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Dyscalculia
Ma. Elena Bush
Fresno Pacific University
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Dyscalculia

There are moments through the travelers’ journey when they encounter foreign

languages. These languages can be compared to codes that need to be deciphered with the help

of an expert. The Greek, Chinese, or Russian languages are a few examples of these languages

that are written differently than the English alphabet. For a student with Dyscalculia, numbers,

math equations, or math operations are similar to codes or a foreign language that need decoding

with the help of experts and through different methods in order to be understood. In the

following paragraphs, the specific learning disability called Dyscalculia will be discussed

including its symptoms, characteristics, how it affects an individual in the areas of family

relationships, community relationships and educational challenges; the analyzation of techniques

or strategies used in the classroom, and the different global or cultural perspective towards this

exceptionality will also be discussed.

In order to understand Dyscalculia, its history will need to be discussed first and specific

learning disability should be defined first. In the article of Singh, 2018, called “History of

Dyscalculia”, it is stated that in the 1940s Dr. Gertsmann discovered the syndrome, which was

named after him, that is characterized by the loss or absence of cognitive abilities, but it was not

until 1974 that Dyscalculia was recognized through the research of Dr. Ladislay Kosc, who was

first to describe it as a “disorder in the part of the brain that is for math functions either

hereditary or present from birth and not that the person is ‘mentally handicapped’” (Singh, 2018,

para. 5). Furthermore, according to Singh, “…in late 1990s, more research was conducted as the

popularity of MRI machines for brain disorders grew. The results revealed that Dyscalculia

exists where one or more parts of the brain, responsible for basic calculations, can’t coordinate

well.” (Singh, 2018, para. 6). According to Turnbull, Turnbull, Wehmeyer, & Shogren, 2011, a
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specific learning disability is defined by IDEA as a “disorder in one or more basic psychological

processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written…may manifest in

an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or do mathematical calculations”

(Turnbull, Turnbull, Wehmeyer, & Shogren, 2011, p. 105). The experts from understood.org,

2019, a website developed by fifteen nonprofit organizations with the goal to give parents

valuable resources through research and information from the experts that could help people with

learning and attention issues, defines Dyscalculia as a “specific learning disability in math. Kids

with dyscalculia may have difficulty understanding number-related concepts or using symbols or

functions needed for success in mathematics.” (Understood.org, n.d., para.1). Children with

Dyscalculia, according to understood.org, also struggle with concepts such as “smallest to

biggest” and in understanding that the “numeral 5 is the same as the word five” (Understood.org,

n.d., para.6-7). Children with Dyscalculia also have other attention and learning issues but

having dyscalculia is “not a sign of low intelligence or lack of effort” (Understood.org, n.d.).

Difficulties associated with Dyscalculia can affect the individual in the areas of family

relationships, community relationships, and educational challenges. Difficulties such as

counting money can affect a child’s daily life. In a video called “A College Student with

Dyscalculia Shares Her Story”, Savannah Treviño- Casias talked about her struggles having

Dyscalculia (Meet Savannah Treviño-Casias, College Student With Dyscalculia, 2017). She

stated that she would avoid paying for items when her grandmother asks her to because she has

difficulty counting the coins and with how much to pay. She also cannot add, subtract, multiply,

or divide. Savannah also has difficulty with depth perception and directions, but she had a close

relationship with her mother who was her strong advocate, but she passed away. Fortunately, her

grandmother took over and addressed her disability further to ensure her success in school.
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Having supportive family members make a difference in a child with a learning disability but

unfortunately, not everyone will have this person in their lives.

Not having a person who understands one’s condition or exceptionality, will put a student

in a disadvantage because resources that could be utilized to help them succeed in school and in

life could not be provided. Instead, the child will be subjected to judgment and labels. They

could be considered dumb, lazy, or simply helpless. If a child is not properly diagnosed and

helped with their difficulties in math in their early years, there is a possibility that the child will

not be able to move up to higher education because they could not grasp the prerequisites of

math courses. College would be near impossible to go through without proper help and

accommodations or modifications. Without a college degree, these individuals will have

difficulties acquiring a stable job to support themselves. They will not be able to maximize their

contribution to society utilizing the other areas that they could excel at instead because there is

no support from the community due to the stigma and judgment placed upon them.

Some resources and strategies/techniques are available to help the child with Dyscalculia.

