Quelling Math Anxiety: How to Effectively Teach Students w/ Dyscalculia (w/ Renee Hamilton-Newman)

I'm 50, was diagnosed at 47 with severe adhd and take Adderall. Last year, ASD was added to my diagnoses. I'm watching this and crying. She explains what I'm not able to. Growing up... I could not learn multiplication and abstract math, algebra and such, I cant do. I've tried. Took 12th grade math in college 3 times and failed all three times. I can add and subtract in my head in seconds. But multiplication and higher, nope. Geometry, for some reason, I was able to do ok. As long as the formula was available for me to see. I failed math every year of school beginning in 3rd grade. I gave birth to 3 sons, and all 3 have some type of LD... first son, this dyscalculia (sp) dyslexia and dysgraphia (sp). 2nd son, adhd 3rd son, central processing disorder, dysgraphia and was not fond of reading and tells me he "sees numbers as color"... which I had to look up because I thought it sounded weird. But its a thing some people have. When I was growing up... none of this was anything they knew of. I was treated like im special and was sent to special Ed class from 4th grade on thru high school. I even went to alternate high school because I cant handle large crowds. I am a tetris genius... but when she explained the soccer game... I about cried. She just explained me... I never really thought about it. But I avoid sports... mostly... I can watch baseball and racing but not football or basketball... Omg im now actually crying. This is me... my brain shuts off. I have tried to explain this too many times and no one understands! SHES LITERALLY EXPLAINING ME!!! Trying harder... has never worked! If one more person tells me "you just need to try harder" I might blow up.

A lifetime thinking I’m stupid…I simply was undiagnosed.

Thank you 👍🏻🇦🇺🦘

🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation: 00:01 📋 Introduction to the webinar and speaker's credentials - The introduction to the webinar and the speaker's background. - Information about how to download slides and obtain certificates of attendance. - Brief mention of the sponsor, Brain Balance, and its program. 02:03 🧮 Understanding Dyscalculia and its Impact - Dyscalculia explained as a learning disability affecting math skills. - Higher risk of math difficulties for children with ADHD. - Description of challenges faced by students with dyscalculia in the math classroom. 03:14 🌟 Expert Speaker Introduction and Personal Experience - Introduction of the expert speaker, Renee Hamilton Newman. - Renee's personal experience with dyscalculia, her family, and educational background. - Mention of the topics she will cover during the webinar. 04:54 🧠 Understanding Anxiety in Math - How anxiety in math is triggered by various factors, including past experiences. - The role of predictions in generating anxiety. - Exploring the consequences of instructional or situational disconnect in various contexts. 08:56 🤯 The Real Consequences of Math Anxiety - The physiological and cognitive effects of math anxiety. - How cortisol stress chemicals affect processing and reasoning abilities. - Strategies to reduce math anxiety, including positive affirmations and mindset adjustments. 10:45 📊 Building Math Language Fluency - The importance of understanding math concepts in multiple ways. - The concept of math language fluency. - Encouraging confidence and positive experiences with math. 12:17 🔢 Dyscalculia Characteristics and Examples - An overview of dyscalculia characteristics, including difficulties with time, numbers, directions, and procedural memory. - Real-life examples illustrating the challenges faced by individuals with dyscalculia. - Emphasis on the need for personalized education to address strengths and weaknesses. 20:13 🚫 Preventing Anxiety Triggers - Highlighting the importance of preventing anxiety triggers, especially in educational settings. - The negative impact of timed tests and public humiliation on individuals prone to math anxiety. - The role of educators and parents in creating a supportive learning environment. 23:02 🧩 Understanding Dyscalculia Terminology - Discussing the various terms used to describe dyscalculia, such as math dyslexia, math anxiety, and specific learning disability (SLD) in mathematics. - Highlighting the evolving terminology used over time to describe math learning disabilities. 25:52 🧐 Dyscalculia: Not Due to External Factors - Clarifying that dyscalculia is not caused by external factors like inattention, illness, motivation, or poor instruction. - Emphasizing that dyscalculia is an inherent cognitive challenge. - Highlighting the difficulties in visualizing numbers and shapes faced by individuals with dyscalculia. 26:38 🧠 Common Math Errors and Their Causes - Math errors can be caused by various factors, including: - Predicting the wrong operation, like adding instead of multiplying. - Perseveration errors, where the brain gets stuck on inappropriate stimuli. - Directional confusion, mixing up directions in math problems. - Substituting similar-looking numbers. - Mixing up operations, such as adding instead of subtracting. - Problems with working memory leading to mixed-up operations. 30:01 🧮 Tools to Support Math Learning - Tools like decimal place value charts can help visualize numbers. - International symbols (e.g., M for mega, K for kilo) aid in understanding large numbers. - Visual aids, manipulatives, and strategies can assist in overcoming math difficulties. 33:16 📚 Strategies for Teaching Math to Dyscalculic Students - Implement Universal Design for Learning to provide multiple ways for students to demonstrate mastery. - Treat math as a foreign language, focusing on vocabulary, grammar, syntax, and conventions. - Break down math learning into different facets, teaching each aspect individually. - Use tools and aids like decimal place value charts to aid comprehension. - Create a positive learning experience for dyscalculic students, avoiding frustration and building confidence. 39:42 📋 Assessing Dyscalculia and Seeking Support - Assessment for dyscalculia should involve a comprehensive examination of all areas of concern. - Seek evaluation from professionals experienced in diagnosing specific learning disabilities. - Utilize standardized academic achievement tests and screeners for initial assessment. - Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) should include specialized instruction, strategies, and tools for dyscalculic students. - Dyscalculia may have a genetic component and can co-occur with other learning disabilities like dyslexia. 52:40 🧠 Understanding the brain's role in dyscalculia - Dyscalculia is associated with differences in the brain's activity and structure. - The bilateral intraparietal sulcus (IPS) plays a role in numerical tasks but is less developed in those with dyscalculia. - Dyscalculia often coexists with high intelligence in other areas of learning. 55:14 🧠 IQ and its relation to dyscalculia - Dyscalculia is not related to low IQ; many individuals with dyscalculia have high IQs. - To diagnose a learning disability, an average or above-average IQ is generally required. - Dyscalculia often presents as lopsided development, with strong abilities in some areas and math difficulties. 57:33 🧒 Early diagnosis of dyscalculia - It's never too early to notice signs of math difficulties in young children. - Early intervention and support can be essential in addressing math challenges in preschool and kindergarten. - Parents can contact their school district's child find program if they suspect a math-related issue in their young child. 59:25 📚 Informing teachers about dyscalculia - Parents can refer teachers to resources like discalculia.org to help them understand dyscalculia better. - Teachers should take the initiative to educate themselves about learning disabilities, including dyscalculia. - It's essential for parents to advocate for their child's needs and expect teachers to address dyscalculia effectively.

