What does a therapy have to accomplish? A therapy does not have to be the child’s own business. Very often, educational counseling is helpful, especially in cases with family conflict potential.
In addition, parental discussions in the run-up to individual help for the child are important in order to advise and ultimately to take the medical history. Since every dyscalculia is based on individual problems, and is also symptomatically individual, individual treatment should be given individually if possible. It is important that the necessary calmness and mutual understanding can be found, because a positive mood ensures that one feels well.
Children with dyscalculia do not usually have to repeat all the contents they have already learned. Basic understanding is usually present, problems consist in the correct penetration of the content and an appropriate solution. After the diagnosis and the individual error analysis, the child’s arithmetic strategies must first be explored.
If this does not happen, all knowledge build-up that is to take place anew is questionable and probably not of long duration. It must be made clear to the children that mathematics can be understood and problems can be mastered by thinking through them. It is difficult for a child to turn off its old methods!
In addition to individual help aimed at the child, an acting, experience-oriented teaching with individual support and the possibility for constructive practice and playful learning ensures a positive learning environment. This can be particularly helpful in the area of emotional problems, since the child builds up fewer fears and thus a lower defensive attitude. Especially the possibility of a pedagogical performance assessment strengthens the child’s self-confidence. One can already see from this short list of therapy forms how important cooperation within the so-called educational triangle becomes.
