WHAT I DO
People are at the centre of my work – with their strengths and weaknesses, I am your point of contact for children, young people and adults with dyscalculia and dyslexia/dyslexia/dyslexia.
We also offer learning guidance and learning training for teenagers.
{DYSCALCULIA}
Gaby Büchler
What is dyscalculia?
Dyscalculia is a specific learning disorder with a biological origin. Around 5% of children are affected by dyscalculia. This disorder is also known as dyscalculia, although there is no connection to intelligence or the learning methods used.
A child with dyscalculia confuses numbers and symbols, has difficulties understanding numbers and converting numbers heard into written digits or vice versa. Basic concepts such as comparing or assigning values are often missing. They also struggle with mental arithmetic and understanding abstract ideas.
Constant failures can cause those affected to develop anxiety and impair their quality of life.
{Teaching does a lot. But encouragement does everything.}Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Is your child suffering from Dyscalculia?
The following points can cause difficulties:
- Simple math problems, such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division are problematic
- Difficulties in forming sets of numbers, decomposing sets or counting/counting and assigning sets to numbers
- Problems with the tens system
- Difficulty solving simple maths problems such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division
- Counting and very slow calculation
- Transposed digits, two digits within a number are swapped
- Confusion of arithmetic symbols
- Problems saving intermediate results
- Not recognising contradictory results
- No sense of distance, time, weight and the like
- Contents are learnt by heart without understanding them
- Lessons learnt are regularly forgotten
How is dyscalculia diagnosed?
- Medical history: The first step is a detailed discussion with the children and young people and their parents to gather information about their child’s development and possible maths difficulties.
- Qualitative observation and tests to diagnose dyscalculia: Standardised tests are carried out to assess the child’s mathematical abilities. It is also important to test numerical reasoning, calculation strategies and individual thought and solution patterns. In this way, the child’s mathematical development is also assessed in comparison to his or her age and grade level.
- Intelligence test: If dyscalculia is suspected, a complete IQ test is usually carried out.
- This assessment results in specific and individualised support measures, which are outlined in a subsequent consultation.
What helps with dyscalculia?
The severity of the dyscalculia plays an important role in the treatment.
- Create an understanding of the concept of number
- Number division and automation of plus and minus problems up to 20, multiplication tables
- Developing strategies to deal better with mathematical challenges.
- Training of the working memory
- Different senses such as sight, hearing and touch help to improve understanding and memory
- Interactive games can increase a child’s motivation and interest in maths
- Specific problem-solving strategies to better master mathematical tasks. As well as visual aids, decomposition of tasks, tables
- Cooperation between teachers, parents and therapists to provide the child with the best possible support and to integrate support measures into everyday school life.
{COMPENSATION FOR DISADVANTAGES}
Disadvantage compensation at school for dyscalculia
Once a diagnosis of dyscalculia has been made, compensatory measures such as extra time for exams and the use of aids are discussed together. I am happy to advise you here. Disadvantage compensation measures do not involve a reduction in learning objectives; assessment is carried out according to the same standards as for all others. Therefore, the compensation for disadvantages is not noted in the certificate.
However, there is one thing that even the best therapy cannot do: “cure” dyscalculia. But if everything goes well, the child learns a way to deal with their dyscalculia.
{ONLINE LEARNING PROGRAMME}
Children with dyscalculia in particular benefit in the long term from the Calcularis maths learning programme. The programme was developed by neuroscientists in collaboration with computer scientists from ETH Zurich. It can be used from Year 1 to upper school. The children learn independently on the computer or tablet and are guided through the adaptive programme. The learning analysis is automatic. And the learning reports, error analyses and individual adaptations are provided by the learning analysis tool.