2004-3-3
This is Steve Ember with the VOA Special English Education
Report.
We continue our series about learning disabilities. So far, we
have talked about problems with skills like reading, writing and
movement. Today we tell about a condition called dyscalculia. People
with dyscalculia have unusual difficulty working with numbers.
Experts say people with this disorder have trouble reading
numbers and seeing them in their mind. They can have problems with
similar numbers like three and eight. They also have trouble lining
up numbers correctly on paper. Another problem is that people with
dyscalculia may have difficulty remembering. So they cannot remember
the order of operations they must follow to solve a mathematics
problem.
Such difficulties can lead to failure in school, which can lead
to a fear of mathematics. Students may believe they cannot do math
at all.
Experts say dyscalculia cannot be cured, but children can be
helped. Teachers and parents need to recognize the signs of the
condition. These include such things as making mistakes when writing
groups of numbers. Another possible sign is performing mathematical
operations backwards. Still another is reading numbers in the wrong
order or becoming confused about the order of past or future events.
Older students may show difficulty counting money. They might not
be able to understand the rules and ideas of mathematics. They might
perform a mathematical operation one day, but not the next. People
with dyscalculia may also have a poor sense of direction and get
lost often. They may have difficulty keeping score during games, and
limited ability to plan during games like chess.
Adults can provide extra help with math problems for students
with dyscalculia. For example, a picture might help explain the
situation being described. Rhymes or songs or other memory aids
might help students remember things. Students with dyscalculia could
use extra time to learn facts and take examinations. Using a
calculator or computer might also help.
We continue our series about learning disabilities next week. All
of our programs are on the Internet at WWW.testbig.com. Links
to more information about dyscalculia are also included.
This VOA Special English Education Report was written by Nancy
Steinbach. This is Steve Ember.