Special Ed Teacher Needs Math Help

VISITOR: I just found this site and I am a bit overwhelmed. I have been teaching students who have been identified as having learning disabilities for about 30 years. Some I have real questions about. I do know they are behind their peers academically. Most have “gaps” in their learning that I have tried to help them with by using different methods or just having them in smaller groups.  Math is an area that I would like to learn more about to help my students, I am currently working with third and fourth grade students who have difficulty with all basic operations especially regrouping in addition and subtraction.  Multiplication is very difficult for my fourth graders. I have tried different strategies, but I feel I need something else. Can you recommend something that I can use or something I can read?  One student has me really confused when she is doing multiplication.

Thank you, I would appreciate any help you can give me,

-Elementary Resource Teacher in South Carolina 

DYSCALCULIA.ORG: 1. Substitute constructive assessments for cumulative paper tests: student creates instructional lessons as video, animation, slides, Webs, illustrations, demonstrations. Grade with rubric.

2. Math exams & practice: single digits, simplify, use handbook, reference, examples, or take-home

3. Extended time (3x) for math learning, assignments, assessments, courses, "independent study.

4. Proof of mastery before testing, and ability to retest until > 80% mastery is achieved.

5. Allow multiple opportunities to succeed on tests, practice, quizzes, projects.

6. Preview lessons with instructor. Get detailed homework and test feedback.

7. Supervised 1:1 exams for monitoring of unconscious dyscalculic/retrieval/procedural errors.

8. Halve number of practice problems and exam items; simplify, single digits, test only practiced.

9. Mandatory calculator use to learn, practice and test (w/ audio feedback & earbud).

10. Color-code to organize; isolate digits/rows/columns; use graph paper to minimize errors.

11. Always talk through, illustrate, and demonstrate quantitative ideas for learning, practice, and tests.

12. Pass-fail grading for math classes, to prevent disability's impact on GPA.

13. Change grades in failed math courses to FAIL and recalculate GPA to mitigate impact.

14. Assistive Technology for math & writing tasks: [talking] calculator apps, programmed instruction, visualization and organization apps, drag & drop apps, digital texts, speech-to-text tools, proof reader.

15. Study the language of math (affixes, morphology, syntax, decoding & encoding.)

16. Avoid unproductive, frustrating, stressful instruction and methods; seek alternatives.

17. Earn transferrable college math credits before high school graduation: transition plan.

18. Tier 2/3 RtI/MTSS intensive remediation - 30 min x 5 days/week: place value w/ money.

Math Disability, No GED, No Degree

VISITOR:  Yes. I am 42 and I still do not have my GED. I have tried and failed. I was in Special Education classes in Junior High School. I always had a very difficult time with Arithmetic and Mathematics. I was told that I simply had a mental block. I've been trying to study for my GED again and I finally decided to search the internet for information about my extreme inability to comprehend mathematics. I found this website. I took community college courses in psychology. I scored higher on some of the exams than anyone else in the classes. I was told by my psychology professor that I could certainly acquire a Masters Degree in psychology but since there was no way I could complete the advanced mathematics classes and did not have a GED I could not continue progressing in the class. I watched the video entitled "Dyscalculia Signs & Research" and the people there with dyscalculia were doing exactly what I have always done. Counting the dots one by one. Adding on their fingers like me. Making all sorts of marks and equations on the scratch paper and counting out the numbers to do multiplication problems. I also do not have any memory for mathematics and always end up forgetting how to work through basic multiplication and division problems. I cannot visualize the numbers and the problems at all. I can't comprehend even basic fractions. I am certain that I have dyscalculia. I am here to fill out the checklists and to begin seeking ways to be tested so that the system can't railroad me anymore with mathematics that I am not competent at understanding.

DYSCALCULIA.ORG:  Psychology will require statistics.  You can get from here to there, but quite differently than others.  You will need intensive and specific accommodations and academic adjustments.  First get tested so your disability is legally documented. Then prepare for the GED.  Apply to a college that will accommodate your dyscalculia. Although all colleges should, few know what to do.  Start here: 

Here's some helpful information for beating dyscalculia:

 Manage It  | Conquer It  | Fix | To Do  |  Remediation

Accessing Math  |  Appreciating Math  | Best Math Tools

If you need diagnostic testing, see:  Testing by Dyscalculia.org

Also see:  College & Dyscalculia

Number Switches but Generally Good at Math...Is it dyscalculia?

