How Does Dyscalculia Affect My Brain?
Dyscalculia patients are neurodivergent. No two people have the same brain, and each person’s brain forms and develops in a completely different way. This phenomenon is known as neurodiversity. For those who have dyscalculia, this means that their brains function differently from those of persons who do not have any illnesses or disorders that impair normal brain function.
A math issue like “2+2=?” may appear straightforward, but it requires a combination of several different skills and the brain regions that control them. A few of those are:
- Short-term memory: As you work on the math problem, you keep the details in your short-term memory. For instance, the quantity, the symbols, and the arrangement of the numbers.
- Visual processing: Your eyes take in all of the information from the math problem and relay it to your brain for processing.
- Language: You use this area of your brain to interpret the meaning of the symbols used in the arithmetic problem. You may understand the meaning of the question mark, plus sign, and equal symbol in this sentence by doing so.
- Understanding of quantities and amounts: Your brain interprets the symbol “2” to mean that it stands for a particular quantity or amount. Giving examples of things like fruits or animals to children helps them to understand this notion.
- Long-term memory: You use this type of memory to recall the steps involved in solving a mathematical issue. Given the plus sign and the equals sign, your brain recognizes that this is an additional issue.
- Calculation: Using the previous steps combined, you can determine that 2+2=4.
The aforementioned procedures all function as they should for a neurotypical person. People with dyscalculia may have difficulty with particular steps of the procedure, depending on the severity of their condition.