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How is dyscalculia treated at schools?
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| Renee |
Posted on May 21 2005 07:44 AM
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Member
Location: The Netherlands
Posts: 10
Joined: 2005-05-13
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Wondering, how is dyscalculia treated at schools in the usa and scandinavia?
What do teachers do about it, i)f they know about dyscalculia in the first place)?
Kids stay at a normal school when it causes problems?
Are there special training programs?
I cannot even answer these questions for the Dutch situation. Dyscalculia is only starting to get known here and many teachers have to read and learn about it. Publications have started now and the ministry of education sort of recognized the problem, but it isn't at the same level as dyslexia yet. Yet a long way to go, but we will get there.
I was astonished by the fact that so many adults (from the age of 18) reacted on the forum and by e-mail. They recognize their problem now and know they are not stupid at all.
Sometimes I think that teachers are a bit tired of hearing about all the problems, learning disabilities, kids can have and sort of ignore problems. Some call dyscalculia a "fashion disease".
With solid and well-build scientific work, I believe we can change things for the good.
groetjes Renée
www.dyscalculie.org
(Dutch website about dyscalculia) |
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| ert |
Posted on May 22 2005 02:33 AM
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Member
Location: Denmark
Posts: 1388
Joined: 2005-03-11
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We don't get any help here in Denmark. There's special schools for dyslexics, and a few of those schools know that dyscalculia exists, but that's all, they don't know anything about helping the students. Most of the schools for dyslexics think that math problems is because of the dyslexia, and therefore they don't even consider that dyscalculia could exist. (About 15% of dyslexics also have dyscalculia according to a study, but 60% have problems with math because of the dyslexia)
Normal schools don't help at all.
A lot of colleges in the states help dyscalculics - tutoring, extra time at tests etc., but just as many colleges don't know how to help. Some teachers and professors are ignorant and verbally abusive, so it can be very hard. |
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| MathSucks |
Posted on August 07 2005 12:57 AM
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Location: No value
Posts: 15
Joined: 2005-08-07
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It is not treated in schools. Schools don't want to hear about it.
I'm a teen with dyscalculia and because I excel in other subjects, the school fails to help me. |
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| eoffg |
Posted on August 07 2005 09:26 AM
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Administrator
Location: Australia
Posts: 1262
Joined: 2005-03-20
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Hi MathSucks,
Whilst Verbal Abuse seems to be the standard international Teaching strategy?
You raise another 'escape clause' that Schools use. Where they 'average' scores from all Subjects. So as to avoid recognising a difficulty a Student is having in one particular area.
This is equally used in the area of Literacy.
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| MathSucks |
Posted on August 08 2005 11:04 PM
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Member
Location: No value
Posts: 15
Joined: 2005-08-07
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eoffg,
Really?? I've always thought that Dyslexia was widely known, or widely accepted as an actual "learning disability"
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| s_hartpoet |
Posted on March 15 2006 11:31 PM
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Member
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
Posts: 20
Joined: 2006-03-14
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I did some research online for a teacher of mine on dyscalculia and math learning disabilities he gave it back to me and said, " I read it is says you can't tell time.' And I said, 'of course there are different types.' He said he thought I was just pysching myself out. And this is in the HIGHLY liberal bay area. |
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| sian |
Posted on March 16 2006 06:32 AM
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Member
Location: Uk
Posts: 47
Joined: 2006-02-28
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At my school no one knew about it until someone came to give a talk on learning difficulties.
Children with dyslexia get a lot of support in our school because its now very well known but there is nothing in place for dyscalculics...yet!
Edited by sian on March 16 2006 08:00 AM
Teacher with dyscalculia |
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| eoffg |
Posted on March 16 2006 09:17 AM
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Administrator
Location: Australia
Posts: 1262
Joined: 2005-03-20
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Hi Sian ,
Whilst dyslexia has become well known in schools, a problem has developed with their support? The problem is that dyslexia is a general term, where their are a number of different sub-types.
But most schools and teachers that offer support, dont recognise the different sub-types, but have a 'one strategy will suit all' approach.
Which creates a problem for dyslexic students with other sub-types.
A common situation, is where a teacher says that they used a particular strategy with a dyslexic student last year, that was successful.
