6 yr old possible Dyscalculia ? I’m devastated

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Hi,

so my 6yr old possible has Dyscalculia, we are in the process now of testing.

I have read into it online and I’m devastated I’m so upset that he’s going to struggle so hard forever and there is a lot of negative comments online saying there’s not much I can do to help him, and that you can’t really teach them math.

any other parents here that can give me positive feedback and any good tips or advice.

I know it’s far from the worst thing that could be happening, I’m just feeling so sad about it.

thanks

In the nicest possible way: get a grip. He'll take his attitude towards it from you. That's if he even has it - I'd be surprised anyone would or could assess for it at such a young age.

Ummmm OP I think that is for adults in children it says:

Management and Treatment
How is dyscalculia treated, and is there a cure?
Dyscalculia is treatable in children because their brains haven’t yet finished developing, making it possible for them to learn skills and develop abilities they need to adapt to this condition. Treatment usually takes the form of one-on-one learning programs.
The programs are symptom-specific and focus on what a child struggles with most. Treatment should also start as soon as possible. The sooner the treatment starts, the better the chances for children to adapt to this condition and limit the impacts.
Unfortunately, dyscalculia isn’t considered treatable in adults unless it’s acquired dyscalculia. That’s because their brains are fully developed, meaning treatments like learning programs are less likely to help them. For adults, the focus is on helping them compensate for dyscalculia using technology or other methods.
For acquired dyscalculia, there are possible treatments. The available treatments depend on many factors, especially the underlying cause of the dyscalculia. Your healthcare provider can tell you more about the treatment options and which they recommend for your case.

Take a breath and figure out what can be done to support. It is akin to dyslexia and people function just fine (with the right help and support) to n life with that.

Well if he does he's at the right point in our social history for it. There are very few points when most people use maths day to day and can't also reach for their phone to check stuff.

I’m a teacher and I’m very surprised they’re saying this at the age of 6. I would have thought a child would have to be at least 8 to make this kind of diagnosis.

We are doing it private.

maybe this way we can get the IEP in place and get the help at school however apparently we were told there isn’t a huge amount that can be done.

i would love to start from basics with him and go at his pace and move forward once we grasp what we are learning.

I’m finding it very hard to find much information on how to help him and if I do start from basics what would that be ?

It is very hard to diagnose dyscalculia and 6 is very young to even consider a diagnosis could be other factors.

i echo what @CeciliaMars says. I am a dyslexia and dyscalculia assessor - the guidance says that children should not be assessed before the age of 8 years. I would check the qualifications of the person completing the assessment. If it is a specialist teacher/assessor, they should have completed a Level 7 qualification in dyscalculia/maths learning difficulties. You should also check that they hold a current Assessment Practising Certificate (APC). You can check that here by entering their name www.sasc.org.uk/find-an-assessor/

Have you tried using maths learning apps? Like Maths Seed and Reading Eggs. I think they are on 1/2 proce sale at the moment. The good thing is you can start at the very beginning or do a placement test to see what level he's at.

I got my child these book. They were good because you can get all the year 1 books and work through them. That way you'll at least understand what they are learning in class.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/your-orders/pop?ref=ppx_yo2ov_mob_b_pop&orderId=204-0059865-9659548&lineItemId=nlsitsptnptvsoy&shipmentId=UJWWMXVKg&packageId=1&asin=1292419369

I know it's hard because you are worried about the future and what future difficulties that your child might face. It's normal to be worried. However, you are better to focus on the here and now. What can you do now to support him. Kid are very resilient and adapt.

I have dyscalculia. I’m really really shit at maths and I hate it, but I’ve obviously not chosen a job that I have to do an inordinate amount of maths. I’ve managed to get myself into a middle management position, am on £52K a year and am highly regarded by my colleagues. I didn’t go to Uni. I would say it’s not massively held me back. I’ve got by. There’s always spreadsheets and calculators!

Also to note that in my middle management position I’m required to discuss budgets, margins, and process quite a lot of company data and figures. I do fine. Your reaction is a bit over the top.

Why did you have him assessed? What triggered it? If he has it, he'll probably need a bit of tutoring to get him through maths gcse. He might not want to be an engineer, actuary or medical doctor.

At worst it will affect what occupations he considers. It's not the end of the world. I have dyscalculia and so does one of my children. Some of us even had to go through school without a diagnosis and survived, even when our difficulties with maths (in light of doing so well in everything else) resulted in us being accused of just not trying in maths.

This is bizarre. What makes you think he’s got dyscalculia at age 6? He’s only just beginning to learn about numbers and calculation? How can you possibly assess a child of this age?

Devastated is a bit of an overreaction. It really isn’t the end of the world.

The usual benchmark for assessment is 7/8 (Year 3) and assessment before that is unreliable.

I’ve got dyscalculia and I’ve been a qualified nurse for 30 years. I’m at sister level. I went to uni at 20 to get my nursing degree and did a Masters of science (nursing) when I was 45.

There are successful people everywhere with dyslexia, dyscalculia and other conditions and it’s not the end of the world.

I really would note what @CeciliaMars and @womananddog have said.

Hi OP. I'm a Teacher. My daughter was assessed at age 10 after I raised it as a possibility a few times. She is now 12 and in a supported maths class and is doing well in secondary school. She finds some aspects of maths harder than others and has processing difficulties. She is however good at life skills maths such as money and time as she is keen to use both. She also struggles with chemistry/physics due to the maths element however she's doing very well in biology. There are some concepts of maths that she just cannot grasp no matter how much we go over it but it hasn't held her back so far and overall she is enjoying school and getting good results. Concentrate on the maths/numeracy he can understand and develop that as much as possible.

I have dyscalculia. Went to an RG Uni (for those that care about these things). Have a Masters and currently doing a doctorate. Work in a professional field on above average wage. There are ways of managing with it.

Don’t be devastated. Be positive and supportive. Your child will get tons more support than my generation and will likely not even notice this perceived disadvantage.

It's going to be OK OP
I think too, you're allowed to feel the whole spectrum of emotions
Your son will have strengths in other areas - always focus on those and support him
Sending you lots of love from a Mum to an autistic 10yo boy

The middle classes can now pay for a 6 year old to be 'diagnosed' at being shit at maths? Utterly ridiculous.

Devastated? Bit of an overreaction

This is very helpful, thank you

I have dyscalculia and I'm still alive. It's not devastating. You just need to ensure your child has extra support with maths and numbers.

Ableist.

i have it : I am 44 , middle management; £67k and work for a bank . They will be fine . Stop being over dramatic . There are much worse things out there