Dyscalculia in Math Curriculums: A Hidden Need

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Unpopular opinion in edtech and education: People who love math, teach math. People who love to teach math or who love math, write math curriculums. They see education from their mathematical perspective. It makes sense. They love math, it is their passion, they see a need and fill the void as they see best. There is a thought amongst math innovators and curriculums that math is natural, that math is logical, that math is inherent and therefore it is for everyone and everyone has a part of their brain that is mathematical. Here’s the big problem: there is a percentage of the population where this is not true. There are people in the world who do not see the patterns, for whom math is a jumbled mess of gobblygook, for whom the portions of the brain that understands math is a mess of neurons. There are people who do not have an intrinsic number sense, who do not have an ingrained sense of time or who cannot understand where they are in a map or in the world. These people have a disorder called Dyscalculia.

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Cognitive Load – The Invisible Barrier Behind “I Don’t Know”

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One of the most misunderstood challenges our neurodivergent learners face is not decoding, spelling, number sense or remembering steps.

It is cognitive load: the mental juggling act that becomes overwhelming long before a child has the language to explain it.

You have seen it.

A student starts confidently, manages the first step, maybe the second…

And then suddenly:

A blank stare.

A freeze.

A quiet: “I don’t get it.”

What looks like avoidance is often overload.

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What Dyscalculia Looks Like… (Hint: It’s Different for Every Student!)

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Students with weaker working memory and those with ADHD may have trouble memorizing math facts, persisting with complicated math calculations, and keeping the order of the steps in mind can be difficult. 

For some students, difficulties with visual-spatial processing are the underlying problem. These students tend to have the most significant struggles with the development of their number sense, which is the meaning of numbers. For these students, the visual diagrams and activities included in the current math curricula are not as helpful as they are for more typical learners.

For these students, verbal stories, rhymes to aid memory, and a strong emphasis on vocabulary help to make the math more accessible. 

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Student-Led IEP Meetings 

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When students lead their IEP meetings, they can speak up for their needs—and take an important step toward forging their own path, in school and in life.

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The Role of Brain Development and Structure

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Brain development plays a critical role in how we understand and work with numbers. Studies link dyscalculia to structural and functional differences in the right parietal lobe, an area essential for processing number lines, place value, and two-digit comparisons. In addition to the parietal lobe, the frontal lobe is involved in working memory, helping us hold and manipulate numbers when solving problems or interpreting word problems. Differences in these brain regions can make it difficult for students to process math facts quickly or maintain focus, especially when filtering out irrelevant information. This neurological difference is central to understanding what causes dyscalculia and how it impacts a child’s ability to learn.

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