Dyscalculia

The specific learning disability which involves in an innate difficulty in comprehending mathematical problems and learning mathematics is referred to as Dyscalculia. It also covers the difficulty in learning to manipulate the numbers, the facts that are related to maths, and other symptoms that related to fear for mathematics falls under the umbrella term Dyscalculia. The disabilities in mathematics can also be as a result of some problems in the brain. These problems might have also happened as a result of some brain injury. The brain injury is mainly covered under the term Acalculia which can be distinguished from Dyscalculia and it refers to the genetic origin of the innate disability.

Usually children born with low Dyscalculia exhibit difficulties in learning the mathematics, but the difficulties with mathematics is also found in normal and also superior intelligence. About three to six percent of the entire population is said to exhibit the disability of Dyscalculia.

History:

Reckoning the history of the disability will lead one to the cognitive psychologists like Brian Butterworth and Stanislas Dehaene.

It is necessary to know the symptoms of Dyscalculia. The earliest symptom of Dyscalculia is the deficit in subitizing where subitizing is referred to as the ability to know the numbers or the number of objects that are in a small group without counting. This is considered to be one of the innate ability that is necessary in every human being. If this ability is scarce then the ability to deal with mathematics would also be poor.

Causes of Dyscalculia:

The causes for Dyscalculia are still to be understood. There are several domains which are investigated by scientists. The first domain that is explored is the neurological domain where the Dyscalculia is more associated with lesions to the angular gyri and the supramarginal at the meeting point between the parietal and the temporal lobes of the cerebral cortex. The problem is mainly focused here and results in the deficits in the working of the memory. The arguments between Hitch and Adams mainly focus on the working memory which is considered to be the major factor in the mental ability of a person.

Reduction or disturbance in the short term memory:

There are several other causes which results in Dyscalculia. Some causes like the reduction or disturbance in the short term memory will also affect the ability to remember calculation. The heredity disorders or the congenital disorders are also considered to have an effect on the memory ability of an individual.

Questions:

• What is Dyscalculia?
• What are the causes of Dyscalculia?