected to an intelligence test; here, for example, a possible over- or underachievement can be determined. In order to diagnose dyscalculia, these tests are supplemented by tests of perception and motor skills. All these factors can be indications of dyscalculia. The course of dyscalculia depends on various factors. If an affected child receives individual support measures, a dyscalculia can improve over time.
Complications
Children with dyscalculia are more likely than their peers to suffer from behavioral disorders or abnormalities. These abnormalities can occur both in parallel with dyscalculia and indirectly as a result of dyscalculia: Children with dyscalculia sometimes feel inferior and sometimes try to compensate for this feeling with conspicuous behavior. However, children do not always react with undesirable behavior such as aggression, oppositional behavior, or anxiety: some children are particularly striving and try to make up for the (perceived) “failure” through other achievements. Any anxiety that may occur as a complication of dyscalculia takes very different forms. Some children develop isolated math anxiety, while others tend to develop school anxiety. Various other anxiety disorders are also possible as a result of dyscalculia: social anxiety and generalized anxiety disorder can affect adults as well. In general, dyscalculia can indirectly affect the psychological development of children. Thus, they have an increased risk of developing another mental disorder. Possible concomitant disorders (comorbidities) such as ADHD or dyslexia can cause further complications. Psychological stress, as can be triggered by dyscalculia and associated anxiety, is also reflected physically in many cases. Palpitations, sweating and trembling are possible anxiety symptoms. In addition, somatic complaints such as abdominal pain or headaches may develop.
When should you see a doctor?
Dyscalculia is first noticed in many affected individuals at school age. While normal to good performance is achieved in other subjects, all understanding seems to be lacking when dealing with numbers. In some cases, affected children are already noticed in kindergarten during projects with numbers and counting games. If educators and primary school teachers report such observations to parents, they should be taken seriously and reported to the pediatrician. The pediatrician can advise whether further examinations by specialists, for example in special early intervention centers, are advisable or whether it makes sense to wait and keep a close eye on the child’s further development. Dyscalculia is not a disease that causes long-term physical damage. As long as those affected are also psychologically well with their restriction, i.e. there is no pressure to suffer, the suspicion of dyscalculia does not necessarily have to be clarified by a doctor. It should be noted, however, that an early diagnosis, especially in children, also offers the opportunity to specifically promote further mathematical development and thus prevent poor school performance and psychological pressure.
Treatment and therapy
If a schoolchild’s diagnosed dyscalculia is to be counteracted, experts usually suggest interventions whose focus is based on the child’s individual problem. Offered therapy procedures against dyscalculia, which can be applied at schools, for example, usually last two years. Such therapy ideally involves not only the affected children, but also their parents and teachers. Depending on the child, such therapy of dyscalculia takes place in small groups or with individual children twice a week. A first therapeutic goal of the treatment of dyscalculia is to stabilize a child’s self-esteem. The supported child is the center of the therapy session, which is initially designed, for example, by painting or singing; this is intended to reduce the pressure to perform. In a second step of the therapy for dyscalculia, the training of mathematical skills usually follows – for example, by first calculating with three-dimensional, tangible objects. These objects can then be gradually replaced by worksheets. When the time is right, therapy for dyscalculia finally focuses on mental arithmetic. Depending on the individual case, it may be useful to supplement a described support program with accompanying methods (such as occupational therapy).
Outlook and prognosis
Dyscalculia will not improve without treatment and support. The earlier it is recognized and remedial action is taken, the better the affected person’s prospects of learning to use numbers – slowly, but ultimately to a degree comparable to that of other people.There is a good chance of learning success if dyscalculia is detected at primary school age, because this can be counteracted with targeted support for the child. Often, the affected child does not even have to be transferred to another school, but only needs special support in the mathematical area. If, on the other hand, dyscalculia is not discovered and treated until adulthood, the process can firstly be protracted and secondly it is no longer guaranteed that the affected person will be able to overcome all the associated difficulties. The brain of an adult does not develop as quickly as that of a child and corrective measures can therefore not be successful at the same speed as with a child with dyscalculia. Nevertheless, it is possible, the only important thing is continuous practice. The prospect of improvement in dyscalculia can also be complicated by the fact that those affected have already noticed themselves that they have difficulties with numbers, which is why they develop fears of situations in which they have to calculate. It may be that this anxiety needs to be resolved first, or at the same time, before the dyscalculia itself can be treated.
Prevention
Dyscalculia can be prevented, among other things, by carefully observing the first signs of arithmetic problems. In this way, early support can be given to appropriate children. An important time for recognizing the first problems that can lead to dyscalculia is during the first years of elementary school.
Follow-up
In most cases of dyscalculia, very few options or measures of aftercare are available to the patient. In this case, the affected person is first dependent on medical and medical treatment of the condition, so that it does not lead to further complaints and also to a delayed or restricted development of the child. The earlier the dyscalculia is treated or recognized, the better the further course of the disease usually is. In most cases, dyscalculia is treated by various exercises or therapies. This usually does not lead to further complications. Parents can also do many exercises with their children at home to counteract dyscalculia. However, parents need to be very calm in order not to overtax their children. Dyscalculia can be treated relatively well with small tasks distributed throughout the day. In some cases, psychological treatment is also necessary for this disorder, whereby discussions with family or friends can also have a positive effect on the course of the disorder. Contact with other affected parents can also be very useful in this regard.
What you can do yourself
When dyscalculia is diagnosed, parents have a very important role to play. They can support their child in many ways. In principle, there is the possibility of integrative individual support during school hours. This must be applied for by the parents. The path is often arduous, but worthwhile. Tutoring within the regular remedial classes rarely leads to success for the children concerned. The large group size is a hindrance. It is important to enable so-called 1-to-1 tutoring by a trained social pedagogue or remedial pedagogue. Already in the last two years of kindergarten, the children are taught their first mathematical concepts and understanding of quantities. Here, parents can actively seek discussion with the supervising educators and thus offer initial support measures. In the case of dyscalculia, it has been proven that there is a connection between the mental state of the child and his or her problems in understanding basic arithmetic mechanisms. Parents should question whether their child is suffering from anxiety or even depression. Psychotherapeutic counseling should not be ruled out. It is also important to rule out existing behavioral problems. These can also cause learning difficulties. In principle, parents must accompany their child’s journey through school with a great deal of patience and understanding. In addition, there are physiotherapeutic programs that improve the child’s ability to concentrate. They provide physical and mental relaxation after the school day and can be easily incorporated into everyday life.