Where can I get a copy of that decimal place chart, please? And anything like it? 🙂

I've never been able to do any job involving doing math. I couldn't work in a shop or a restaurant because I had to do simple math quickly and accurately, and don't even mention cash registers and credit card machines!. As I've grown older - 76 - I do the thing of walking into the kitchen and not knowing why. This is so common with my elderly friends, that it's just a joke and nothing special. My great grandson is newly diagnosed with ADHD, and I"m wondering if I have that, too. Are there known co morbidities with dyscalculia? Also I years ago, I had terrible panic attacks until I was given Busparin. Then later I realized I had depression, and recovered with the use of Zoloft. Still, I can't do math.

I was diagnosed with combined type ADHD over 50, then found out about dyscalculia. Previous to that I'd spent years, and a lot of money, on adult maths classes and books but nothing worked. I can't hold even simple calculations in my head, I use my fingers, tally and have to draw things. Eg, if I'm cooking something I have to draw a clock face and the hands. I'm pretty smart with most other things. I never learnt to drive because I thought I'd never be able to work out petrol in vs petrol out.

My son is 20 and we went for motor coordination which helped but clinical psychology 6 month 4 hour sessions didn't do anything for his mathematics and languages issues. They recognised dyslexia by not dyscalcia. Please advise sites to check his status and to help him in his maths for his diploma polytechnic.

Do you have some advice for time pressure anxiety, especially during test. Like when you explained the case of the 18 yo, time 20.25 in the video. But not with math but test presentation in general, as public speaking but in a test and time pressure. 🙃

I am saddened and distressed to hear this expert say a student “did fine on the easy things”. Easy is in the eye of the beholder. To refer to something as easy inherently discredits the effort and energy needed to achieve the result. Being told something is easy, when that is not your experience, can support feelings of inadequacy and low self worth. Please be careful with the language used.