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I know, it\u2019s a four-letter-word that strikes fear in the hearts of many.\u00a0 Math.\u00a0 Now, math can be hard for lots of people, but just because math is hard doesn\u2019t mean you have a learning disability in math.\u00a0 Yes, that\u2019s Dyscalculia, the fancy word for a learning disability in math.\u00a0 Some might say math Dyslexia, and that makes sense but, sorry, that\u2019s not what it\u2019s called.\u00a0 Back to my main point though, just because math is hard doesn\u2019t mean that you have a disability. \u00a0But that\u2019s why we test because there are a lot of different reasons that math can be hard.\u00a0 Testing answers the question, why is it hard.\u00a0 And when we know why, then we can help you or your child thrive.\u00a0 Or at least not hate math as much, right?<\/p>\n
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So, let\u2019s talk about testing for a learning disability like Dyscalculia.\u00a0 We all have a bunch of different cognitive or thinking skills.\u00a0 In total, psychologists agree that there are seven.\u00a0 These range from picking up new vocabulary (some people absorb words like sponges, for others it takes longer) to putting together IKEA furniture (some have a knack for it, but it stops others dead in their tracks).\u00a0 So, what does this have to do with a learning disability?\u00a0 A learning disability is this: it\u2019s when someone has one or more weak cognitive skills and this explains their struggle in reading, writing, and\/or math.\u00a0 That\u2019s it.<\/p>\n
So, how do you test for a learning disability like Dyscalculia?\u00a0 Well, the testing involves two core pieces: assessing cognitive skills and assessing academic skills.\u00a0 Now, plenty of us have one or two cognitive skills that are a bit lower than the rest, but this doesn\u2019t automatically mean we have a learning disability.\u00a0 A learning disability is a specific academic struggle that is matched to a specific and weak cognitive skill.\u00a0 And, it\u2019s important to rule out other factors that may explain the struggle.\u00a0 After all, there are plenty of them\u2014think about attention, attendance, and anxiety just to name a few.\u00a0 A good evaluation addresses all these in order to answer the question: why is math a struggle?\u00a0 Because after we know why, then we have a good idea of what supports can lead to success.<\/p>\n
And, there\u2019s lots of reasons that math can be a struggle. \u00a0One common reason is poor Working Memory.\u00a0 Without going down a deep rabbit hole, Working Memory includes 1) immediately recalling information and 2) mentally multi-tasking.\u00a0 An easy example is mental math\u2014like asking what\u2019s 17+11.\u00a0 Now, you can solve this a lot of different ways.\u00a0 One is to separate the tens, 10+10=20.\u00a0 As you\u2019re doing this, you\u2019re holding onto 7 and 1.\u00a0 Now, you have 20+7+1=28.\u00a0 That kind of mental math requires good Working Memory and good number sense.\u00a0 When students have weak Working Memory, this is intensely hard, they will want to write down numbers, and they might make an error or two.\u00a0 So, now think about something bigger like 3×3 multiplication or long division.\u00a0 Students have to work through these step-by-step, doing tasks in order, performing calculations, and switching back-and-forth to the end.\u00a0 This requires good Working Memory.\u00a0 So, students with lower Working Memory often skip steps, inverse steps, make simple mistakes, and get frustrated.\u00a0 I would, too.<\/p>\n
Another reason math is hard for many is anxiety. \u00a0And, truthfully, anxiety can impact math more than any other subject.\u00a0 For instance, many students with anxiety struggle to learn math concepts the first time around.\u00a0 Even a hint of difficulty raises their defenses, \u201cThis is impossible. \u00a0I can\u2019t do this.\u00a0 This is so stupid!\u00a0 I hate math!\u201d\u00a0 Obviously, when our fight\/flight\/freeze response is triggered, it\u2019s hard to learn anything, math included.\u00a0 Even when the anxiety is mild, it takes us longer to complete math problems, and we\u2019re more prone to make simple mistakes.\u00a0 Why?\u00a0 Because anxiety can weaken our Working Memory.\u00a0 And we know what that does.\u00a0 If I\u2019m honest with you, it\u2019s rare that a student struggles with math exclusively due to anxiety.\u00a0 Just stop and think about reading for example.\u00a0 There\u2019s plenty of people who dread reading out loud in front of others, and usually there\u2019s a reason for this.\u00a0 It\u2019s not always because they have Dyslexia, but my bet is that it is a good amount of time.\u00a0 It\u2019s the same for math.\u00a0 There\u2019s usually a reason why someone won\u2019t raise their hand in math class or ever volunteer to work out a problem on the board.\u00a0 It might not be a learning disability, but I wouldn\u2019t be surprised if it was.<\/p>\n
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There are early signs of Dyscalculia.\u00a0 Students in kindergarten or first grade struggling to count with 1:1 correspondence, students who seem like they\u2019re often guessing when faced with math, students who consistently seem to grasp a concept one day but the next day seem lost.\u00a0 These aren\u2019t symptoms, more like warning signs.\u00a0 And, I know I’ve said it on other pages, be on the look-out for attention struggles.\u00a0 For impulsivity and restlessness and distractibility.\u00a0 Why?\u00a0 Because nearly half of all students with attention struggles also have a learning disability.\u00a0 Here’s the research<\/a>–really, it’s a compilation of a bunch of studies.<\/p>\n There are more subtle signs, too. \u00a0I\u2019ve worked with a number of teenagers who have gotten good grades in math for years.\u00a0 But their good grades were because they were conscientious, they were hard workers and religiously completed their homework.\u00a0 They tested poorly, but these bad grades were overshadowed by homework, classwork, and participation.\u00a0 Ultimately, they struggled to really grasp what they were learning, to apply this knowledge, and to generalize to new or slightly different problems.\u00a0 And\u2014sure enough\u2014testing indicated that there was a reason.\u00a0 They suffered from Dyscalculia.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n So, a lot of different professionals can diagnose ADD, ADHD, and Autism.\u00a0 But it\u2019s only really psychologists who can diagnose learning disabilities like Dyscalculia.\u00a0 Now obviously, there\u2019s plenty of psychologists out there.\u00a0 My recommendation\u2014whether or not you contact me\u2014is to consider someone based on their experience.\u00a0 Time in the field, time working in schools, the quality of their reports, and how they interact with parents.\u00a0 Okay, I know, all these can be hard to judge from the available information.\u00a0 Most often you\u2019ve just got a website with a bio and few other pages.\u00a0 Regardless, I\u2019d encourage you to ask around, talk with people you trust, I guess even look at reviews.<\/p>\n <\/p>\nWho diagnoses Dyscalculia?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
More questions about Dyscalculia testing?<\/h2>\n