Why test 
Quick test
Comparative test
Computer test
Educational psychologist tests
Solutions

Read an article on testing by Tony Attwood published in SEN magazine, issue 41

Being assessed for dyscalculia Before you arrange for yourself or your child to be assessed for dyscalculia it is important that you consider why you are arranging this testing.  It could be expensive – and if you choose the wrong type of test you might not get the benefit you expect to get. Once you have looked at the brief “Why test” section you can move on to reviewing the four types of test – the quick test, the comparative test, the computer test, and the test conducted by an educational psychologist. Finally, it would be a good idea to review the actions that you can then follow, under the Solutions section.

 

Why test   

For children the main reason for testing for dyscalculia would be to ensure that they are getting the right sort of maths education.  However it is my belief that the methods that can be used to help overcome maths problems in children – and indeed in adults – are the same whatever the cause of the inability to do maths.

A child might struggle with maths because he/she is dyscalculic.  Or because the child missed a lot of education through illness.  Or because the child misbehaved in class, or didn’t like the teacher.  Maybe the child heard the parent say, “Don’t worry I was no good at maths either” and so thought it was ok not to be able to do maths, and so stopped trying.  Maybe the maths teacher was off sick for a long time and the replacement wasn’t very good.

No matter what the cause – the solution is invariably the same.  Teach the child step by step from the start, and use either computer technology or a multi-sensory approach, and the child will be able to get up to a level around GCSE. Because virtually every child can be helped through this method, there is no need to test.  We would still teach the child in the same way, no matter what the test results said.

For adults, the reasons for testing are even less clear.  Being able to say that one is certified dyscalculic does not give one any particular advantage, and probably doesn’t say anything that one didn’t know already.  If as an adult you are unable to multiply 9 x 6 in your head and find it difficult to estimate sizes, or handle concepts such as “one quarter of 95kg” then you might well be dyscalculic – but having yourself tested and being given the label is not going to make you any less dyscalculic.  Also, since the average employer doesn’t know what dyscalculia is all about, this is not going to help in getting a job.  Being dyscalculic is not a recognised disability, so you won’t even get a car sticker allowing you park in otherwise forbidden places.

However it is argued that some people find it very satisfying to discover the origins of their problems – to be able to put a name to an issue that has plagued them for years.  In short, it helps them to be able to say “I’m not stupid or lazy – there is a genetic reason why I cannot add up well.”

Quick test

The simplest way to check if you or your child is dyscalculic is to look at these points below.

This list of points does not give a definitive view of dyscalculia, but any person experiencing a number of  these problems is likely to benefit from our dyscalculia programme.  If you are testing a child you will need to remove those questions which relate to areas that the child has not covered at school.  If you are not sure if a topic here is a problem you can test your child yourself.   For example, point 1 says, “I sometimes see a number written down, but when I copy it, I write the numbers in the wrong order.”  Try this with your child and see what the result is.

1. I sometimes see a number written down, but when I copy it, I write the numbers in the wrong order.
2. When using a phone I dial numbers in the wrong order.
   I can’t remember numbers – even when I use them often – such as telephone numbers that I dial a lot.
3. I always find adding up and taking away difficult.
4. I can’t understand what fractions are all about.
5. When someone mentions odd and even numbers I don’t understand what they mean.
6. When someone mentions odd and even numbers I have to think very carefully to work out 
   which is which.
7. I could never work in a shop because I could never work out how much change to give someone.
8. The 24 hour clock always confuses me totally.
9. I have never been able to subtract larger numbers.
10. I have never been able to do “times tables”.
11. Sometimes I see signs like + or ÷ but I can’t remember what they are called.  If someone 
    says “divide” I can't think of the symbol.
12. I know that everyone else in my class understands what “square root” means but I really 
    have no idea.
13. I find it really hard to copy a stream of numbers from a board onto paper.
14. Most of the people I work with can use a calculator, but I never get the right answer.
15. When I get into a maths problem I often forget where I have got to, and can’t finish it off.
16. Sometimes I forget the names of shapes like a triangle or a semi-circle.
17. When I work out a maths question on the page, the working is always very messy
18. Sometimes I know the answer to a maths problem, but can’t explain how I got to that answer.
19. I get really confused between the meaning of high numbers such as 10,000 and 9,999 and I can’t work out which one is higher.
20. When I go abroad I can never get the hang of foreign currency and always let someone else sort out the money.  I never know what the equivalent is in British money.
21. I don’t understand percentages at all.
22. I know there are problems which say “if it takes a man 5 minutes to drive 10 miles, how long does it take him to drive 12 miles?”   But I never have any idea how to do them even though other people in my class can.
23. Maths frightens me.  I really don’t understand it at all.
24. Sometimes when I am faced with a question that has to do with numbers I just cannot cope and become very anxious.

