Dyscalculia

Discalculation is a violation expressed in a person's inability to count, solve mathematical problems. Most often this condition manifests itself in preschool and junior school age. Often children suffering from dyscalculia are recognized as either mentally retarded or lazy, they are placed in special classes for the laggards. For the further high-grade development and successful training of the child it is important to conduct timely diagnostics and correction of this violation.

[1]

Epidemiology

Dyskalkulia, caused by various factors, occurs on average in 6% of children.

[2], [3], [4], [5], [6]

Causes of the dyscalculia

Dyskalkuliya in adults manifests itself as a result of disruption of normal brain function. This disease can lead to organic lesions of the temporal region of the brain. To this may result in hemorrhages and thrombi, tumors and cysts of the brain, craniocerebral trauma.

The development of dyscalculia in an adult requires immediate treatment to a neurologist!

Psychotraumatic factors include:

1. Fear of mathematics. This psychological factor significantly affects the ability of children to account. Perhaps the child has bad memories of learning mathematics, when he could not properly solve the examples, and he was punished or scolded for it. In this case, self-doubt and fear of re-punishment reduce the ability of the child to account.
2. General violation of the child's psychological health. Often this disorder is observed in children who are brought up in dysfunctional families.

Disorders of mental activity that lead to dyscalculia:

1. Violations in the processing of visual information - children can not visualize what is described in the task.
2. Problems with abstract-logical thinking.
3. Problems with memory, the inability to learn formulas and rules for solving mathematical problems.
4. Low concentration of attention.

Pathogenesis

The pathogenesis of the disease can be associated with both congenital disorders of a child's mental development, and with trauma or psychological factors.

[7], [8], [9], [10], [11]

Symptoms of the dyscalculia

Dyscalculia is not only a violation of ability to account, it is a complex disorder of mental activity, which manifests itself in various symptoms.

1. The child does not understand what a number is and does not know the names of numbers.
2. He does not understand by what principle a numerical series is built, is incapable of determining the place of a number in a sequence.
3. The child is not able to perform operations with complex numbers, does not understand how to expand the number into terms.
4. The child has the ability to compare numbers. He does not understand what a greater and lesser number means.
5. Comparisons of the number and size of objects also cause difficulties.
6. It is difficult for a child to perform arithmetic operations on numbers, he does not understand the significance of these actions. He is able to perform only elementary arithmetic operations with the help of a manual, rather than a mental account.
7. The child does not know the sequence of arithmetic operations and is not able to solve examples from several actions.
8. He can not remember the names of numbers and mathematical terms, does not know what they mean.
9. The child is not able to write numbers correctly.
10. Due to impaired visualization abilities, a child is able to solve problems only if they have an objective constituent. He is not able to imagine what is described in the task.

In general, dyscalculia in children is manifested in the inability to understand and solve mathematical and logical problems. The child is not able to remember and understand the conditions of the problem and develop an algorithm for solving it. Discalculation in schoolchildren is often associated with the fact that they are also unable to correctly calculate their time. All this leads to low school performance.

[12], [13]

Forms

Depending on the pathogenesis of the following types of this disease:

1. Practical. The child can not count the objects, determine how many of them, compare the number of one and the other group.
2. The verbal. The child is mistaken when he calls the numbers, the actions that are performed on them, geometric figures.
3. Graphical. The child can not write numbers, signs of mathematical actions, draw geometric figures.
4. Dyslexic. The child is mistaken when he reads numbers and arithmetic signs in the condition of the problem.
5. Operational. It is difficult for a child to perform mathematical operations on numbers, to solve simple or complex examples. The child may have several groups of symptoms. After determining the type of disease, specialists develop therapy aimed at correcting existing disorders and preventing the development of other types of dyscalculia.

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Complications and consequences

The consequences and complications of dyscalculia are manifested in the inability of the child to learn the school curriculum and to refuse further education. Inability to account is accompanied by a weak ability to absorb and the humanities. As a consequence, such a person is not capable of mastering any profession, experiencing difficulties in life. 

[15], [16], [17], [18]

Differential diagnosis

The first signs of dyscalculia are manifested in the preschool age, when the child first meets the need to count, and elementary mathematical operations cause difficulties for him. If the parents have identified similar problems with the child, they should contact a speech therapist or a child psychologist. Specialists conduct differential diagnosis of the type of violation, identify its causes and develop a method of correction.

For accurate diagnosis, the child is offered to perform a number of mathematical operations:

• count from 10 to 20;
• compare the numbers among themselves;
• place the proposed numbers in descending order or ascending;
• perform elementary arithmetic operations on numbers;
• name and sort by color, size different geometric shapes.

Ability or inability of the child to various groups of mathematical actions allows you to make a clear diagnosis and determine the type of dyscalculia. Further treatment depends directly on this.

[19], [20]

Treatment of the dyscalculia

Correction of the disorder is carried out at the speech therapy centers, as well as in polyclinics and specialized treatment centers. For effective correction requires the joint work of a doctor-speech therapist, neurologist and child psychologist. In therapy, special computer games are used for children with dyscalculia and interactive sessions with a specialist.

Therapeutic games for dyscalculia are aimed at teaching the child a score and performing mathematical operations. He is taught to compare objects, sort them by different characteristics. After the child succeeds in this, one can begin to teach him simple arithmetic actions. It is important to ensure that the child understands the logic of the operations performed and the simplest mathematical actions. Then he is taught to lay out an entire object or number to pieces and collect a whole from them.

To correct the violation it is very important to develop a literate and rich speech of the child, enrich the vocabulary, including mathematical terms. To begin with, the child should correctly call the numbers, and the actions that are taken with them, geometric shapes and their characteristics: color, size. Then the child is trained to correctly use the learned words in colloquial speech. Careful attention is paid to written literacy: the ability to correctly write numbers and mathematical signs.

In parallel with the correction of inability to account, it is important to carry out the general development of the child's thinking abilities: the development of abstract-logical thinking, visual memory, spatial orientation, the ability to predict, musical abilities. Children are taught self-control and the ability to evaluate and allocate their time.

A number of drugs, for example, B vitamins, glycine, cogitum, cortexin, with dyscalculia are used to improve cerebral circulation and activate higher nervous activity.

Prevention

To prevent violations of the praktognosticheskogo type it is recommended to teach children the skills of counting in preschool age. The child needs to be shown how objects are considered, how the simplest arithmetic operations are performed. When teaching it is important to pronounce the name of numbers and mathematical actions and accompany it with visualization (show the number of fingers or objects). It is important to develop a child's ability to relate the real object and its image. In this case, the child remembers the name of objects, numbers and arithmetic operations.

To avoid the development of operational dyskulkulii, it is important to teach the child the rules of the account, the order of arithmetic operations.

To avoid verbal and dyslexic dyscalculia, it is important to ask the child to pronounce the names of numbers and actions, the color, size and shape of geometric shapes, objects. In this case, the parent must monitor the correctness of the use of certain words, in a mild form, correct mistakes.

For the prevention of graphic dyscalculia, it is important to develop the child's visual memory and the ability to recognize and operate with visual images. Important is fine motor skills and coordination of movements, the ability to calculate the movements of the hands on the basis of visual information, for example, to estimate the distance to the object, to have time to grasp the moving object.

For the prevention of all types of disease, it is important to develop spatial and abstract-logical thinking, all kinds of memory, competent and clear speech, clear coordination.

[21],

Forecast

With properly selected therapy, the prognosis of dyscalculia in children is favorable. In time, the treatment begun helps to correct the symptoms of the disease, prepare the child for school or improve his academic performance.