What Is Dyscalculia?

Submitted by Judy Hanning on Mon, 2017-06-19 02:00
Dr. Sheldon Horowitz of the National Center for Learning Disabilities speaks about the disability of dyscalculia. He explains that there is no single type of this disability, which means that it will present in people in a variety of different ways. The impact of dyscalculia also differs, depending on stages of learning and age.
To the surprise of many, the numbers themselves are not always the entire problem when addressing dyscalculia. According to Horowitz, a spatial and visual component also exists with this issue. Additionally, Dr. Horowitz underscores that language processing issues also play a significant role in the ability to process mathematical and numerical information.
Author “Anxiety often takes its toll on students with learning disabilities, particularly in the area of math.”

Key Takeaways:

1
The National Center for Learning Disabilities stresses that dyscalculia, also called math dyslexia, can affect people differently at different stages of their life.
2
There is no single type of dyscalculia, its definition varies, because it affects people differently.
3
Dyscalculia is difficulty visualizing and recognizing numbers, and it makes one struggle with counting, estimating, measurements, and patterns.