If the answer is “yes” to half or more of these points (or in the case of a child, the points that are relevant to the child’s age) , there is every chance that the person taking the test is dyscalculic.

Comparative test

This is the type of test provided in the book “Tests for Dyscalculia” by Tony Attwood.  They are intended to be given by teachers to school children so that the teacher can spot any area in which a particular child is having unexpected difficulties.  Thus, if the teacher knows that virtually all the children in one particular class can multiply fractions, the two children in that class who constantly fail to grasp the concept can be given a series of tests to find out where their difficulty lies.  It might be within the notion of multiplying fractions itself, but it also might be that the child has no clear grasp of what a fraction is.  Or the child might simply not understand multiplication.  The tests will quickly point to the area of difficulty and allow the teacher to undertake some remedial action. The book doesn’t allow the teacher to say for certain that a child is dyscalculic – rather the tests are wholly practical, dealing with the much more important task of helping the child overcome the problem.

 
Computer test

Dyscalculia Screener was published in 2004 and is a computer-based assessment for teachers that indicates dyscalculic tendencies by measuring pupils' response times as well as the accuracy of their answers. The tests were devised by Professor Brian Butterworth, the professor of cognitive neuropsychology at University College London. The tests are available to purchase from the publisher. The decision on using the tests will be up to each LEA.  However please do note, firstly that this is not recommended for non-qualified teachers, secondly that it does not work with some more recent versions of Windows (do check with the retailer) - and the program and the handbook cost over £200.

Educational psychologist test

Not all educational psychologists undertake tests for dyscalculia – so you will have to search for one that meets your needs in your area.  The British  Psychological Society has a list of Chartered Psychologists as does the Association of Educational Psychologists

You will have to pay for the testing – and do remember that schools do not have an obligation to accept the verdict of an educational psychologist.

Solutions

Apart from revealing which bits of mathematical knowledge an individual is lacking, and giving an official label, nothing happens once you or your child has been tested.  When a person is found through a recognised test to be dyslexic then extra time is allowed in exams, and extra help is provided at school and university.   But none of this happens with dyscalculia.  It is important to acknowledge this – a statement by a psychologist that a person is dyscalculic does not of itself make anything happen.

There are several approaches that you can follow in order to help a person who has problems understanding and using maths.

1.  For a child at school, ask the teacher to give the child extra help, and suggest that the child might be dyscalculic.  Most teachers know all about this subject, but if you find yourself with a teacher who does not seem to understand the concept or denies the existence of this special need, refer the teacher to http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/primary/faqs/inclusion/56233/    This is a government site which explains to teachers what dyscalculia is.

2. If the teacher needs help finding materials for use with the child, direct the teacher towards the resources on http://www.dyscalculia.me.uk/teacher.html
 
3.  If you would like to support your child’s work at school by doing 10 minutes a day with your child at home, you will find one or two of the books listed here will be helpful.

4. If you, or your child, enjoy working on-line you should look at www.conquermaths.com – it is a superb website that helps people of all ages from about 9 upwards through to GCSE maths.  The school can subscribe (in which case you will be able to use the school’s password on your computer at home) or you can subscribe yourself individually.  The course is paid on a monthly basis.