Dyscalculia & Time Management
I have been teaching for 6 years & have never heard of dyscalculia. It's amazing to me that I have probably had several students with this disabilitly & didn't even know about it. I probaby had it growing up. I wonder if it's something one can out-grow or learn to manage. I think that people with dyscalculics often have a related difficulty with telling the time, using a calendar, and therefore also with time management.
Kimberlee,
You are right in suggesting that dyscalculia can impact anything that has to do with math and math CONCEPTS, and that would include telling time, time management, and such. But there are also people who do poorly with those concepts who do not have dyscalculia. The disability is not determined simply by a failure to achieve in that area - it has a neurologic basis. You don't "grow out of" dyscalculia.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
I agree that dyscalculia might impact time management. The problem can be increased when measurement is required in a vocational setting. If a student needs to calculate cylinder volume or compression ratios, the student with dyscalculia might never understand the concept. The question becomes, can he be taught the mechanics without an understanding of what it means?
Steven,
You've really reached into the heart of the problem here. For some students with dyscalculia, the problem is one of math computations. For others, it impacts their ability to understand math CONCEPTS. Imagine the young child bouncing in the back seat of the car asking "are we there yet?" "No. It will take another 20 minutes." And then two minutes later you hear, "Are we there yet?" GRIN One way to deal with such issues (teaching mechanics without understanding of meaning) is to look for alternate means for the student to judge what is happening and what needs to be done (by referring them to specific readings on gauges,or visual inspection of some element, and so on).
Dr. Jane Jarrow
