Mar08

Dyscalculia symptoms at the Primary School Level, Evaluation and Treatment

Dyscalculia symptoms at the Primary School Level. It can present in a variety of forms and can vary in its severity and in the type of mathematical difficulties produced, although there are some common symptoms. In today’s article, we will look at the most common signs of dyscalculia in primary school children and provide you with a free test to detect the risk of dyscalculia in children aged 6 to 10 years.

dyscalculia at the primary school level symptoms — photo by iStock

What is Dyscalculia?

Dyscalculia is a learning disorder characterized by significant and persistent difficulties in a person’s ability to understand and use mathematical concepts.

There are different types of dyscalculia and, in general, it is a relatively common disorder, although its exact incidence varies according to the population studied and the definition used. Dyscalculia is estimated to affect approximately 3% to 6% of the general school population, although the prevalence may be higher in specific populations, such as children with dyslexia or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Dyscalculia can have a significant impact on school performance and performance in daily life.

Challenges Children with Dyscalculia Face

Dyscalculia is a learning disorder that affects a person’s ability to understand and manage mathematical concepts. Dyscalculia symptoms can present in very heterogeneous ways, but, in general, children with dyscalculia experience difficulties with the most basic aspects of numerical processing such as the ability to discriminate between quantities, counting or digit recognition. As a result, they lack the foundation to develop more advanced mathematical knowledge. In addition, children with dyscalculia usually face challenges as it relates to the memorization of numerical facts and mathematical concepts and procedures.

The challenges in learning mathematics that children with dyscalculia face do not only affect them in the school environment. Children and adults with dyscalculia can face challenges in their everyday life, because mathematics is everywhere. We need math skills to tell the time on a clock, to calculate our change when shopping, or to decide how to divide a cake evenly.

Dyscalculia Symptoms in Primary School Children

Symptoms of dyscalculia in primary school children may vary from child to child, but these are some common symptoms that may indicate the presence of dyscalculia:

Difficulty counting correctly and accurately. Children with dyscalculia may have trouble counting forward and backward and counting in groups (e.g., counting by twos or fives).

Difficulty understanding basic mathematical concepts. Children with dyscalculia may have difficulty understanding the relationship between numbers and basic mathematical operations, such as addition and subtraction.
Difficulty remembering basic math facts, such as multiplication tables, even after practicing them many times.
Difficulty solving mathematical problems. Children with dyscalculia may have trouble identifying the important information in a problem and selecting the appropriate mathematical operation to solve it.
Difficulty understanding the place value of numbers.
Difficulty understanding and using mathematical symbols, such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division signs.
Difficulty making mental calculations and rough estimates.
Difficulty measuring and comparing objects and quantities

Evaluation and Treatment

It is important to keep in mind that dyscalculia symptoms may vary from child to child and that some children may have difficulties in one specific area, while others may have difficulties in several areas.

If you suspect that your child may have dyscalculia, it is important to seek the appropriate evaluation and treatment because early detection and care can help reduce the challenges. In fact, theideal age for detecting dyscalculia is between 6 and 8 years of age, since early diagnosis makes it possible to implement intervention programs for treatment and to minimize challenges..

Smartick’s free dyscalculia test is essential for early detection of your child’s risk of dyscalculia. Do not hesitate to complete it to know how to proceed from the results. It is free of charge and includes a very complete report, sent by e-mail, with the risk assessment (to be confirmed by a professional), detailed profile of the child in different mathematical areas and information on how to interpret the results.

Author
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Hiwet Costa

Hiwet holds a Ph.D. in educational psychology from the University of Trieste and is an expert in learning disorders. She is the co-founder of Happy Mind Training, a clinic specialized in intervention for mathematical learning difficulties. She is also a part of the diversity support team at Smartick. Currently, she collaborates with the Numerical Cognition Lab at the University of Málaga on projects related to intervention and assessment of dyscalculia.