The dyscalculia refers to the problems or difficulties that certain people have when learning to count, do simple mathematical calculations, in spatial thinking and to define groups of objects. It is about a severe deterioration of the specific learning of mathematics and with an adequate school performance in this subject. Therefore, it is a learning disorder based on the difficulty of mathematical or numerical competence.
The term "dyscalculia" comes from the Greek terms "dis" (difficulty with) and "culia" (average calculations). Its first definition came from the hand of Kosc (1974), who defined dyscalculia as "the difficulty in mathematical functioning resulting from a disorder of mathematical processing of brain origin without compromise of other areas of learning".
However, although the term was introduced by this author, previously children with specific difficulties in the field of mathematics were discussed. The term was officially recognized in 2001 by the UK Department of Education and Skills.
Although it is true that researchers are increasingly interested in difficulties in mathematics or dyscalculia, the scientific community has only just begun their research.
For example, topics related to dyslexia, reading or writing, have much more research than difficulties in mathematics or dyscalculia, despite the fact that their prevalences are very similar.
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Children with dyscalculia have great difficulties in understanding the simplest number concepts, a lack of intuitive understanding of numbers, and problems in learning mathematical facts and procedures..
Dyscalculia occurs in children who have normal or higher than average intelligence and who do not suffer or have suffered from any brain injury.
Despite all this, these children have difficulties when performing calculations or mathematical problems, which ends up having a negative impact on the school environment.
We must distinguish between children who have difficulties in mathematics or dyscalculia and those children who are not good at mathematics.
It can be detected in basic and preschool education, since when the child cannot learn to write the numbers correctly, he is already giving us a clue.
Some of the symptoms are, therefore:
- The child does not achieve a correct writing in the learning of numbers.
- Fails to perform classifications with numbers.
- Does not do series (something quite common in the first schooling).
- They cannot solve simple math problems.
- They count on their fingers even to solve problems with a single numerical figure.
- Difficulties with identifying numbers (writing and naming).
- Confuses similar numerical graphisms.
- Confuses the signs of addition, subtraction, division and multiplication.
- Invert, rotate and transpose the numbers (for example, six with nine).
- Problems understanding and interpreting problem statements.
- Problems understanding concepts that have to do, for example, with size or position.
- Difficulties in order, classification, quantity, correspondence, reversibility ...
- Difficulty in spatial and temporal coordination.
- Difficulty remembering and understanding formulas, rules, mathematical sequences, multiplication tables ...
Dyscalculia is included in the DSM-IV as a calculation disorder, while in the DSM-5 it changes to be conceptualized within the specific learning disorders. In this way, the difficulties are all grouped under the same category called specific learning disorder, which includes different specifiers.
Among these specifiers we find the difficulties of reading, of written expression and also the mathematical difficulty.
Therefore, the diagnosis of specific learning disorder refers to difficulties in learning and in the use of academic skills, where at least 1 of the symptoms proposed must be evidenced for at least 6 months..
Among these symptoms we find difficulties in reading, comprehension, spelling or written expression. Some of the symptoms, however, refer to mathematics, which is what concerns us here.
One of these refers to difficulties in mastering number sense, calculation or data that refer to numbers.
In this sense, the child would misunderstand the numbers, the relationships that are established between them or the magnitude or, for example, single digit numbers, he needs to count it on his fingers because he does not remember the operation.
The other of the mathematical symptoms that this disorder refers to refers to difficulties in mathematical reasoning. It should also be argued that these difficulties must be present despite even the interventions that have been directed to solve the difficulties..
- The academic skills that are affected do so well below what would be expected for chronological age.
- These difficulties significantly interfere with your academic, work, or daily life performance..
- All this is confirmed from an evaluation of the child and standardized tests that corroborate it..
- Difficulties should begin at school age (however, they may "show up" later, when academic demands exceed the individual's abilities).
- Difficulties in learning mathematics should not be better explained by intellectual disability or other types of disorders, be they mental, neurological or sensory.