VISITOR: After doing some research I think I could potentially have a form of dyscalculia. While I am not 100% sure by any means I wanted to contact someone to see what's going on with me. 

To start I have always been fairly decent at math, it does take me a little bit to process the information but I am actually able to get by and don't have too much of an issue solving complex problems (I even took a test to see if I have dyscalculia and got a 100% correct on it  in a short amount of time without even struggling). 

The issue I tend to have is what I could only call a jumbling of numbers. I regularly see a number and flip the numbers around. For example; just today I ran a deposit at my bank and ran it for 257.68 I saw the transaction was out of balance and couldn't figure out why. I had to look again and saw that it was actually 258.67. 

This happens quite frequently where I see one number and then realize that I somehow rearranged the order of  some of the numbers and got a different similar set of numbers. I find if I take my time and really pay attention and concentrate on what I am looking at  with each individual number I am fine. 

As someone who is good at math I find it really frustrating to have this issue, especially when I get things wrong because I misread normal numbers. Is this a form of dyscalculia or is it something else? 
DYSCALCULIA.ORG:

Your logic, reasoning, directional sense, sequential memory, memory for math facts and procedures,  and even your working memory must all be sufficient to perform complex quantitative tasks. Your problem seems to be isolated to digit processing. So while you eyes see fine (perception), the order of the digits is not entirely fixed. The visual impression of the numbers is somewhat weak or ambiguous, and during processing, the brain recalls them inaccurately when it comes to taking action on them, like during thinking about, reading, speaking or writing the numbers. 

Knowing that you are prone to this processing glitch, you must triple check place value by isolating numbers and thinking, "8 pennies, 6 dimes, 7 dollars, a fifty, and two hundreds...less than 300." Then look at the whole number and say it, "two hundred fifty seven and 68 cents."  Isolate the digits and compare again after you have written or entered them. In other words, because the brain receives WEAK impressions of numbers, you need to DELIBERATELY pay attention to the order of the numbers and articulate some judgement or opinion about them. Triple check, and assure accuracy.  When there is no room for error (like when something is being sent to the printer), ask someone to check your numbers for accuracy to avoid costly mistakes. And just admit it, sometimes you unconsciously make digit sequencing errors, like some other people make spelling errors. 

It is a very common characteristic of dyscalculia, which contributes greatly to inaccuracies and frustration.  You are lucky that you don't have all of the other conditions that further frustrate number processing and performance.

Dyscalculia in Finland

VISITOR:  What's going on with dyscalculia in Finland?

DYSCALCULIA.ORG: Here are some Dyscalculia References in Finland:

http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1112&context=numeracy

http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1112&context=numeracy

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982207020726

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080924151007.htm

https://www.slow-watches.com/the-blog/eat-this-dyscalculia/

Dyscalculia at 48 and in college?

VISITOR:  I am close to tears, yet very excited!  I am a 48 year old woman, who can not do math. I have dealt with this my entire life, and always thought that there was something so very wrong with me! I think I may have dyscalculia. I am attending college right now working on getting my Bachelors degree in General/Special Education, and had my first math course in June, which I was unable to complete after the first 2 weeks, and had to withdraw due to complete confusion, and anxiety. I need help. I never pursued my dream of a college degree, because I knew that I could not pas the math and science. Please help me if you can I need to know what to do, and I just happened upon the website when I was doing some reading on LD and I did not even know what dyscalculia was!  Any information/direction  you can give me would be so greatly appreciated.
DYSCALCULIA.ORG: In order to get assistance with dyscalculia in college, you must be formally tested and have any learning disabilities properly documented. For complete instructions, see: 
  LD assessment by Dyscalculia.org  and College & Dyscalculia 

No Understanding of Time or Numbers, but As & Bs in Other Subjects.

VISITOR:  I am the parent of  a 12 year old who enjoys reading, but has a lot of difficulty with retaining and recalling basic math facts. She is able to understand math concepts, such as how to find the square root of a number, but spends an extraordinary amount of time trying to recall answers to even simple math facts, such as 5x5 or 2+8. 

