dysTalk Dyscalculia - Dyscalculia - Forum - dysTalk

We've had a couple of enquiries regarding dyscalculia and whether dysTalk is aware of this lesser known condition (dyslexia with numbers). We certainly are aware of it and are in touch with several experts on the subject. Jane Emerson who runs Emerson house (kindly hosting our first lecture) is extremely knowledgeable on dyscalculia and is scheduled to do a lecture covering this in December/January (exact date TBC). Many of you will also have heard of Professor Brian Butterworth and we very much hope to schedule something with him. In the meantime please use this part of the forum to discuss all things related to dyscalculia.

Josh and the dysTalk team

01/10/2008 22:06:41
Josh (Member)

I want to know how to teach commercial maths i.e. percentage, profit and loss and simple interest to grade 7 student.

21/02/2009 05:48:34
lakshmi madhusudan

I don't know about your student, but in my case my dyscalculia is based on a) a difficulty with the value of numbers and b) a short term working memory problem, meaning I can't hold the digits in my head.

However, I found that the key for me to learn mathematics was ALGEBRA. It taught me that my problem is purely calculatory, and that I can actually learn the functions performed by division, multiplication, powers, factorials, etc by seeing their place algebraically.

As a result, I've been able to complete the AAT Accounting qualification with no apparent impairment whatsoever, I've even written articles online about how to construct and utilise bézier curves.

The problems I found are that, because your first experience of numbers in school is based on mental arithmetic, you develop early the concept that you and maths are not friends. This creates a barrier in later life, so that you almost cease to try, even when other more abstract areas of mathematics may be fine for you.

What I found was that algebra is more practical, more procedural, it appeals to logic rather than numeracy.

If you'd like to know any more, my email is el_bogly (at) hotmail (dot) com.

02/03/2009 11:34:20
Chris Denyer

My son is 17 and dyslexic and im sure dyscalculic. He has great difficulty telling the time, would we be best to use 24 hour digital watch instead. He seems to have no idea of time span. Its not through want of trying but he just doesnt seem to be able to do it. thanks

10/03/2009 13:40:43
elizabeth jones

I'm dyscalculic myself, and from my own experience the thing to remember is that most people have no idea of timespan either, they're just better at telling the time. As your son does not conceptualise numbers, but probably works better visualising things, I would suggest that the analogue dial is a much more useful learning aid.

I'd get him to picture the five-minute divisions of the hour as stations on a train line. The name of the Terminus is whatever the short hand is pointing to on the hour. The station at the 1 position is called ''Five Past [the hour]'', and the next one along is called ''Ten Past [the hour]''; and he can see, from counting the marked minutes between each of the numbers, that the imaginary train keeps pace with the motion of time at increments of five minutes. This will be the basic building-block of his time-awareness.

Next I'd get him to watch something on TV that lasts, say, 15 minutes. With practice, he'll be able to ''feel'' the passage of a quarter-hour as the time it takes him to watch that TV show. Likewise, a couple of hours will be the time taken to watch a particular film.

For spans of five minutes or less, let him recall the time it takes to listen to a particular song. I once had a friend who reckoned that if he only had 4 minutes left to live, he could spend it listening to the Nirvana song ''Smells Like Teen Spirit'', because it comes in at a little under 4 minutes, with just enough time for him to select it on his iPod :)

15/06/2009 12:16:18
John Bennett

If any of you want to talk to other dyscalculics, you should check out http://dyscalculiaforum.com - thousands of members from all over the world :)

16/07/2009 20:19:36
Mette

I am 32 years old, and am pretty sure I am Dyscalculic. I have not been tested, mostly becauase I don't know of anyone who tests adults for it. I had a horrible time in school, and growing up with it, although I didn't even know there was a name for my problem until I was an adult. I am glad that children today with Dyscalculia can be identified and helped instead of falling through the cracks like myself. Is there anything I can do as an adult to help deal with my Dyscalculia? Also is there any way of getting tested to pinpoint my strengths and weaknesses within my problem? As well as discover to what extent I may have it?

