Dyscalculia: Common signs & symptoms, How is it diagnosed?

A Quick Guide

Dyscalculia is a specific learning disorder that affects mathematical abilities. It can manifest in various ways depending on the age group, from preschoolers to high school students. Early diagnosis and intervention are crucial to help individuals with dyscalculia overcome their challenges in math. The article covers dyscalculia, its symptoms across different age groups, and the diagnostic process for assessing mathematical abilities.

What is Dyscalculia?

Dyscalculia is a specific learning disorder that affects a person’s ability to understand and work with numbers. It is characterized by difficulties in learning and comprehending mathematical concepts, performing calculations, and solving mathematical problems. Individuals with dyscalculia may struggle with tasks such as counting, recognizing numbers, understanding number patterns, and grasping basic arithmetic operations. Dyscalculia is not related to intelligence or overall cognitive ability, and it can significantly impact academic performance and everyday life activities that involve mathematical skills.

What are the signs and symptoms of Dyscalculia?

The symptoms and characteristics of dyscalculia vary according to the age of the child, and it has a wide spectrum of mathematics challenges. These signs and symptoms might coexist and show up differently in different children. People with dyscalculia frequently come up with creative solutions to these new challenges, which may lessen the severity of the illness but make the diagnosis even more challenging.

When a child starts to develop math learning skills in the pre-school years, it becomes apparent and persists throughout childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Early intervention is crucial because the difficulties faced by children only worsen as they age. Early diagnosis of dyscalculia condition is crucial, thus both parents and teachers should be vigilant to spot the struggles and symptoms as soon as possible.

The earlier we can provide these kids with the intervention resources they need to adjust to school, the better chance they have of maximizing their cognitive abilities and learning different techniques to cope.

Dyscalculia symptoms in pre-schoolers

• Inability to categorize and quantify so it can be challenging to connect a number to a circumstance in real life, such as the potential of having 2 candies, 2 books, 2 dishes, etc.
• Incorrect symbols, such as misunderstanding the numbers 9 and 6 or 3 and 8.
• Problems relating to a lack of understanding of numbers.
• Issues with number symbols, such as a failure to connect the number “4” to the concept of “four.”
• Learning how to count may be quite difficult for them.
• Many times, when we instruct a child with dyscalculia to count to five and stop, they do not understand the limit when they reach five and keep counting.
• Number ordering or sequencing problems can include repeating a number twice or more.
• These children may either write or copy numbers incorrectly.
• An omission is something that occurs frequently. In a succession of numbers, the child frequently forgets one or more numbers.
• Sound mistakes are common for instance, they may confuse similar-sounding numbers, such as “two” and “three”.
• Another sign of dyscalculia is when a child is asked to begin counting from a certain number, such as 4. The child must say the entire sequence either by writing it down or saying the previous numbers aloud before beginning with this number.
• They struggle to categorize things according to their size and shape.
• They may write the digits backward when noting them down.

Dyscalculia symptoms in young children in primary school

• Difficulties in understanding and remembering the steps or procedures for straightforward problems. They frequently skip steps and/or don’t fully comprehend the exercise.
• Difficulties with mental math of even the simplest kind.
• Having problems when adding or subtracting numbers is another fairly typical behavior. This is because children with dyscalculia struggle to comprehend decimals or numerical sequences.
• Having trouble understanding mathematical symbols. They often misuse symbols because they misinterpret the signs + and -.
• Issues with logic are rather common. For instance, the fact that the result of subtraction is larger than the starting numbers is a fairly common error.
• They are unable to relate concepts and are unable to distinguish between more and less relevant pieces of information due to a deficit in mental representation. When there are multiple steps in the problem, they struggle particularly with it.
• They are unable to comprehend spoken or dictated issues. They don’t understand the core of the issue. They struggle while trying to picture the scenario since they are unable to visualize all of the information they have received.
• They begin issues in the incorrect sequence. As an example, whether adding or subtracting, they begin on the right rather than the left.
• They frequently struggle with more general issues like trouble telling the time and frequently getting lost since they tend to have poor orientation.
• They frequently use their fingers to count because they are unable to understand terms like “greater than” or “less than.”
• They have trouble aligning the problems; for instance, they are unable to make a horizontal addition problem vertical. Another example of this symptom occurs when children with dyscalculia struggle to line up the columns of numbers (derivative) in the appropriate column. Similarly, when they divide, they write the quotient with the first number on the right and the second number on the left, which inverts the answer.
• Unable to understand or remember simple mathematical formulas, such as 1+2=3.

Symptoms of dyscalculia in high school students

• Having trouble understanding maps, graphs, and numerical representations.
• High school students who have dyscalculia struggle to integrate mathematical concepts into their daily lives. For instance, figuring out how much they will spend overall, exchanging money, setting a budget, etc.
• Lack of mathematical imagination and uncertainty in solving simple equations. They are unable to comprehend the various equations or approaches to the same issue.
• Measurement issues are fairly common, such as having trouble figuring out how much 500g of rice, 250ml of milk, 1/3 kg of flour, etc. relate to.
• They have poor distance and speed judgment, which makes them generally bad drivers.
• They have trouble following instructions. And they may frequently get lost due to poor orientation or confusion.

It’s also vital to note that not all children who struggle with math problems have dyscalculia condition, therefore it’s crucial to determine how frequently symptoms occur. Additionally, dyscalculia is not always associated with difficulties in solving mathematical equations. Some children may also struggle with common games or other activities.

How is dyscalculia diagnosed?

Before you test your child for dyscalculia, it’s important to rule out alternative causes. For instance, check with your child’s doctor to see if they have any physical or hearing issues that could be affecting their mathematical skills or ability to add and subtract.

To find out if your child is having any issues in other subjects, you must also get in touch with their teachers. Once you are certain that your child may have dyscalculia, you must get a diagnosis from a learning specialist. A child must fulfill the following four requirements to be diagnosed with dyscalculia because it falls under the category of a Specific Learning Disorder SLD:

• The child begins to experience academic challenges.
• The child has lower academic skills than other kids his or her age, which makes it harder for him or her to complete daily duties, schoolwork, or other everyday activities.
• One or more of the six symptoms associated with learning challenges and the use of academic skills are present in a child with dyscalculia.
• Other variables and physical illnesses, such as neurological disorders, psychosocial trauma, intellectual difficulties, and a lack of appropriate education, must be investigated and ruled out.

How is a child evaluated for a Dyslexia test?

Your child is prepared for a dyscalculia exam once they satisfy these requirements. The test looks at four crucial components:

• Mathematical fluency: Can the child effortlessly recall fundamental knowledge like 5*5 = 25 or adding fractions?

• Ability to calculate: Can your child execute simple math operations? When it comes to math problems including fractions, decimals, squares, and square roots. Younger children may struggle with addition or subtraction while older students may struggle with those issues as well.

• Can your child comprehend and answer word problems without difficulty?

• Can your child solve simple mathematical equations and problems in their head?

After the evaluations are complete, a professional can provide a report to assist you in addressing your child’s needs.

We hope you found this article useful in learning more about the signs and symptoms of dyscalculia a person may show during different aspects of their lives and how this condition may be diagnosed. Learn more about the treatment options for children with dyscalculia.