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SALT LAKE CITY — Are you afraid of math? You're not alone, and researchers now say it may not be your fault — it may be hereditary.
When the math does not make sense, it sometimes develops into an extreme fear and lifelong avoidance of math altogether. Math avoidance is a symptom of dyscalculia, a brain processing disability shared by an estimated 5 percent to 7 percent of the general population. For many, dyscalculia is self diagnosed.
In a recent review paper found in the May 2011 journal Science, authors Brian Butterworth, Sashank Varma and Diana Laurillard rethink the standard paradigm and offer evidence that dyscalculia is a medical disorder and hereditary. Their hypothesis is based on an emerging understanding of neurobehavioral and genetic research.
Adults with dyscalculia experience sweaty palms, aversion behavior and showing up late to appointments. Usually, they avoid eating out because figuring tips is embarrassing, and they have trouble telling time. Even determining simple things like which line is shorter at the grocery store checkout, bank or post office can be a challenge.
Lowered ability in math can be more harmful than illiteracy, the reviewers say.
“They earn less, spend less, are more likely to be sick, more likely to be in trouble with the law, and need more help in school.”
But there is new hope for remediation. It was previously thought to be a psychological trauma, and still is, by many. However, the reviewers posit that dyscalculia is not widely recognized or accepted by educators or research funding agencies. A report of the United Kingdom Government concludes, “Developmental dyscalculia is currently the poor relation of dyslexia with a much lower public profile. But the consequences of dyscalculia are at least as severe as those for dyslexia.”
Dr. Michele Mazzocco, a research scientist at Kennedy Krieger Institute at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, is on record as saying “Children are being considered lazy or unmotivated, or not to have potential, when in fact they have a disability in processing numbers. We need to learn how to overcome this.”
The neural basis of arithmetical abilities lies in the intra-parietal sulci (IPS) lobes of the brain, and is separate from language and domain — general cognitive capacities.
Most people think of children when addressing the subject, but it also affects a large adult population, many of whom have simply given up on math altogether and were not able to feel good about their coping mechanisms.
The problem is, “In schools usually there is a one-way thinking process based on curriculum-based definitions of typical arithmetical developments, but for those with dyscalculia they do not provide the right kind of experiences to enable the dyscalculic children to develop normally to learn arithmetic," the report reads. "There are no informed pathways to remediate or intervene in a math classroom.”
Early intervention can help reduce the impact of poor numeracy skills, just as it does with dyslexia. One of the bright spots cited by reviewers is that there are now a number of handheld devices and software programs that are extremely useful for people with dyscalculia. The reviewers suggest that there are two computer games that have been shown to improve performance for 6- to 7-year-olds who were identified by their teachers as needing special support in early maths.
One of the games is called Numbers Race, available on unicog.org. The game self-adjusts in difficulty according to the response of the child, and there is informational feedback showing the correct answer.
The second game is called Grapho Game Maths, also available online at graphogame.com. It targets the hereditary aspects is dyscalculia. According to the reviewers, it provides a longer lasting benefit in number comparisons.
Some government scientists in Britain suggest research on dyscalculia is likely 30 years behind that of dyslexia. The key seems to be to get governments and funding organizations to provide funding possibilities for research and training. Moreover, attention should be given to neuro-scientific criteria in developing solutions, software and technology fixes. The reviewers imply the focus should be neurobehavioral and that this will drive the research to the next level.
Mel Borup Chandler lives in Southern California and frequently reports on topics of interest in Science and similar stories. Mel is a graduate of Weber State University in Ogden. His email address is mbccomentator@roadrunner.com.
