I have dyscalculia. It's one of the learning and reading disorders cousins with dyslexia. They usually go by pair.
People tend to talk about dyslexia, but dyscalculia is rarely explained and therefore, much less known and understood.
Dyscalculia symptoms involve (non-exhaustive list) difficulties with:
- Identifying numbers
- Counting
- Orientation in space
- Reasoning and solving mathematical problems
Identifying numbers
Distinguishing them through their shape :
Just like a dyslexic person may confuse letters that have similar shapes, a dyscalculic person may confuse the shape of numbers (2 and 5, 6 and 9, 3 and 8).
Making the link between the numbers and their name
Making the link between the numbers themselves and their name, both when said out loud and written in letters: it will be hard for them, when they hear someone say or read the word(s) corresponding to the number(s), e.g.: "ninety-five", to transcribe it into the Arabic number 95.
Identifying quantities and measures
The notion of the quantity the numbers will represent will be very abstract and hard to identify for someone with dyscalculia. This means they will struggle with notions of measures: weights, distances, time...
But also with grouping similar elements to identify the quantity of the elements in the group.
Counting numbers
Sequencing numbers
People with dyscalculia may skip or mix up numbers when sequencing a string of numbers, whatever the order (in an ordered string of numbers: forward - 1, 2, 3,... - or backward - 9, 8, 7,... - or worse, in an unordered string of numbers like a phone number for example - 9, 3, 5,...)
Understanding notions of calculation
More, less, multiplied, divide, but also all other notions as the person progresses through school (percentages, square root,...). Because understanding basic notions of quantities and calculations is hard, they will struggle deeply with mental calculations. They will need to rely on more concrete ways of calculating (whenever possible), like counting on their fingers or by using objects, drawings,...
Writing calculations
Transposing the calculations on paper car be hard: following the rules of calculation (where do you start, where you should add a carried number, division transpotion rules...), transposing a horizontal to vertical calculation...
Orientation in space
Spacial orientation can be difficult for dyscalculic people too. Because of this, reading a table or a graph can be a struggle. Remember that it combines with difficulties to read numbers, understand them, to identify quantities and measures, to count, etc. The more complex the table or graph, the more difficult it will be.
It also means that people who are dyscalculic are often very bad at reading the time on an analogic clock - digital clocks are easier but still requires a few more seconds to read it - and very bad copilots as they will be extremely bad at giving directions!
Reasoning and solving mathematical problem
People with dyscalculia have difficulties understanding the reasoning behind mathematical problem solving.
Indeed, all of the difficulties stated above, in addition to memory, and focus problems (that often come with most Dys disorders), lead to strong difficulties in reasoning. Because of all this, in a simple mathematical problem, instructions clues will be misunderstood or misinterpreted, leading to a wrong choice of calculation method.
Often, on top of it, a calculation error will also happen, making the resolution of the problem wrong on different levels.
Dyslexia in application
Let me give you an example through a simple mathematical problem:
"In a class of 50 pupils, 32 are did their homework, of which 20 gave them ahead of time to the teacher and 16 had help from their parents.
Provide the percentage of pupils that did their homework ahead of time and of pupils who where helped by their parents."
A dyscalculic person like me could make the following mistakes:
- Calculate the percentages based on the total number of pupils in the class instead of basing it on the number of pupils who did their homework.
- Read 26 pupils had help from their parents instead of 16 pupils.
- Calculate 20-16 and then calculate the percentage - based of the number of pupils who did their homework, or, here again, the total number of pupils, thus doubling the mistakes in their calculations.
- calculating that 16/32 = 0.2 instead of 0.5... (because in their mind, they will know 16 is half of 32, so it's like dividing it by 2 but they won't identify the decimal ratio as 0.5 but 0.2 instead, their mind mixing everything up)
Being a dyscalculic kid vs. being a dyscalculic adult
The learning curve
Now, if a kid is helped through out school by therapists, parents, etc., it will be able to aquire enough tricks to bypass most of its difficulties with calculations, maths problems, etc.
It was my case. My dyscalculia was detected very early - aged 6 yo - right when you start to properly count and to make basic calculations. I was supported by a therapist on a weekly basis for over 7 years, and my mother was a maths teacher, who tried all the techniques she knew to manage and get me to understand mathematics, learn the logic and surpass my difficulties.
Don't get me wrong, I still clearly am dyscalculic. But I managed to learn enough, develop enough tricks and pathways in my mind to be able to go through a Scientific baccalauréat. This cost me all my free time during my childhood and adolescence, endlessly doing exercises after exercises to "master" mathematics to be able to reach a level similar to my classmates and to have my baccalauréat. Though "master" is a big word because I'm no "master" at mathematics, I'm mearly someone who "manages" with a lot of time and work.
The plateau
As a working adult, all this hurdle led me to be at a similar level as my peers whenever maths are involved. Indeed, in the different jobs I've had over the years, I've had to analyse data, learn how to use a pivot table in Excel for this, learn how to create some calculation formula,...etc.
All of this is still a struggle for me. Each time, it implies that I need to:
- First manage to read, identify, quantify and group the numbers I see, whether it's in a table or a graph, either way, both are difficult.
- Then, I need to wrap my head around what information I am looking for and then wrap my head around how to tweak the table to be able to get what I need out of it : What set of data vs. what other set of data? With which calculation? Ratios? Percentages? Averages?...
- From there, I also need to remember how to do those calculations. They may seem basic to you. To me, it requires a lot of thinking, remembering, even some times trials and errors before I get the calculations right.
- And then, when I managed to do all of this, which was already painful and tiring, I have to interpret the new data in front of me, match it with the knowledge I have of things in my line of work to draw conclusions.
Most of the time, I manage to do things right in the end, pulling the wool over everyone's eyes around me so they don't see all of that struggle. Hell! I even manage to fool myself sometimes into believing I overcame it all and that I'm may be at the same level as everyone else in the end...
But sometimes, I make mistakes. Mistakes in the reasoning, leading me to make the wrong calculations, or mistakes in the calculation itself...both leading inevitably towards wrong results.
This really brings my confidence down. It's when I realise that I'm still dyscalculic, that I'm not at the same level as my peers...
Having the support of my family, my friends, even my manager, has always helped me get back on the horse and carry on trying, taking on new chalenges whenever I have to analyse data. Because the next one may be easier, or may be I'll just manage better and get things right.
Indeed, even though it's tough to be dyscalculic, if you focus on your successes when facing numbers and carry on fighting against your difficulties, it is most rewarding when you manage to run calculations, analyse data and graphs, and find interesting insights out of it.
It feels like you WON against your struggles and conquered new territories and THAT is priceless!