Digital twins reveal how math disabilities affect the brain

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Using AI to analyze brain scans of students solving math problems, researchers offer the first-ever glimpse into the neural roots of math learning disabilities.

Combining the powers of artificial intelligence and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), a team of researchers at Stanford University have created “digital twins” of struggling math students to offer first-ever insights into the neurological underpinnings of math learning disabilities, which vex as many as 1 in 5 students in America.

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Reframe the negative self-talk

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Do you have a child with dyscalculia? Let’s reframe negative self-talk and remind them how smart they are. ❤️ How do you boost your child’s confidence?

What happened in the House of Lords in the UK when they discussed dyscalculia?

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Late in the evening of Wednesday 4th June 2025 the first ever government debate on dyscalculia took place in the House of Lords. Introduced by Baroness Bull, the debate highlighted several issues with the awareness of, and provision for, dyscalculia. 

The Lords that participated in the debate were not short of suggestions to solve the problem, some perhaps more rooted in evidence than others. Perfectly sensible suggestions like ensuring funding for dyscalculia awareness, identification and support are brought in line with the funding for dyslexia are paired with more extreme suggestions to split the GCSE into functional maths and pure maths (the Maths Horizons report recently highlighted the issues with this proposal) alongside the usual calls to radically alter the maths curriculum to make it much more about practical uses of mathematics – this one often polarises maths teachers and leaders but Mark McCourt wrote very eloquently about the dangers of this including the famous phrase from George W. Bush about the “soft bigotry of low expectations”. One excellent suggestion, in my opinion, actually came from Baroness Bull in her speech to open the debate in which she highlighted that standard maths teaching and assessment can disadvantage dyscalculic students because of the volume of content in the curriculum and the focus on carrying out calculations quickly. Baroness Bull highlighted that some of the most successful approaches for teaching dyscalculic pupils include taking time to learn fundamental knowledge and skills in depth, alongside spaced revisiting and retrieval.

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The Building Blocks of Math That Young Students Need to Excel — But Aren’t Always Getting

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Many American students struggle in math. According to the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress, nearly 1 in 4 fourth graders and 39 percent of eighth graders scored “below basic,” the test’s lowest category. An analysis of state tests shows that few states have recovered students from pandemic math losses, with disadvantaged students from low-income neighborhoods hit especially hard. For those struggling students — including those diagnosed with dyscalculia and related learning challenges — lack of number sense often plays a significant role. “For kids that have a fundamental weakness in mathematics, 80 percent or 90 percent of the time that’s going to be linked to a lack of understanding numbers,” said Ben Clarke, an early math researcher and department head of special education and clinical sciences at the University of Oregon. “If we want students to be able to access other pieces of mathematics that are really important, then they need to build this foundational understanding of numbers

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As an Adult trying to prove that you have a disability

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See her channel HERE