Students with dyslexia may also have problems with self-esteem. Students may require extra help to cope with the emotional stress that comes along with a learning disability.
Dyscalculia
Dyscalculia refers to a broad array of math learning difficulties. Each person may experience difficulties in different areas of math. The degree of problems also varies from person to person. Recognizing a math learning disability can also be difficult. Children learn at different paces and having a hard time understanding math concepts as a young child certainly does not indicate a math learning disability. There are, however, some warning signs of a math learning disability:
- Discrepancy between the level of learning and comprehension in reading/writing and math skills
- Discrepancy between ability to recall printed words and numbers
- Understanding of math concepts but difficulty or inability to complete math computations
- Trouble with time skills, difficulty estimating how long something will take
- Poor sense of direction
- Poor mental math ability
- School age children may have a problem with basic computation, retaining math facts or applying their knowledge and understanding of concepts to solve math problems
Having a problem with any of these skills does not necessarily indicate a math learning disability, however, if a child is experiencing difficulties with these concepts and tasks, parents may want to contact the school to request a further evaluation.
Whether your child has a learning disability in math or is just experiencing some difficulties, there are some strategies that can be used both at home and in the classroom to help:
- Use graph paper to complete problems
- Allow children to use the strategy for solving problems that makes the most sense to them, without requiring they use a certain, accepted strategy
- Practice with estimation
- Begin lessons with concrete examples before introducing abstract concepts
As with all children, students with math learning disabilities will have their own learning style. Understanding how they learn, whether it is visual, auditory or kinesthetic can help parents and teachers develop strategies to teach students and help them to retain the information.