It is hard for her to identify and use place value, or to group like numbers. She also struggles to identify time in any form, estimate the passage of time, or make plans based on time. For instance, if she wanted to bake cookies to take to an activity 2 hours in the future, she would be unable to estimate if she had time enough to do so, even when provided with information about how long it would take to prep and bake the cookies. 

While doing math problems, she becomes frustrated or distracted, as it takes a long, long time for her to complete assignments and tests. This is not helped by the fact that she seems unable to comprehend the passage of time; she may struggle with a problem for 30 minutes without seeking help, later to discover much more time has passed than she realized and she is far, far behind her peers in her work. 

In the past, we have tried intensive work to memorize math facts, which has created anxiety and resulted in minimal retention. We have set timers to help her regulate work, but she is frequently shocked when the timer rings--to her, little to no time has passed. 

The most effective intervention has been when teachers decrease the number of problems she needs to complete on an assignment; having fewer problems tends to decrease her anxiety and increase her overall productivity. Despite her difficulties with recalling math facts and telling time, she is a hard working student who earns A's and B's.

DYSCALCULIA.ORG:  (1) Email the principal to request testing for learning disabilities, with a focus on math.  (2) In addition to testing, make sure the school gives her Tier 2 intensive remedial math instruction for 30 minutes per day using methods proven effective with weak math learners.  (3)  If the school refuses to test her, tell them you will file a complaint.  (4) Use our Money Lessons to teach place value and basic math understanding. (5) See this information take charge of dyscalculia: Manage It  | Conquer It  | Fix | To Do  |  Remediation | Accessing Math  |  Appreciating Math  | Best Math Tools.  

Computer Programming with Dyscalculia

VISITOR:  
I am looking for help in overcoming my anxiety and improving my math skills. I am a front end developer skilled in HTML and CSS. I rely on my visual / artistic skills to connect the code to the outcome. As the industry become javascript and functional programming heavy, I need to be able to keep up. I am hitting very familiar walls when I try  to learn the basic programming concepts of these, and other, languages. They rely on abstraction and the ability to remember sequences. 

My math disability symptoms: (b) Mistaken recollection of names. Poor name-face association. Substitute names beginning with same letter., (c) Inconsistent results in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Bad at financial planning and money management. Too slow at mental math to figure totals, change due, tip, tax., (d) When writing, reading and recalling numbers, these mistakes may occur:  number additions, substitutions, transpositions, omissions, and reversals., (e) Inability to grasp and remember math concepts, rules, formulas, sequence (order of operations), and basic math facts (+-x/)., (f) Poor memory (retention & retrieval) of math concepts- may be able to perform math operations one day, but draw a blank the next! May be able to do book work but then fails tests., (i) Difficulty grasping concepts of formal music education. Difficulty sight-reading music, learning fingering to play an instrument., (j) Difficulty with motor sequencing, noticeable in athletic performance, difficulty keeping up with rapidly changing physical directions like in aerobic, dance, and exercise classes. Difficulty with dance step sequences, muscle memory, sports moves., (k) Difficulty remembering how to keep score in games, like bowling, cards, etc. Often loses track of whose turn it is. Limited strategic planning ability for games like chess., (l) Experiences anxiety during math tasks., (m) Uses fingers to count.  Loses track when counting.  Cannot do mental math.  Adds with dots or tally marks., (n) Numbers and math seem  like a foreign language.
 
DYSCALCULIA.ORG: It is great that you do HTML and CSS. Since it is markup, it seems easier than programming. There are several great JavaScript tools, so use them to help instead of programming from scratch. Search for a JS to do a certain job, copy and paste the code and carefully change the variables inside the code. You are already exercising your sequential memory with HTML and CSS, so you are going to try to extend it.

          Try these for coding:
          https://codecombat.com/

http://www.codebymath.com/

          https://scratch.mit.edu/ 

Here's some helpful information for beating dyscalculia:

  Manage It  | Conquer It  | Fix | To Do  |  Remediation

Accessing Math  |  Appreciating Math  | Best Math Tools

Elevate is an app that helps with my dyscalculia.