21/08/2009 16:57:16
Liz Moore

There is a resources called Numicon that helps all pupils to visualise numbers and as John said it may be easier for pupils with Dyscalculia to learn in this way. They also have a whole teaching tip page on telling the time too.

http://www.numicon.com/display_resources/telling-the-time.ht...

27/08/2009 15:35:17
Emma

My 12yr old son has just been confirmed as having dyscalulia. He has been labelled stupid for so many years that his confidence is at an all time low and he is reluctant to learn or try anything new. We have always encouraged him but he finds new situations very difficult and hates drawing attention to himself. Any feedback would be appreciated.

15/04/2010 19:24:02
Christine

I'm 53 years young and have had problems with numbers since I was a child. Not one teacher at school was prepared to help. I've struggled all these years, and can only complete the most simple of maths calculations. To me numbers are like a foreign language that I don't (and can't) speak. I have been assessed recently and my result was very poor (I scored 0.5%). I'd love to be able to understand maths but suspect I'm too late and will be saddled with this all my life. I was labelled ''thick'' at school, and have had many embarrasing situations over the years. Oh, for someone to help me now.

18/09/2010 10:04:51
Mo Hooper

My daughter has always struggled with math..never retaining from test to test..year to year. All of your symptoms are what I see in her. She's terrified of cashier jobs. No confidence in counting money...time...etc. Its now holding her back in college as she must take 4 math courses to earn her AA..she's struggling with the first one. NO ONE SEEMS TO KNOW HOW TO HELP, not past nor current educators. I am so disheartened with her talk now of dropping out.

22/09/2010 13:18:20
Momslove (Member)

I am 26 and I am certain I have dyscalculia but no idea where to go for support. I have always found numbers extremely hard and I just don't understand them. I can't work out how much change to give, I can't add, divide etc in my head or by writing it down as I just don't understand the processes, I can't visulise numbers or distances, weights etc so for example 300 yards means nothing to me, I have to turn a map the way I'm travelling etc.

Nothing makes sense

28/09/2010 14:17:11
welshgirl21

I was diagnosed with dyscalculia at age 14 so I have only been known to have dyscalculia for a year and it is really hard because it is so unknown no one really knows what to do?

15/12/2010 23:56:47
Pixie (Member)

Does having the difficulty to comprehend mathematical problems and solutions can be considered as dyscalculia? I'm not really good in analyzing mathematical problems I have to read it a few times before I can think of the solution. I also have the difficulty of computing mentally not like other people. I have to use the calculator in my cellphone just to make sure I got the right answer.

27/12/2010 10:19:26
judyhanning (Member)

I have never heard of dyscalculia before, I have such a panic if I even have to do any math and I mean simple, like division, fractions and percentages, I am 57 years old and have kept it a secret for so long, I don't understand numbers, very boring and foreign to me, I can name off everyone of the bones, muscles nerves of the body and am an excellent speller, I can remember all medical terminology, but, I feel totally inadequate with math and it has kept me from going to college, I do not want to be labeled slow or retarded. I am afraid to get help for my math phobia, I feel like it is too late for me.

07/01/2011 07:56:09
Darleen wright

I am almost 50 and always had above average ability in reading and writing at school. I was good at art and language but failed miserably at maths, geography and history (dates etc). I have recently become aware of dyscalculia and having done an online test am fairly sure this is the reason for years of number-related anxieties! Have read great articles on-line by Tony Attwood published in SEN magazine and thinking of getting his book.

13/01/2011 09:57:56
Rachel

I am a student and I am interested in knowing more about dyscalculia. I want to know if culture affects dyscalculia. According to me Asians drill their kids a lot when it come to maths were as western parent leave their kids independent