Through IDEA or Individuals with Disabilities Act, students can qualify for support and services

that can help them succeed in the general education classroom; having an IEP will ensure that the

student will get proper resources, developmental and educational support (Turnbull, Turnbull,

Wehmeyer, & Shogren, 2011, p. 11). Unfortunately there are learning disabilities that do not

qualify for an IEP but there is also the 504 plan and American with Disabilities Act or ADA civil

right laws that ensure equal access for people with disabilities and that protects them from

discrimination, (Turnbull, Turnbull, Wehmeyer, & Shogren, 2011, p. 28). Without an IEP,

support and services for a child with Dyscalculia in the classroom will be limited. A teacher

could provide accommodations or modifications in math lessons for a child with Dyscalculia
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such as multisensory instructions, untimed tests, using blocks or other objects to solve a math

problem, or using assistive technology tools like calculators and digital graph paper

(Understood.org, n.d.). Some of these classroom materials costs and without the school’s

support, it would be difficult for the teacher to provide accommodations or modifications.

Fortunately, online resources are also available for parents and children with Dyscalculia.

Websites such as understood.org provide parents a multitude of information, resources such as

downloadable and printable math graphic organizers, experts’ advice, and community

connections.

As a preschool teacher, I can support my student with Dyscalculia in the classroom by

providing the child manipulatives to promote emerging math concepts and encourage memory

retention. Through a positive and collaborative relationship that I will build with the child’s

parents, I will have a better understanding of the child and their exceptionalities, including their

culture, to properly support their needs not just in academics but also their social and emotional

development. In understanding the weakness of the child through the facts presented about

Dyscalculia, as their teacher I can select areas of the curriculum that the child excels in and

provide them more opportunities to work in those areas where they succeed to promote self-

esteem. The social and emotional aspect of the child is also very important in their health and

well-being and in giving them a chance to feel good about themselves other than focusing in

their exceptionalities; it will help build their confidence. Both the child with exceptionalities and

child without exceptionalities can benefit from this kind of instruction because it enables them

both to understand and grasp the lesson easier. A child without Dyscalculia will find the

multisensory instruction more engaging and more memory retaining because they will be using

their multiple senses in counting, problem-solving, and exploring.

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An individual with Dyscalculia faces cultural and global challenges. Wherever we are in

the world math is needed in daily life. Not being able to count, tell time, or deal with money

holds the same difficulty all over the world. In the Philippines where I grew up, people use

primarily cash everywhere, in stores, in fares for transportation, and in paying for services. One

needs to count fast, add or subtract when dealing with money. Here in America where credit or

debit cards are popular, people most of the time do not need to use math when paying for goods

and services; through technology, it is automatically done for them. There are not enough

resources available that provide information about how other cultures approach Dyscalculia, but

one thing is true in all cultures that math concepts, calculations, and procedures are used daily

especially in economics. A country cannot function without math; stocks, bonds, and most of all

taxes depend on math and its people that know how to do math well.

In conclusion, the symptoms, characteristics, and the effects of Dyscalculia to an

individual in the areas of family relationships, community relationships and educational

challenges as well as the analyzation of techniques or strategies used in the classroom, and some

of the different global or cultural perspective towards this exceptionality have been discussed. In

this life, there are no guarantees. Some individuals are vested with multiple talents and

intelligence. There are also those individuals with exceptionalities who need support. Even

though Dyscalculia is considered a disability, it does not define a person. An individual’s

contribution to society cannot be measured with what they lack but with what they have

produced regardless of the adversities in their paths. The choice a person makes with what tools

they have at their disposal is what defines their character as a human being. In understanding

this principle, as a teacher, it also defines the important role we are tasked with, which is to
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support our students in their development and learning as well as continuous advocacy for

support and services that even the playing field for all students with or without exceptionalities.
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References

Hodnett, MAT, B. R. (n.d.). 10 Multisensory Techniques for Teaching Math. Retrieved from

https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/partnering-with-childs-

school/instructional-strategies/10-multisensory-techniques-for-teaching-math#slide-10

Meet Savannah Treviño-Casias, College Student With Dyscalculia [Video file]. (2017, April 17).

Retrieved from https://youtu.be/7Oo_Uzi2AUY

Singh, M. (2018, October 16). History of Dyscalculia. Retrieved from

http://numberdyslexia.com/history-of-dyscalculia/

Turnbull, A. P., Turnbull, H. R., Wehmeyer, M. L., & Shogren, K. A. (2011). Exceptional Lives:

Special Education in Today's Schools [Redshelf]. Retrieved from

https://fresno.redshelf.com/book/read/833265/?course_id=22423

Understood.org. (n.d.). Understanding Dyscalculia. Retrieved from

https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/child-learning-

disabilities/dyscalculia/understanding-dyscalculia