Education Station

Math Disabilities

(When 2+2 does not = 4)

MATH difficulties become Math Disabilities (MD) when overall math functioning is unusually delayed compared to a student’s capability and compared to performance in other academic areas. When is a math difficulty a stand-alone Math Disability and when is a math difficulty the result of other interfering learning disabilities such as Dyslexia, ADHD, fine motor delays or memory problems. 

At Child and Family Development we attempt to differentiate among interferences in language processing, processing speed, poor nonverbal reasoning or inconsistent attention. The Comprehensive Evaluation process allows us to “tease-out” the factors contributing to a student’s present struggle in math.

According to the National Center for Learning Disabilities, we now know that for many students the following is true:

• Math difficulties ARE NOT stable over time
• Math disabilities are often seen in children who also struggle with reading
• Almost all students with Math Disabilities have trouble with accurate and automatic retrieval of basic number facts.

At Child and Family Development, we can begin to help parents identify at-risk math problems as early as kindergarten. Early intervention in math is as important as early intervention for Dyslexia. A diagnostic evaluation at any age or stage in a student’s math development can pinpoint the problem areas, provide a plan for math intervention, and offer recommendations for math remediation with an educator at Child and Family Development or with local resources.

The 2003 National Assessment of Students Progress (NASP) informs us that only 23% of 4^th graders in the United States are at or above proficient levels in math and the percentage will drop to 29% by 8^th grade.
 

The time to make 2+2=4 is right now!