Some authors consider that dyscalculia is present in around 6% of children, either because they only have the diagnosis of dyscalculia or because it is associated with other disorders. Sometimes even other authors relate it or consider it a “type of dyslexia”, since the comorbidity between the two disorders is frequent.
When they refer to a type of dyslexia, they refer to the fact that, saving the differences between reading and writing (in dyslexia) and mathematics (in dyscalculia), the child presents express problems in understanding and performing mathematical calculations.
There is no clear answer to date regarding the etiology of dyscalculia.
The causes can be distinguished in:
It refers to the importance of the stimulation that the child receives in the early years.
It refers to the difficulties that mathematics itself has in education and in the way it is taught. In this way, it is not able to adapt teaching to the learning characteristics of each student..
This approach indicates that some injuries or problems in brain structures could be related to dyscalculia. Thus, the neurological bases of mathematical functions are found in both hemispheres, so that arithmetic is a bilateral capacity..
The neuropsychological evidence collected through neuroimaging studies shows that there is a great influence on the parietal lobes when faced with arithmetic skills, especially in the intraparietal sulcus (SIP), which seems to refer to quantity and magnitude processing.
In addition, there are connections with the frontal lobes when it comes to solving more complex or new tasks. Some authors, such as Butterworth, place the causes of dyscalculia in a deterioration or atypical functioning of these areas.
This is known as the defective numerical modulus hypothesis. This has been proven, for example, when it has been observed that there is less activation in children with Dyscalculia in these areas when performing arithmetic tasks.
Other authors find the bases of these difficulties in working memory and attention, since some deficits that occur in dyscalculia are better explained by these processes.
This perspective establishes that difficulties occur because the subject uses cognitive processes inappropriately when facing mathematical problems.
Although in early childhood education we can already find numerical difficulties, it is not until around 6-8 years when dyscalculia is formally detected. Children with dyscalculia do not have to have problems in other cognitive areas. But when it is evaluated, it is done in different capacities such as:
- I.Q
- Memory
- Attention
- Numerical and calculation capabilities
- Visuo-perceptual and visuospatial abilities
- Neuropsychological evaluation (if necessary)
In addition, in addition to evaluations on the subject himself, the family context is also evaluated with interviews with the family and the school through his teacher.
When the child is evaluated, the procedures used to evaluate and diagnose him are, for example, anticipating reasonable solutions to a problem or determining his level of arithmetic performance. We will have the student solve simple problems, read and write numbers, recognize shapes or interpret spatial representations of objects.
As for standardized tests, for example for intelligence we can use Wechsler tests.
In order to assess difficulties in mathematics, there are several tests that assess the curricular gap, since the current gap in competence for learning difficulties must be at least 2 school years.
To evaluate it, we find tests such as: PROLEC-R (to evaluate reading processes), TEDI-MATH (for diagnosis of basic skills in mathematics), TALEC (for reading and writing analysis).
If we refer to the intervention in children with dyscalculia, we must point out that they can be taught from different levels of difficulty and from different points of view.
For example, some authors such as Kroesbergen and Van Luit consider that there are three levels in the development of mathematical processing throughout schooling. Thus, the first are preparatory skills, with tasks of conservation of quantities, counting or classification..
Then the basic skills, which are represented by the four basic mathematical operations, which are addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
And the third refers to problem-solving skills, which is related to correctly applying the above skills to different situations and contexts..
It is important to emphasize that interventions in dyscalculia must be attractive and adapted to the age and needs of each child, which will increase their motivation and interest in participating in the activities. This can affect the implication towards the task and end up producing a higher performance.
We must also emphasize that when computerized interventions in mathematics difficulties are compared with traditional methods, the former are more effective..
The new information and communication technologies (ICTs) are presented as a very beneficial treatment alternative, providing flexibility and adaptation to the rhythm of each child.
In addition, the computer makes it possible to make some abstract concepts more understandable, provide graphics and animations and give them immediate feedback on their performance, which improves their adherence and self-regulation..
However, other interventions based on tangible materials that are well designed, that allow direct manipulation of objects or connect mathematics with real life can also offer great benefits..
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