Dyscalculia in Children with ASD
- HEALIS AUTISM CENTRE
- 6 hours ago
- 5 min read
Dyscalculia is a specific and persistent struggle in understanding numbers which can lead to a wide range of difficulties with mathematics. Between 2% to 10% of the population have dyscalculia (Butterworth, 2011), but it can sometimes be misdiagnosed as just being bad at math, meaning that the appropriate help is not given and the child ultimately struggles even more. Children with dyscalculia may struggle with concepts involving numbers, like “larger” or “smaller”. Dyscalculia is one of many specific learning difficulties, of which autism, dyslexia and dysgraphia are part of as well.
Children with ASD have a higher risk of suffering from several other neurodevelopmental disorders and conditions. This is termed as co-morbidity, and is reflected in the greater difficulties experienced by children with a combination of deficits. Dyspraxia, dyscalculia and other conditions with shared symptoms such as specific language impairment are frequently comorbid with ASD (Russel & Pavelk, 2013).
Although numeracy proficiencies are often reported anecdotally and in the mass media as a relative forte for individuals with autism, there are a limited number of research studies addressing this issue. In fact, some studies have found the opposite – that children with autism performed worse than neurotypical children on a numerosity task, on a numberline task, which required the plotting of numerical values onto space, and on a test of mathematical achievement (Aagten-Murphy et al., 2015). These findings question the widespread belief that mathematical skills are generally enhanced in autism.
Some studies suggest that dyscalculia is more prevalent in individuals with ASD than in the general population, however it is important to note that autism does not cause dyscalculia. Dyscalculia tends to run in families, and research has shown that genetics may play a part in problems with math.
Games
There are ways to support a child with ASD that has dyscalculia. One is to use games to motivate the child to participate in learning of mathematical concepts. There are different types of games, but research has shown that children prefer using technological devices such as computers, tablets and mobile phones compared to gym supplies. While some might lean away from using technology, results from Banskota (2019) show that children are motivated, participate actively and are engaged when learning math, and are able to co-create motor activities. Thus, in moderation, games on technological devices can help to spark an interest and reduce negative associations with mathematics.
There are other types of games, including the Word game, Memory game, Category game, Space game, and Math game. (Yildirim & Surer, 2021) found that games that contain comprehensive educational information for different types of specific learning difficulties with individualised and customised difficulty systems seemed to be enjoyed by both the children and educators. This is a positive finding as when the child and educator enjoy the game, it is more likely to foster a better relationship between the child and educator, and spark an interest in the subject. This study also noted the importance of improving and enhancing games based on available research
An example of a game developed for children with ASD include Serious Games, a video game with simulations to develop skills. This game has been effective in improving mathematical skills (Banskota, 2019)
The game was created to help children with dyscalculia learn math. There are three scenarios and game plays, and each has three difficulty levels respectively. The children in the group that played the game took substantially less time to fit simple mathematical operations to the correct answer when compared with the children in the control group that followed a more conventional and traditional method of learning, the Domino system (Botto-Tobar et al., 2019) .
Other ways to support children with dyscalculia and autism
Children with these comorbid conditions may experience feelings of anger, low self-esteem, and anxiety as a result of their struggles and problems with understanding math. Their peers or even educators may not fully understand or know how to accommodate varied math needs and as such they may also encounter difficulties in social interactions in academic environments. To ensure that the child’s socio-emotional well-being is taken care of, it is crucial for parents, and educating professionals to provide appropriate support and create inclusive environments that cater to the varied mathematical abilities.
Parents should collaborate with teachers, occupational therapists and psychologists to discuss strategies that are tailored to address the child’s individual needs. Consistent discussions with all parties would ensure that everyone is on the same page regarding progress and areas that require additional support.
There are specific interventions that have been shown to be effective to help children with ASD and dyscalculia.
Firstly, visual supports are extremely effective and useful in helping children visualise mathematical concepts. Visual aids like number lines and charts support the understanding and visualisation of mathematical concepts (Fatwana et al., 2023).
Secondly, offer and engage the child in hands-on activities, like playing math games. For example, when learning about addition, use objects like blocks to visually demonstrate the addition of items, and then progress to using fingers. This helps the child understand the concepts visually and apply the concepts. Children tend to enjoy hands-on activities compared to learning with just a worksheet and pencil as it is more fun and engaging. This would reduce negative feelings or association with mathematics as well.
Thirdly, the instructions given to the child should be tailored to their learning style. Every child is different, and understanding how the child processes information, for example visually or auditorily, would allow instructions to be individualised. This sets the child up for success, and makes learning and understanding math much more enjoyable.
Written by: Tan Yock Kim
References
University of Chicago. (n.d.). Child engaging in pre-math activities [Photograph]. University of Chicago News. https://news.uchicago.edu/sites/default/files/styles/full_width/public/images/2020-10/pre_math.jpg?itok=6IdTAPK7
Aagten‐Murphy, D., Attucci, C., Daniel, N., Klaric, E., Burr, D., & Pellicano, E. (2015). Numerical Estimation in Children With Autism. Autism Research, 8(6), 668–681. https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.1482
Banskota, Alisha, "Recommending Games to Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder(ASD) for Skill Enhancement Using Minecraft" (2019). Theses and Dissertations. 7734. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/7734
Botto-Tobar, M., Pizarro, G., Zúñiga-Prieto, M., D’Armas, M., & Sánchez, M. Z. (2019). Technology Trends. In Communications in computer and information science. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-05532-5
Butterworth, B., Varma, S., & Laurillard, D. (2011). Dyscalculia: From Brain to Education. Science, 332(6033), 1049-1053.
Fatwana, H., Dasari, D., & Juandi, D. (2023). The Use of Learning Aids for Dyscalculia: Systematic Literature Review. AL-ISHLAH Jurnal Pendidikan, 15(1), 639–652. https://doi.org/10.35445/alishlah.v15i1.2633
Russell, G., & Pavelk, Z. (2013). Co-Occurrence of Developmental Disorders: Children Who Share Symptoms of Autism, Dyslexia and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. In InTech eBooks. https://doi.org/10.5772/54159
Yildirim, O., & Surer, E. (2021). Developing Adaptive Serious Games for Children With Specific Learning Difficulties: A Two-phase Usability and Technology Acceptance Study. JMIR Serious Games, 9(2), e25997. https://doi.org/10.2196/25997