So they assume that it will work all dyslexic students.
When it doesn't, they often then blame the student for not trying?
I fear that this might become the same situation for dyscalculia?
Where schools and teachers will become aware of one sub-type of dyscalculia? Then assume that all dyscalculics have the same difficulty?
So I hope that dyscalculia might be able to avoid this problem, as awareness of it grows?
Geoff.
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| sian |
Posted on March 23 2006 04:22 PM
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Member
Location: Uk
Posts: 47
Joined: 2006-02-28
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That is so true!
As I have said in another thread. My Auntie is dysxleic. She can not write at all but love reading. My dad (her brother) on the other hand who is dyslexic can write a bit although its limited but cannot bear to read at all as it is so difficult.
There is a course available that I can go on about teaching children with Dyscalculia so hopefully I can feedcack to my school about it.Ill let you know how taht goes.
sian xxx
Teacher with dyscalculia |
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| Melchiresa |
Posted on June 18 2006 01:11 AM
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Member
Location: Pittsburgh
Posts: 3
Joined: 2006-06-18
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people in my school refused to believe that I was truly disabled, and my family is somewhat in denial, because Im very smart in my other areas of study. My college has disability services, but Im not sure I want to go to them, because the only way I could be helped is to have extremely dumbed-down algebra...x_x.
My school recognized my disability, albeit undiagnosed, and allowed me to stop taking math classes once my mandatory credits were full. |
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| KMG |
Posted on June 28 2006 11:03 PM
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Location: No value
Posts: 71
Joined: 2006-06-24
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Two words. It sucks! My son was not even suspected to have a learning disability until high school - and that was by a Summer School teacher at a different school.
They even put him in a special 9th grade "accademy" for kids that are smart, but not "working up to their potential". At that point he should have stood out like a sore thumb. Smart as a whip and couldn't do elementary math. Nothing.
When we finally did find out they could only offer him a district certificate. I will say that the psychologist and the special ed teacher at the school were wonderful, but even had he been diagnosed much younger the educational certification would have been the same.
A man in my office has a son who was diagnosed in 8th grade in the same school district and he has already been told that the boy will not get a diploma.
They have a LOT of work to do in that area here in the states.
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| Bubble |
Posted on June 29 2006 09:24 AM
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Member
Location: Wiltshire, UK
Posts: 129
Joined: 2006-06-27
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"fashion disease" what planet are they on?????
That makes me so mad
Edited by Bubble on June 29 2006 09:24 AM
bubble
(Katie)
Be different, it suits you
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| elle |
Posted on June 29 2006 05:16 PM
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Member
Location: Midwest - USA
Posts: 53
Joined: 2006-06-15
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eoffg wrote:
You raise another 'escape clause' that Schools use. Where they 'average' scores from all Subjects. So as to avoid recognising a difficulty a Student is having in one particular area.
This is equally used in the area of Literacy.
story of my life!!! my standardized (timed) test scores REPEATEDLY show a large discrepancy between my language and math skills but schools would look at the average and decide my placement from that. my 8th grade math teacher had to write a letter to potential high schools to say that my entrance exam score in math did not reflect my ability as she knew it and that i should be put in regular math classes. she was one of those teachers that gave me extra time and luckily, future teachers did too (except for one! i had to drop that class). but b/c of the math, i was placed in regular and not honors english. again, they decided based on the composite score. so i had to push to get into advanced english but still struggle in math. it's so stupid b/c it's so clear what i needed and they didn't do it b/c they couldn't get beyond a certain mentality! really, i start to wonder sometimes, who's the truly disabled here? us or them? |
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| Nina |
Posted on July 11 2006 09:43 AM
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Member
Location: Ljubljana
Posts: 17
Joined: 2006-07-09
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Looks we have preety much similar experiences.
In my primary school I kind of "done" math, but a high school was a nightmare!! I changed more than 15 instructors and the differences in average between maths and other subjects was big...I still don't understand how the people who teach don't notice such things. Teachers were trying to tell my parents I am simply not smart enoufgh to do it...
And on Faculty I finally found a professor who understood my problems and she adapt the exam in Logic, the way I managed...but one of the professors said sth. like Bubble said: that is so popular to have this disease!! Like we are sick or sth...??
