Dyscalculia

[Calledyoulastnightfromglasgow]

Dyscalculia - any positive stories?

DD is 9 and is getting extra help at school for her maths. It’s been a weakness since she started school and was just falling behind. It doesn’t “click”. Even basic number bonds have taken an age. She doesn’t retain what she has learnt. She is ok with written sums though.

She is an advanced reader/speller and there is a family weakness for maths (which bypassed me!)

What should we be aiming for? A C in O level? It could it click a little more?

She is ok about it but hates feeling “different” and “stupid”.

My DS really struggled in maths and is finally catching up aged 12. Age 7 he found out he had convergence insufficiency/ binocular vision eg he could not visualise the property of numbers eg that 3 is equal to three dots, could not understand sound difference of eg 13 and 30, frequently transposed his numbers well beyond what was age appropriate, always crowded anything written in graph paper so lost track of sums, etc. He was also a brilliant reader. Vision is not the same as acuity fyi. You can have 20/20 vision, but the brain may not be able to interpret some things. Have you noticed anything else unusual about your DD eg sensory related?

He could also do written sums no problems, mental maths was the issue.

Thanks - that is interesting. And so good to hear of his progress.

I don’t think so in the case of my DD but now you mention it, she had to stop piano lessons as she couldn’t “see” the notes properly - she is quite musical - but reading the line the note was on was a real issue.

Sorry I did not realise your DD was already diagnosed dyscalculia. My DS was diagnosed relative dyslexia but nobody agreed with that and clinical psych said more likely dyscalculia. I don't know how kids with dyscalculia progress becaus he has never had specific interventions for dyscalculia (if there are any) just small group help at school. I just know the vision therapy helped my son. Before that it was like there was a brick wall between us. He just would not get anything I explained to him and if he did understand he would forget within minutes. Teachers would complain he just wasn't listening but he was in tears because he couldn't make himself remember.

My DS is 15 and has dyscalculia. His maths teacher is really positive about him getting a pass at GCSE. He isn’t going to do anything but scrape a pass but I don’t care. After years of teachers going on and on about him learning his times tables I’m just so relieved he has an excellent teacher who understands dyscalculia. So many teachers just don’t understand it and think kids with dyscalculia just need to try harder. He says maths is his favourite lesson which is astounding.

I have never had a formal diagnosis of dyscalculia. but believe me, I have it. I can recite my times tables, but that is down to learning them by rote and have to rattle through them quickly to get to the correct answer. If I do one particular kind of maths all the time, that is fine. If I don't, I have no way to retain it and counting beyond small numbers is a nightmare. I can even count wrongly on a calculator. I never mastered long division. I am, however, good at music.

All that being said, I take my time and count slowly and carefully and always double check my answer. I am in charge of doing the banking at work and just take my time with it. Speak to your class teacher and ask what can be done. It might be worth looking at a specialist tutor if you can afford it.

Thanks little

Can you tell the time on an analogue clock ok? My younger sister who has a mild form of dyscalculia struggles with left and right too...

I can tell them time on an analogue clock and I am generally all right with left and right. I can remember some phone numbers, oddly enough. But I have no ability to remember how to do most forms of maths and even managed to fail O level arithmetic. I could do the work while we were doing it (more or less) but once we stopped doing it, it was lost to me forever. I was ok with algebra, because there were no numbers in it! I just have to be extraordinarily careful with everything I do with counting. I hate if customers try to help me by giving me an odd amount of money so I just have to give them £5 change or whatever, because I am unable to work out if they are trying to gull me or not. I transpose numbers very easily as well.

I am always upfront about this, and it didn't stop me getting my current job, where I am in charge and the other staff members come to me if there's a problem. I just have to work so much harder at it than everyone else.

Can you differentiate ie tell the left and right if someone opposite or next to you? I believe this is important in maths. Also rotations. My son was given a lot of activities involving tangrams. He had to first, remember a basic pattern, second, mirror the pattern, last rotate the pattern. It's unbelievably difficult for some.

Yes, I can, but part of that was doing a lot of stage work as I studied drama at college. I do sometimes put up my right hand and say left, because I am thinking stage left. Or else, I'm just rubbish! But numbers are my biggest bugbear.

Following with interest. DS is 10 and has dyscalculia. We have known since infant school but haven't figured out yet how to help him learn. I am already despairing about him getting a C or 4 or whatever it is now at GCSE. The way I observe it in him, is the same as colour blindness. He just does not see/ get numbers. Not sure how to overcome that. I was very very good at maths at school but could not do mental arithmetic so I can empathise with that aspect. He is musical and can play by ear but struggles to recognise musical notation. He does also have dyslexia.
I have a positive story in that as a university lecturer I made the call to let a student with a diagnosis of dyscalculia onto the course who had failed her maths GCSE multiple times but otherwise had excellent grades. My point is that it may feel like an impossible roadblock, but everything is negotiable in the end.

Dd1 now 19,was diagnosed in her first year at high school,but unfortunately school were severely lacking with extra help for her.
I ended up paying for a private maths tutor,but she got a U in her GCSE.
She now attends agricultural college,who have been very supportive,but at 19 is still struggling to pass her basic functional skills.
Fingers crossed she passes it this time & then she has decided not to retake her GCSE. I fully support her decision,