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The quadratic equation may have instilled horror in many of us. But for some 5 to 7 percent of the population even basic math—like the concept of the numbers 5 and 7—causes anxiety. You may never have heard of the disorder called dyscalculia, yet it’s as common as dyslexia, according to research in the journal Science.
Dyscalculia means “counting badly” which is ironic since those who suffer from it need to count often. Here’s what I mean: They can only tell that a playing card is a number eight by counting the number of objects on the card. If asked to count down from 10 they count up from 1 to 10, then 1 to 9, then 1 to 8, etcetera. Paying with cash is a nightmare. Estimates are hard, too. Asked the height of a room, they might guess 200 feet.
According to researchers dyscalculia is inherited, and specific abnormalities in the brain might be a cause. Despite their challenge, many become proficient at geometry, stats and computer programming. With the right teaching—that focuses for example on using beads to improve the processing of numbers—they can count themselves among the math literate.
—Christie Nicholson
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7 Comments
Add CommentDr Zinj, should we take this as an objectionable form of ironi? Judging by the article many with the disability in question may become successful individuals, so the only conclusion should be better and more individualized education for all.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this@Andira, agreed, it is unclear how people go from this disabling condition to being a proficient computer programmer by "using beads." Another article on explains the process in more depth http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=186759
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisMy, how knowledge gets found and lost and found and lost, especially when there is a 'new' intellectual fad de jour, like the materialistic, messed-up brain explanation for everything.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this'Dyslexia' - as in difficulties in decoding text - is a 'disorder' found only in children in English-speaking countries and it a result of the uniquely complex English spelling system and the exceedingly poor way reading is often/mostly taught.
In the context of chaotic, ineffective literacy instruction, the best predictor of whether children learn to read is if they were taught letter-sound correspondence before they start school.
We have known for some decades that in order to acquire any dimensionally structured knowledge, math included, children need to have had the experiences that equip them with a mental 'number line'. Those who miss out on these experiences in the preschool years struggle with math once they get to school and show the sorts of difficulties described above.
If it runs in families it's because parents who were not given the necessary early learning opportunities don't know how to give these to their own children.
I agree that reading problems could be in part due to our english lang. structure. (sci. am. "Why Johnny cant name his colors") But for you to assert that dyscalculia is attributed to parents not giving them "early learning opportunities" is patently absurd. Not to mention judgmental and subjective. How would you define early learning opportunities anyway? I have a degree in early childhood education and have a 16 year old son who struggles mightily in math, and consequently science. It was the same for me growing up, and still is. You don't think I knew about trying to head off for him, what I went through? Absolutely no doubt environment plays a role, but so does heredity.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWoo-hoo, I'm glad to hear this. Environmental/genetic doesn't explain my brother THE LAYWER who has it. Obviously he has other gifts.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisA lot of kids with "labels" have learning differences, no more hard to explain than some kids being left handed, while some are right. Actually, a lot of kids who are "learning disabled" are of the right brain/creative type. For some reason they and school don't get along, but when they decide what they want to learn...things go much more smoothly. And a lot of kids labeled ADD "get" the higher order math skills of geometry, trig, calc...because they are visually, not symbolically based and logical.
I teach Special Ed. A LOT of kids are teaching disabled. That's why we have homeschool, and they go on as adults to lead successful lives. As school teaching becomes more visually based, as I am seeing at the college where my son is taking his entry tests today (every room has computers in it, but I think I'm in the tech/graphics area...) as it becomes more visual, and less auditory (listening), you will find fewer and fewer handicapped kids.
My brother, the lawyer who can talk/argue about anything...hires secretaries and accountants to do his math for him now. Because school was so hard, he takes chances most of us "goody-two shoes smarty-pants" might not, and it's ended up a very lucrative way to be.
I've worked with a number of kids that are labeled ADD or ADHD or difficult or learning disabled. I have yet to find one that actually is. Most of them suffer from bad parenting. When I teach them that "these are the rules and this happens if you break them" they quickly conform to them. Their parents usually just nag at them and don't follow through. I lay out the rules and consequences up front and don't give warnings at all.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI've only had 2 boys violate the rules more than once. One of them just needed something to do with his hands. Given exercise putty he became the model child and was very helpful. The other required a fair amount of personal attention but when payed attention to showed a great deal of improvement. He would also claim to be bad or evil. A response of "we love you anyways" got him to stop being as difficult and to start trying to cooperate. It took a couple of years but he is quite a decent young man now.
It took a child psychiatrist to change how my wife and I were parents to my oldest son. Now he is doing well and much happier. Our original parenting style works great with our younger son but the older boy needed a very different approach. After experience with my sons I began to work with others via youth programs. Eventually I'm sure I will encounter a child with real problems. So far they have all been victims of bad parenting. That isn't to say their parents are bad people, just that their parenting approach tends not to get the correct results. I've learned to handle the subject with parents of these kids because I was guilty of bad parenting myself. Most of them are quite willing to do what ever will help their children, they just need to know what to do differently. As long as you don't call them bad parents and just point out what you do that works with their child most of them naturally start doing things that way too.
While there are certainly environmental factors involved, I am living proof that hereditary influence is MUCH more influential than many modern "experts" believe it to be. My brother and I (he was adopted) are almost exactly the same age, always got exactly the same lessons and opportunities, and even had many of the exact same teachers throughout our educations. He almost couldn't graduate high school. I got a full-ride scholarship to the university of my choice to study astrophysics. And yet, my parents routinely were congratulated for raising me, while all but scorned for raising my brother. We grew up in EXACTLY the same way! He simply didn't come into the world understanding things that came naturally to me, like making patterns, sitting still, and cause and effect. On the other hand, as a child, he was an incredibly successful gymnast, whereas I could hardly figure out how to do a forward roll. Does this mean that my parents didn't give me "opportunities" to become an athlete? Not at all; they even forced me through humiliating lessons until I was allowed to quit at age 11. The difference is that he had a natural understanding of how to control his body, something I can never hope to achieve. I had a natural understanding of logic and reasoning, something he still struggles with. Does this mean I'm "more intelligent?" I completely agree with Andira, we need to individualized education, and agree with Cathlscott that the "messed-up brain" explanation for everything is--well, a bit simplistic. But on the flip-side, who are WE to decide that OUR brains "work right?" They certainly function on a high level in some areas, but to decide that those areas are "most important" or "determine intelligence" is... do forgive me, incredibly arrogant and ignorant on our part. Rosabw, it seems that your lawyer brother is a PERFECT example of this different type of, well, all but ignored intelligence! At the same time--this article was pretty paradigm-shifting, if that's even an adjective (which it is, as of right now). I have many friends who are probably going to find a lot of comfort in realizing that it's a little deeper than our society just declaring that certain people are "stupid!"
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