In Slovenia everybody talks about dyslexia, it is officially cathegorised as learning disability...but in a case of dyslexia we're almost on zero-there are no learning programs, teachers only get formal education about it or none, we have to order tests for screening from UK or USA...
As I see it's alsmost the same in other countries
*Why should things be easy to understand?*
Ninotchka |
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| Nina |
Posted on July 11 2006 09:45 AM
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Member
Location: Ljubljana
Posts: 17
Joined: 2006-07-09
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pardon...in case of dyscalculia
*Why should things be easy to understand?*
Ninotchka |
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| ert |
Posted on July 15 2006 04:56 PM
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Member
Location: Denmark
Posts: 1388
Joined: 2005-03-11
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It's so fucking (sorry) sad that the story is the same, ALL OVER THE WORLD. |
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| yatesy |
Posted on September 08 2006 11:09 PM
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Member
Location: philly
Posts: 4
Joined: 2006-08-16
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yeah when i told my friends at the time of getting diagnosed, they all said I was jsut lazy. one girl told me she could sit me down and show me how to do math. i didn't even know what to say. the funny part was that 2 of those people were grade chool teachers and one ended up being a principal. |
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| TheatreLvr08 |
Posted on September 09 2006 01:22 PM
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Member
Location: Pennsylvania, USA
Posts: 171
Joined: 2006-09-08
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My school is.... weird about it. There were some people who completely believed and supported me, but there were a few who thought I was just being lazy and that I wanted attention (?!) So when I was told that I didn't have a learning disability, that the general LD test didn't say so, there were many people around the table that had smug "I told you so" smiles on their faces. As of now, I haven't been tested specifically for dyscalculia, and I'm afraid to approach the school again.
~Rachel~
I love to act, sing, and dance. |
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| Saeria |
Posted on September 21 2006 01:15 PM
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Member
Location: Bergen, Norway
Posts: 21
Joined: 2006-09-21
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There aren't many teachers in Norwegian schools and colleges who understands or knows much about dyscalculia. Not very many in general. The main focus has been, and I guess it still is on dyslexia. That's something "we've all" heard about, right?
Luckly adults are entitled to help here. We have our own office we can go to if we want to take a test to check if we have dyscalculia. It's not easy to find the info about it, but I managed to. I'm having my test next week with a psychologist and another pedagogic (?) specialist. If I get the diagnosis, I will also receive help.
I guess that's one of the positive things about living in a social democracy (scandinavian model). |
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| mermaid23 |
Posted on September 22 2006 02:17 PM
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Member
Location: Vancouver, BC
Posts: 128
Joined: 2006-02-25
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I live in Canada, but I thought I would answer anyway
Here in Canada, teachers who get a BED or even an MED aren't required to learn anything about learning disabilities at all! There is one course, and it is an elective! I have a friend who took the special education course in Montreal, QUE and still doesn't feel equipped to deal with LD kids! And rightfully so! Teachers learn that if they have kids with LDs, then once a day they will be swept out of the classroom to have a special education class for one period a day!
There are private schools for dyslexics - like the one I work at - but they are *very* expensive, so most families can't afford them 
We also have some learning centers here that are more affordable, but still, LD kids still spend their entire days in schools where they aren't getting the support they need.
However, Canada has the education act (or something like that) that states that all Canadians have the right to a proper education. One family here in Vancouver, BC went to court to force the Canadian government to pay for their son's education. It was a cut and dry case. The kid was in the public school system and was falling further and futher behind. He has a psych-ed that stated quite clearly that it is essential that he attend a school like the one I teach at. Apparently the father is quite an activist for learning disabilities (being dyslexic himself), so going to court was more about proving a point and setting a standard than saving money on education.
Anyway, they ended up winning the case, and now the Canadian government pays for 100% of his tuition, supplies, transportation etc! I can't imagine if they had to do that for 20% of the population. It seems as if only the people who can afford to spend years in court are able to get this kind of treatment...
So, the system isn't perfect, but it appears that baby steps are being made. Our system is getting better at flagging kids though. Normally we find out in grade 3 or 4. Which isn't ideal, but it is better than what I wen through in school |
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