VISITOR:  I am writing to let you know about an app that I am finding revolutionary. It's called Elevate, and it had simple games like "measurement" in which you double 1 1/8, but the great part is you enter it in terms of circles and fractions of a circle. In a another game called "estimate" you do mental addition to approximate the sums of several values like 8.99, 4.19, and 5.60. In this game you scroll along a number line to enter your answer. I find the motor and visual aspects of these games very helpful for the development of number sense and find myself making fewer arithmetic mistakes in math class. I've also used Danica McKeller's math books with a great deal of success. She uses a great deal of metaphor, visualization, and verbal rather than symbolic representation. 

I hope this is helpful for your other clients! 

DYSCALCULIA.ORG: Thank you! These resources are available on Dyscalculia.org. The Elevate App can be found on our BEST TOOLS list. Danica's books can be found in our Teens Get Math Bookstore.

In Medical School with Dyscalculia

VISITOR: I have always struggled with math and physics for as long as I can remember. I was able to cope with it until year 4 and afterwards I was repeatedly bottom of my class for those subjects although I was always towards the top in almost all other subjects. My key observations are, I can never remember the multiplication tables no matter how hard I try even though I have a great memory for other things ( I am now in medical school and have good memory for other things such as anatomy, embryology etc). I also struggle with checking the balance after shopping or splitting bills with friends. I have a physics exam coming up in university ( considered one of the easier modules in medical school, but it is my personal toughest) and I noticed over the course of doing about 90 sums - I jumble up numbers ( 512 as 521), forget about decimals, forget about adding 0's, jumble symbols etc. I also forget what the question is asking during the course of doing the sum and have to go back to it multiple times. Some questions, i understand how to do, but have a hard time explaining in paper. In general I also have a hard time understanding and remembering key concepts in math and physics. My symptoms are much worse when I am tired or nervous but are present even on good days.  I was repeatedly told by teachers and parents that my problems were simply related to carelessness or nervousness. I came to the realisation that my problem might be more deep rooted than that and I would like some guidance as to how I can manage my problems because I have a compulsory physics module coming up which I need to pass in order to get my degree.  

- Shri Lanka 

DYSCALCULIA.ORG:  You can start by reading this advice on managing dyscalculia, conquoring it, and remediating it. 
Fixing Dyscalculia:    Manage It  | Conquer It  |  Remediation | Accessing Math  |  Appreciating Math  | Best Math Tools   And should you seek special accommodations in college in order to pass the courses requiring quantitative reasoning, you should study these resources (the advice is based on college in the USA):  College & Dyscalculia:  College & Dyscalculia  |  Academic Adjustments  |  Accommodations  |  Accommodations vs. Modifications  | Course Waivers  |  Course Substitution and Waiver Guide  |   Advising  |  Algebra Paths  | Books  | Tools  |  Sample letter to DSS |  News  |  College & Learning Disabilities  

        I think you are beyond these courses, but here are some other college-specific tools and           resources: College Tools  |  Calculus  |  Free Courses!  |  Microeconomics  |  Statistics

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Math Difficulties and ADHD

VISITOR:  I Am someone with math difficulties. I am also an adult who was late diagnosed ADHD. Currently, I am being treated for my ADHD with medication and cbt. Math & numbers have always been a 'dread' to me. My dad used to conclude that 'math just wasn't my strong suit.' I agreed but have never understood why until hearing about math LD. To this day, if it involves numbers, I feel a familiar 'heaviness' come over me. I just check out. I struggled terribly with math all through school but managed to get through (but not without failing and having to retake some classes). I did play a musical instrument but preferred to play by ear because reading music didn't make sense. I don't do well with reading and following directions. It's often too much to take in & takes to long to process and so I prefer to 'wing it'. If I have to use a ruler to measure anything, I opt to 'eyeball' it or I struggle through the task or I ask my husband to do it. Generally speaking, if something involves numbers (finances, measuring, helping my daughter with math, etc)...I run the other way. It has become a way of life for me now and I am interested in knowing more in relation to my ADHD. 

