Dyscalculia

Those affected by dyscalculia have difficulty in making arithmetical calculations. It is a specific developmental disorder which may occur due to brain trauma and is also associated with Turner’s syndrome. 3%-8% of school-aged students have math-related learning disabilities. Such children have difficulties reading analog clocks and have difficulty in determining the relative size of objects. They may find it difficult to estimate the cost of items in a shopping basket, for example. Other difficulties may be in managing time, mental visualization, following choreographed dance steps, mental mathematics, reading maps, recollecting names for faces (poor name face retrieval) or in the perception of depth and distance.

Role of Eyes-

A large amount of clinical evidence shows that children with this condition have an eye-tracking problem with unidentifiable fixation patterns coupled with difficulty with especially representing and manipulating numerosities on a number line. Hence, tasks that improve eye-tracking in combination with number line estimations are valuable in the current management strategies. The problem lies in cognitive processing in the brain.

Hence, management involves specific computerized vision therapy programs that enhance eye fixation visual attention and visual recall. Eye tracking exercises have shown great efficacy in management of this condition

Author K. MOLLER; cognitive development 24 (2009) pp 371-386