2 LEARN BEYOND LIMITS
Diagnosed Difficulties - Dyscalculia
Dyscalculia (Numeracy)
Dyscalculic learners may show some or all of the following characteristics:
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Difficulty understanding number concepts
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Lack an intuitive grasp of numbers (persistently counts in 1s)
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Problems with learning number facts and procedures
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Struggle with computation of numbers and inaccurate estimations
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Find learning and recalling number facts difficult.
Dyscalculia is a specific and persistent difficulty in understanding numbers which can lead to a diverse range of difficulties with mathematics; it affects the ability to acquire arithmetical skills. Around 1 person in 20 has dyscalculia.
The SpLD Assessment Standards Committee (SASC) defines dyscalculia as:
‘Dyscalculia is a specific and persistent difficulty in understanding numbers which can lead to a diverse range of difficulties with mathematics. It will be unexpected in relation to age, level of education and experience and occurs across all ages and abilities. Mathematics difficulties are best thought of as a continuum, not a distinct category, and they have many causal factors. Dyscalculia falls at one end of the spectrum and will be distinguishable from other maths issues due to the severity of difficulties with number sense, including subitising [perceiving a number of items in a group without counting them], symbolic and non-symbolic magnitude comparison, and ordering. It can occur singly but often co occurs with other specific learning difficulties, mathematics anxiety and medical conditions.’
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Challenges with basic concepts such as 'money' and ‘telling time’
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May lack confidence even when they produce the correct answer and cannot recognise if their answer is 'reasonable'
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May fail to use rules and procedures (they may know that 5+3=8, but not realise that 3+5=8)
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May lack an intuitive grasp of number magnitude, so checking calculations is especially difficult
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May not understand which type of arithmetic operation is required