DYSCALCULIA.ORG: Consider filling out the Learning Disabilities Checklist, because you also have difficulty reading.  Then see our pages on Learning Disabilities.  Learning Disabilities can look like ADHD, because if you can't follow along or keep up or comprehend, you can't engage, and your attention naturally goes elsewhere.  Your off-task behavior, if it is active, will be called "hyperactivity" or inappropriate activity.  All of this inattention and off-task activity is a natural result of failure to engage with the task at hand. The task may involve listening, reading, visual-spatial reasoning, math, and so on.  It is like someone speaking to you in a foreign language. You are motivated to and do attempt to understand, but eventually cannot engage and attend for very long.  The mind seeks out satisfying experiences. When we cannot derive pleasure or satisfaction from a situation, we tend to move on. In summary, if you could read well, you would read. If you could think and work mathematically, you would not avoid doing it. The trick is to figure out how to acquire skills that have historically been difficult to acquire; and then once you get the skills, to exercise them regularly, so you don't lose them.

Dyscalculia Handbook - 7th grade project

VISITOR:  We need help with our 7th grade class project. We are making a dyscalculia handbook. "What are the strengths, challenges, and differences in the people who have Dyscalculia?"

DYSCALCULIA.ORG: 

STRENGTHS: 

(1) Those with dyscalculia usually spoke early and very well as young children and continue to speak well. 

(2) Those with dyscalculia usually write very well, and like to express their ideas through writing. 

(3) Those with dyscalculia usually learned to read early and to read well. They like to read for pleasure and to learn. 

(4) Those with dyscalculia are usually exceptional students in all subjects except math. 

WEAKNESSES: 

See the Dyscalculia Checklist for a list of symptoms.

People with dyscalculia make errors that they are NOT even aware of. They may copy numbers wrong. They may read numbers wrong. They may say numbers other than the numbers they intend to say. They may see one number but think about another number.  They occasionally forget what they are doing in the middle of working a math problem.  They occasionally lose track when counting things. They get confused by all of the different directions you have to go in when doing arithmetic.  They have a hard time following physical sequences. They have a hard time remembering sequences, directions, maps, schedules, and times. It may be hard to read an analog (face) clock reliably.  It is hard to keep track of time and they have a poor sense of how much time is required for something and how much time has gone by.  They have a hard time handling money because they lose track when counting, can't do addition and subtraction in their heads, and can't think about numbers when under pressure.  They have visual-spatial difficulties that make certain tasks hard. They may avoid sports that require a lot of coordination and processing of rapidly changing stimuli, like team sports. Sports that don't require so much complex and rapid visual processing would be track, cross country, and swimming. They cannot process visual-spatial information that occurs quickly. When watching sporting events, they may ask frequently, "What just happened?" 

They don't necessarily learn better by touching things because touch is a weaker pathway.  They may have a hard time executing tasks without looking, like plugging something in without looking. They have a hard time visually comparing things and seeing the differences between similar objects. They think more slowly and carefully about visual stimuli. They misremember numbers frequently, whether it is easy addition and multiplication facts, or dates or times, and even birthdays of special people.  They are embarrassed by these mistakes and try to avoid making them in public. Since it is socially acceptable to be smart but bad at math, they may admit, "I'm very smart, but I can't do math. That's okay. I can use a calculator." 

DIFFERENCES:

Those with dyscalculia can fool their teachers and friends by developing clever ways to avoid math and calculating. They want a reputation for being smart, and do not want to admit that math makes them feel stupid.  All their lives they have been told to be more careful and to pay attention to detail more and to study and try harder in math.  They believe that they can overcome their math difficulties by trying harder and studying longer, but these usual tactics do not produce the expected results. This makes them frustrated and angry. After awhile, they may become overwhelmed by failure and frustration, and may cry when faced with math tasks. They may avoid math because it makes them feel inadequate and distressed. When they cannot avoid it, they will feel anxious and stressed, which will make them even less able to think mathematically.  They will describe this as: a "mental block," or "drawing a blank," or "blacking out," or "it's like I've never seen this stuff before in my life!"  Teachers may call this "math anxiety," but it is important to know that the "math anxiety," does not come first. Math anxiety is NOT the cause of math difficulties. Math anxiety RESULTS from the brain's inability to process quantitative and visual-spatial information reliably and effectively.  

Those with dyscalculia need tricks and tools for managing dyscalculia. 

