Brief overview
- Symptoms: Severe difficulty in mathematics (multiplication tables, basic arithmetic, text problems) and in number and quantity processing, psychological symptoms such as test anxiety, depression, somatic complaints, attention deficits, aggressive behavior.
- Causes: So far largely unclear, discussed are early childhood brain disorder and epilepsies, genetic reasons, a connection with a reading and spelling disorder.
- Diagnosis: Early diagnosis is crucial for the success of treatment, diagnostic discussion with specialists, assessment of school development, clarification through special tests, physical examinations (such as vision and hearing tests, neurological examinations).
What is dyscalculia?
The answer to this question, in short, is a profound difficulty in dealing with mathematics. Accordingly, dyscalculia is also called dyscalculia. It belongs to the so-called learning disorders. This group of school development disorders affects not only arithmetic but also other skills such as reading or writing – these do not develop “normally”. The background is a defined failure of brain performance.
In almost all cases, dyscalculia becomes apparent in childhood. Dyscalculia is characterized by a discrepancy between expected and actual performance. Those affected have great problems with numbers and quantities. As a result, they find even simple calculations difficult or impossible to grasp. As a result of dyscalculia, performance is weak not only in mathematics, but also in physics or chemistry classes.
Dyscalculia does not end with the school years, but usually leads to problems in education or training, at university, at work or in private life in adulthood.
Combination with other disorders
Frequency of dyscalculia
Recent surveys on the frequency of dyscalculia come to similar results in different countries. In Germany, for example, between three and seven percent of children, adolescents and adults have dyscalculia.
Interestingly, dyscalculia is more common in American children than in Germany. Differences in the school system may be partly responsible for this.
How do you recognize dyscalculia?
In addition, the visual-spatial working memory is impaired. This is reflected, for example, in the fact that affected persons have difficulty remembering the positions of numbers in a matrix (arrangement as in a table).
Symptoms in kindergarten or preschool
Evidence of an increased risk of dyscalculia is possible as early as kindergarten age. However, recognizing a dyscalculia at this age is not always easy. The first signs are problems with ratios and counting. Beginning to deal with units (such as weight) and the decimal system also causes difficulties.
Symptoms in elementary school
Finger counting is basically a normal tool when learning arithmetic strategies. Longstanding finger counting, on the other hand, especially with easy and practiced tasks, is sometimes another sign of dyscalculia.
Symptoms in everyday life
For children with dyscalculia, a variety of difficulties also arise in everyday life. For example, reading the clock as well as dealing with money is a great challenge for those affected.
Psychological stress
On the one hand, affected children often withdraw and develop (exam) anxiety, depressive symptoms and somatic complaints. Somatic complaints are physical symptoms such as headaches or abdominal pain for which no organic cause can be found. On the other hand, attention deficits, delinquent (= deviating from the norm) and aggressive behavior are possible in the affected children.
Is dyscalculia treatable?
Dyscalculia is treatable, but not curable. Dyscalculia therapy is based almost exclusively on individual and targeted support for the affected child. Those affected do not receive any medical measures, especially no medication.
- Calculation Training
- Behavioral therapy
- Neuropsychological training
Numeracy training
The arithmetic training is either based on the curriculum or detached from it. Read more about the applied exercise methods in the article Dyscalculia Exercises.
Behavioral and neuropsychological training
Individual goal
The goal of therapy for dyscalculia is for the child to construct his or her own mathematical thinking and thus develop a feeling for numbers. This enables the child to grasp basic skills of mathematics in order to benefit from the lessons in the best possible way.
Understanding and cooperation of parents
The basis of the correct handling of dyscalculia is a precise understanding of the disorder. The dyscalculia does not mean an impairment of intelligence! However, it is important that the relatives understand the scope and consequences of dyscalculia. This includes, for example, knowing that various psychological factors such as pressure and frustration play a role in dyscalculia.
Despite the praise that is always recommended, it is important to avoid expecting too much from the child. It is important that the child understands the perspective of treatment: therapy provides long-term support and helps to improve the situation for the future.
Involving the school
Therapy for adolescents and adults
To date, remedial programs have focused primarily on preschool and elementary school settings. Accordingly, there are only a few appealing support materials for adolescents and adults. There is a need for research to investigate the long-term course of dyscalculia into adulthood and the possible development of concomitant disorders, especially math and school anxiety.
Duration and cost of therapy
It is difficult to make a statement about the duration of dyscalculia therapy. In most cases, the therapy extends over at least one year. However, progress is very difficult to predict in individual cases.
What are causes and risk factors?
Possible risk factors
Early childhood brain disorders and epilepsies may trigger dyscalculia. In addition, psychosocial and educational factors play an important role.
Genetic causes
Studies with families and twins suggest that dyscalculia is to some extent heritable. Around 45 percent of those affected have relatives with learning disorders.
Dyscalculia sometimes occurs in the context of genetic disorders such as Turner syndrome or phenylketonuria.
Connection with dyslexia?
How is dyscalculia examined and diagnosed?
An early diagnosis of dyscalculia is important so that the affected child receives appropriate support in addition to school lessons. Only in this way can gaps in knowledge be closed quickly and the child does not lose touch with the lessons.
Diagnostic interview
Specialists in learning disabilities are child and adolescent psychiatrists or corresponding psychotherapists. To initiate the diagnostic interview, it is important for the physician to ask both the parents and the affected child about the dyscalculia. Misunderstandings are often clarified at this point.
He then talks to the parents in detail about the child’s dyscalculia symptoms. Any language and motor development disorders should also be discussed. There may also be psychological stresses that reduce the child’s drive. Lastly, the doctor will also consider the family situation to identify any family stresses. Finally, the question of whether measures have already been taken against the dyscalculia should also be clarified.
The basis for the examination is the survey of learning status and school development. This includes the report from the school. This report should cover all school areas including the child’s motivation, as sometimes weak language skills are also associated with dyscalculia. Frequent class and school changes are also a risk factor for academic difficulties.
Tests
Physical examination
A thorough physical examination is important to determine any neurological or sensory deficits such as attention deficits, speech problems, memory problems, and visual-spatial weakness. Particular attention should be paid to visual and hearing difficulties. The physician determines intellectual abilities by means of a standardized intelligence test.
The diagnosis of “dyscalculia” is made when the following criteria are met:
- In standardized arithmetic tests, a result among the worst ten percent is achieved.
- The intelligence quotient is greater than 70.
- The difference between the results of the arithmetic tests and the intelligence quotient are significant.
- Dyscalculia has appeared before the sixth grade.
It is important to exclude the possibility that the “math weakness” exists only due to lack of teaching, neurological diseases or emotional disorders. If this is the case, the doctor makes the diagnosis of dyscalculia, taking into account all the criteria.
What is the course of the disease and prognosis?
Without individual support, however, little progress can be expected in the learning process and educational opportunities are greatly reduced. Statistically, those affected leave school earlier and have problems in further vocational training.
This makes it clear that support must be started early in order to reduce disadvantages caused by “math weakness” and to enable normal learning progress.