08/06/2011 15:50:57
Sona

I am 38 yrs. old and though i have not been diagnosed i strongly believe that i suffer from this condition.I never knew there was a name for it until recently.I have struggled with math and the whole concept of it my entire life!Ironically i have had jobs in payroll departments and now i am a substitute teachers aide.I try to stick with the elementary/preschool age.As this is where i can actually help and i am not challenged myself.I work with children who have learning disabilities because i know how they feel.How they struggle to learn something so easy for others that is so hard for them.I am embarassed to let anyone know of my challenges.All my life i have been laughed at,or called lazy or ditzy or even just plain stupid.It hurts so much when i try so hard,and others do not understand why simple things like counting change in my head are very difficult for me.''I don't know why'', i would tell them.''I wish i was smarter''!I do not have any problems with anything else except math!What really hurts me is my 13 yr. old son helps mom with math when i should be helping him.I must have done something right as far as his concern because he has always been a straight A student,in the honor society and such!I am so glad that math or anything else is not a sruggle for him.So i will continue to learn as much as i can as slow or difficult as it may be for me.I will continue to work with children as much as i can who have learning disabilities because there is hope and help out there for them they so desperately need.

26/07/2011 19:21:14
Melissa

my little girl 8 yrs old cant understand number bonds tell the time tables. she faked illness to come home coz of maths test on friday and at bedtime she said she wanted to kill herself because of maths!! what can i do to help her

11/09/2011 00:25:52
christine hayward

I am 31 yrs old and have struggled all my life.I feel like an idiot.Cant figure out how much change i should receive at the store.Or if something is 20 or 40% off,I cant calculate it.very hard time with mental math.My mind goes blank.I need serious help!

04/10/2011 21:22:24
mathmoron

im 37 years old and am certain that i suffer from discalculia. I was inable to grasp any kind of maths in school leading to horrible anxiety as i couldnt understand why i couldnt understand! when i got to secondary school the problem was worse and my teachers response to ''i dont understand'' was ''get on with it'' she soon realised i wasnt capable and rather than address the problem, she simlpy let me sit in class doodling and never asked for my work. i was maked as absent for my maths gcse..basically my problem was ignored and i have had to deal with it all my life.i have learned to double check everything i do with numbers fairly quickly so i know its right, but i still write any numbers over 3 digits down back to front and have no concept of fractions, algebra etc.looking at a page of equations just makes my brain freeze up.i cant even begin to process what im looking at. even to this day these things cause me anxiety and its a constant problem trying to hide it from employers.makes life really hard particularly as im looking for anew job now and know i cant do so many of the available jobs..just wish this problem could have been recognised while i was at school.

14/10/2011 00:17:17
jeremy

I am 69 years old.i have never been able to do anything but basic maths. I still write numbers back to front(132 instead of 123) and cannot copy numbers from 1 sheet of paper to another without a lot of mistakes.This is the only subject i where i have problems.Is this Dyscalculia?

17/10/2011 19:56:49
mrs margaret rawlinson

Where do we get help as adults? Im 29. There seems to be all this help for children. I have dyscalculia and at school and felt like maths was some alien language. I want to learn properly how to do maths, because i want to go to University, and most courses I want to do have maths elements to them.

29/10/2011 23:02:32
Cassie

I am 52 years old and have always stuggled with math. I remember my mom and sister trying to teach me and I could never figure it out. I check and double check any calculations that I do and if I am put on the spot with a math question, I freeze. I remeber having to go up to the board when I was a kid and being told to do a math problem. I just couldn't do it. People labeled me stupid even though I excelled at reading and spelling. In college, I could never remember the formulas and got terrible math anxiety. I can't believe there is a name for what I have experienced.

21/01/2012 22:00:43
Lisa Kayton

I am 51 years old and have been thick at Maths all my life. Thankfully, I excelled at English and Spelling. I just don't get numbers. The hardest thing for me is that it has made me a source of frustration for many people all my life. I was the only annoying one recently on the cruise ship that couldn't learn the cha cha. Ninety year olds whizzed gracefully by us as my husband gritted his teeth and hissed 'count, count - no left, not right!' Someone once asked me if I was dyslexic because I couldn't work out change properly, which made me worse because then I was concentrating on trying not to cry. My teachers rolled their eyes at my perceived laziness and I often had to stay in at lunch time to complete tasks that I just couldn't understand. It seems to me that high literacy skills were almost a curse because they became a barometer for my teachers to measure my laziness in Maths. As an adult fearing numbers isn't my primary concern - I'm more fearful of exposing myself as that annoying child I never seem able to shake.

22/01/2012 23:38:41
Gaynor