See these links: Manage It  | Conquer It  |  Remediation | Accessing Math  |  Appreciating Math  | Best Math Tools

VISITOR:

DYSCALCULIA.ORG:

School testing says, "No math problem!" Not true!!!

VISITOR:  I have several questions about appropriate assessment tools used to identify individuals with dyscalculia. My daughter is a 3rd grader, who has been struggling in math throughout the entire school year. When observing her I notice that she struggles with making numbers make sense, for lack of a better term. She doesn't seem to be able to compute multi-step problems and make connections of step by step orders of operations. For example, she knows 3x4 but if you implement the number fact into a word problem, she unable to make the connection that it's 3x4, instead she may add the two numbers. She is a star student in all other subject areas, but it's math comprehension that she is currently struggling with. I requested for her school to test her for dyscalculia/math disability. The assessment specialist used the Woodcock Johnson, and has stated my daughter doesn't have any type of learning/math disability. I know my child and I know that something is wrong. Do you have any advise? I feel as if I'm getting blown off by the assessment specialist. I just want the right help for my child.

DYSCALCULIA.ORG: At this point, you must DISAGREE with their findings and request an independent evaluation at district expense. I can do that assessment for you or you can contact an educational neuroscience department at a local university.  

Schools are horrendous for identifying LDs and claim they can't use terms like dyslexia and dyscalculia in spite of recent chastising and guidance from the US Department of Education.  

She should be getting 30 minutes a day of remedial math instruction through the  RtI / MTSS program. 

If you'd like me to do an independent review of her case and recent testing, let me know.

Where are you located?

What does US Federal Education Law say about Specific Learning Disability? 

       Eligibility for Special Education and Response to Intervention Services 

       Federal DOE Guidance on Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, & Dysgraphia and IEPs  (Oct. 2015)

       Federal DOE Guide: IEP Goals Must Align with the Current Grade-level Content Standards 

Fixing Dyscalculia:    Manage It  | Conquer It  |  Remediation | Accessing Math  |  Appreciating Math  | Best Math Tools

More about dyscalculia and diagnosis:  http://www.dyscalculia.org/dyscalculia

Yes, they are avoiding the issue! Fight back!

An Osteopath Cured Dyscalculia

VISITOR: This story was a long long time ago in my past.

I was born with ADHD, as an adult I found a library book called "A Touch of Life" by Robert Fulford, who was an Osteopath who helped many children.  After reading this book I wanted to find an Osteopath. I lived in NYC and in the phone book I found 2 Osteopaths in Manhattan. I chose the Russian Osteopath, Mikhail Volotkin who learned the traditional osteopathy school method of training. Mikhail had a part time private practice and worked at St. Vincents Hospital part time.  When I went into his office I was given a good omen sign, on his wall above his desk was a photo of the D.O. author Robert Fulford.  I received a cranial sacral adjustment and my ADHD symptoms were gone. I felt like a new person.  I also went to my Osteopath for a wrist tendon problem, and a sudden onset of hypoglycemia, which he aligned, adjusted and healed permanently.  I also brought my young daughter to see my Osteoapath. My daughter was born with the math disability, Dyscalculia.  With a cranial sacral adjustment my daughter's Dyscalculia math disability was gone, completely healed. My daughter was born with the cord around her neck. Which I think caused her brain dysfunction. Dr. Fulford says many babies are born out of alignment; that being out of alignment can cause any kind of health issue.

Dee

DYSCALCULIA.ORG:  I have not heard of that. I will do some research. Many swear by Osteopaths, and I have had great experiences with D.O.'s who were excellent diagnosticians and healers. It is worth looking into! Thanks for the note! -Renee

Disorganized Reading, Writing, Coordination, Listening

VISITOR: My child loses things constantly, skips letters and words and lines when reading, mixes up letters and numbers, and is very disorganized. Her writing is a jumbled mess, and the school just thinks she has ADHD. Clothes drive her crazy, she hates seams and tags. She fights me on everything! She has trouble following directions. She passed the hearing test, but it's like she doesn't get everything I say to her. Everything has to be repeated over and over! This frustrates everybody. She was premature and was in the NICU for 3 months. She's 11 now. Help!

