Trouble in math?

Question

Math learning disability-

What is the physiology behind LD diagnosis? What is wrong with the brain that it cannot process and learn math.

I can conceive of dyslexia but I don't quite understand what constitutes math disability on a neurological level.

Does anyone have any knowledge about Learning Disability diagnosis and have one can really be substantiated.

Answer 1

Learning Disabilities, Dyslexia and Dyscalculia

August 10th, 2007 by Pamela Kvilekval

What is a learning disability?

Learning Disability is not a specific term; it is a category containing many specificdisabilities, all of which cause learning to be difficult. The following definition of “learning disability” is used for legislative, financial, and educational purposes only. It is NOT a definition of dyslexia, which is one specific learning disability. The term ‘learning disability’ means a disorder in one or more of the basic processes involved in understanding spoken or written language. It may show up as a problem in listening, thinking, speaking, reading, writing, or spelling or in a person’s ability to do math, despite at least average intelligence. The term does not include children who have learning problems which are primarily the result of visual, hearing, or physical handicaps, or mental retardation, or emotional disturbance, or of environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage.

Simple Definition of Dyslexia

Dyslexia is an inherited condition that makes it extremely difficult to read, write, and spell in your native language—despite at least average intelligence.

Revised definition from the International Dyslexia Association

Dyslexia is a neurologically-based, often familial, disorder which interferes with the acquisition and processing of language. Varying in degrees of severity, it is manifested by difficulties in receptive and expressive language, including phonological processing, in reading, writing, spelling, handwriting. Dyslexia is not the result of lack of motivation, sensory impairment, inadequate instructional or environmental opportunities, or other limiting conditions, but may occur together with these conditions. Although dyslexia is lifelong, individuals with dyslexia frequently respond successfully to timely and appropriate intervention.

Research definition used by the National Institutes of Health

Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition, and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge.

Cause of Dyslexia

Dyslexia is an inherited condition. Dyslexia results from a neurological difference; that is, a brain difference. Dyslexia runs in families. f/MRI studies have shown that people with dyslexia do not activate sufficiently the same part of the brain when reading as other people. Studies by NIH (National Institute of Health) and other prominent researchers have demonstrated that dyslexic persons are deficient in phonemic awareness.

Phonemic Awareness

Quotes from prominent NIH researchers: “The lack of phonemic awareness is the most powerful determinant of the likelihood of failure to learn to read.” “Phonemic awareness is more highly related to learning to read . . . than tests of general intelligence, reading readiness, and listening comprehension.” “Phonemic awareness is the most important core and causal factor separating normal and disabled readers.” NIH research has repeatedly demonstrated that lack of phonemic awareness is the root cause of reading failure. Phonemes are the smallest unit of SPOKEN language, not written language. Children who lack phonemic awareness are unable to distinguish or manipulate SOUNDS within SPOKEN words or syllables. They would be unable to do the following tasks:

Phoneme Segmentation: what sounds do you hear in the word hot? What’s the last sound in the word map?

Phoneme Deletion: what word would be left if the /k/ sound were taken away from cat?

Phoneme Matching: do pen and pipe start with the same sound?

Phoneme Counting: how many sounds do you hear in the word cake?

Phoneme Substitution: what word would you have if you changed the /h/ in hot to /p/?

Blending: what word would you have if you put these sounds together? /s/ /a/ /t/

Rhyming: tell me as many words as you can that rhyme with the word eat. If a child lacks phonemic awareness, they will have difficulty learning the relationship between letters and the sounds they represent in words, as well as applying those letter/sound correspondences to help them “sound out” unknown words.

So children who perform poorly on phonemic awareness tasks via oral language in kindergarten are very likely to experience difficulties acquiring the early word reading skills that provide the foundation for growth of reading ability throughout elementary school. Phonemic awareness skills can and must be directly and explicitly taught to children who lack this awareness. Phonological Processing and Phonics Phonemic awareness must exist or be explicitly and directly taught BEFORE phonics (or phonological) instruction begins. Otherwise, the phonics instruction will not make sense to the dyslexic child. Phonological processing starts by knowing which speech sounds are represented by which written letters. The goal of teaching phonics is to make phonological processing fluent and automatic. Phonics teaches how the written letters blend together to produce words, how the sounds of the letters change depending on the letters that surround them, the rules regarding adding suffixes and prefixes, and so on. In other words, phonics teaches students the internal linguistic structure of words.

How can parents recognize it?

A reading disability A kindergarten child may have difficulty remembering rhymes and recognizing words that rhyme, naming shapes such as square, triangle and circle, and learning the names and sounds of letters. Most young children confuse the letters b an d but it is symptomatic of dyslexia if they continue to read and write them incorrectly at age eight. An older child or adult may demonstrate many of the following symptoms.

Answer 2

A doctor in New Zealand has done a preliminary study using MRI readings on learning disabled individuals. The study has indicated that learning difficulties may be neurological in nature.

In her study, folks who are LD in reading have more response on the right side of the brain in the area of math. A normal person shows more response in multiple parts of the left side of the brain in the area of language. I suspect LD in math might indicate the opposite.

You don't have to be tested to prove LD. You know if you have considerable difficulty in certain subjects and yet other subject areas come with ease. The most basic description of LD is average to above average intelligence with a learning difficulty in reading, writing, &/or math. There is also expressive and receptive language.

To conclude that LD exists one usually is given tests in achievement (math, reading, writing) and ability (IQ measurement). This yields standard scores which can be compared through subtraction. If the achievement level is significantly below the ability level then one can conclude a learning disability and determine the subject area.

Answer 3

This website might give you some of the answers you're seeking.  

http://www.helpguide.org/mental/learning...

There really is no one physiology behind learning disabilities.  It is specific to the person having the disability.

I am a special education teacher, and I have taught hundreds of LD students.  No two were exactly the same or have learned in exactly the same way.  (Just as no two "average" students are the same or learn in exactly the same way.)

Answer 4

I have Dyscalcula.

Im 16 and have only just been diagnosed.

I did a screening when I left school and started college and it revealed I had dyscalcula.

I havent had it properly explained to me but it means I cant grasp the concepts of Calculation.

This isnt only with numbers, I also have trouble crossing roads as I can not calculate how long it will take the car to pass me.

I also find it hard telling the difference of left from right.

When I was younger my mother used to have to stick a blue sticker on my left shoe and a red on on right so i knew which was the right shoe for each foot.