Wednesday, June 29, 2016

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.

Monday, June 27, 2016

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