DYSCALCULIA.ORG: Her symptoms indicate Sensory Integration Disorder (see a neuropsychologist or neurologist), dysgraphia and  dyslexia. I would first take her to see if custom lenses (prism or colored) can correct the visual processing instability that causes her reading difficulties. Read about this on the bottom of the Dyslexia page linked to above. Also get to an audiologist for to investigate Auditory Processing Disorder. An effective treatment program for APD is Fast ForWord. Organization and sequencing disabilities are comorbid with SID, dyslexia, and APD.  If you correct those, sequencing, organization and attention improve. The Orton-Gillingham method significantly improves penmanship, phonological awareness, reading decoding and comprehension, spelling, and reading and writing fluency. 

Take it in stride.  Learn all you can and be prepared to bounce among professionals who only specialize in one area.  A physical exercise program is crucial for continued brain development. Do karate or ballet, or something that regularly involves crossing the mid-line, balance, coordination, and sequential memory. Develop hand-eye coordination and tracking by playing outside: throwing, catching, hop-scotch, jump-rope, darts, yard games, etc.  Also use these apps to develop key skills: 

http://www.dyscalculia.org/math-tools/fix  

Thank you for this amazing site.

VISITOR: Just found your site and it is amazing.  My daughter and I both have dyscalculia although I didn’t know why I had so much trouble with math until she started having trouble as well.  I would like to find a program where I can learn and work as a tutor for her.  I have my degree in elementary education but we never covered anything like this.  She has basic number sense and skills.   The biggest area is with word problems.  She, nor I, can parse the words to make sense of the problems.  If you give me straight numbers I’m great.  Thanks for your guidance! 

DYSCALCULIA.ORG:
In general, you will want to talk through word problems, draw pictures to illustrate the word problem and solve it, and focus on the words that give the problem meaning and direction. For accuracy, you want to color code operations (add in green, subtract in red, multiply in blue, divide in black) [think Bic pen]. Use large square graph paper to line up numbers and triple check that you write and say the numbers that are actualy there. Use a calculator to double check your math facts. Highlight the boxes that will contain the numbers carried and borrowed and the answer. You need this visual feedback to keep it all straight. Talk it out, always. You will notice verbal mixups. Accept them and correct yourself and each other. Be aware that this is a natural brain glitch with dyscalculia. Learn to control for it. 

 Look here:

http://www.dyscalculia.org/dyscalculia/math-ld-remediation

http://www.dyscalculia.org/math-tools

http://www.dyscalculia.org/math-tools/our-lessons

Boston Dyscalculia Help @ Center for Teaching and Learning Mathematics

VISITOR: Where can I find help for dyscalculia in Boston?

DYSCALCULIA.ORG:
Contact Mahesh Sharma at the Center for Teaching and Learning Mathematics. mahesh@mathematicsforall.org   Website: www,mathematicsforall.org                        Math Language Blog: https://mathlanguage.wordpress.com/

17-yr-old Dyscalculic Transition Plan

VISITOR: I am 17 and I think I have dyscalculia. What should I do?

DYSCALCULIA.ORG: At 17, you're at a critical juncture. You need specific intervention to acquire numeracy competence, and  need a plan to pass college algebra. Your high school transition plan should include obtaining transferrable college algebra credits. These should be transferrable to the college you plan to attend. 

See this information: 

http://www.dyscalculia.org/accessibility

http://www.dyscalculia.org/college-dyscalculia

http://www.dyscalculia.org/college-dyscalculia/algebra-paths

http://www.dyscalculia.org/math-tools/money

http://www.dyscalculia.org/math-tools/fix 

Have a special educator work with you on the last 2 links above for 30 minutes a day. (Think Tier 2 RtI intervention / MTSS). 

Algebra instruction should include these tools: 

http://www.dyscalculia.org/math-ld-books/algebra 

You'll have to learn to color code everything, to group math elements, and to translate math symbols into words and back into symbols- Words to symbols decoding and encoding. Math must be taught as a foreign language.  

See more under Our Lessons:  http://www.dyscalculia.org/math-tools/our-lessons

Testing: http://www.dyscalculia.org/diagnosis-legal-matters/diagnostic-evaluation