Dyscalculia

Secondary level indicators

If a pupil is presenting a number of these difficulties, it is a clue that something is wrong and they are experiencing difficulties which will get in the way of them learning arithmetical skills.

Language and Memory

1. Doesn’t seem to comprehend the precise meaning of the terms used in mathematics.
2. Has difficulty reading mathematical terms.
3. Doesn’t remember what the abbreviations for terms mean.
4. Has difficulty comprehending questions or holding the ideas long enough to make sense of the request.

Numbers

1. Has difficulty linking words and numbers.
2. Doesn’t understand the concept of number ie 'threeness' and therefore may answer randomly with any number to a question.
3. Has difficulty with sequences.
4. Has difficulty with time eg telling the time, concepts of time passing such as yesterday, today, tomorrow.
5. Reverses numbers.
6. Has difficulty transferring from the concrete to abstract ideas.

Work

1. Work is very messy and the columns do not line up.
2. Methods are not stable and mistakes cannot be explained.
3. May be ok with the tangible but cannot deal with concepts.
4. Lacks confidence and avoids estimating and checking or other systematic ways of validating working methods.
5. Has problem with place value.
6. Has orientation problems eg left and right or vertical and horizontal.

Confidence

1. Does not appear confident even with work which should be quite easy.
2. Finds ways to avoid being in class, being exposed to arithmetical work.
3. Displays stress or withdraws during mathematical lessons.
4. Gets tired very easily when doing mathematical work.
5. Worries about performance, time taken or being slow.

Source www.bdadyslexia.org.ukBDA