Math Learning Disability: Some Types of Learning Disabilities Commonly Affecting Students

In a series of learning disabilities articles we will explore ways to help a child with math be more successful in math.

What can the parents do? The student? The teacher? Though we cannot discuss all the possible causes of math learning disabilities, we can look at situations, and more specifically, look at problems: of working memory (forgetting to do homework or study), emotional control (handling frustration in math), attention and persistence (focusing on and sticking with the work long enough to get it done right).

Of course many children who have never had and do not need educational testing can have problems in these areas.

Steps to Addressing a Math Learning Disability:

1. The first step is to understand when characteristics of attention deficit disorder and executive function disorder can be managed with classroom interventions and accommodations.
2. You'll also want to learn more about the symptoms of attention deficit disorder to help understand whether your child's behavior is in the range of normal, or whether he might have an ADHD diagnosis.
3. Then we'll learn more about accommodations to help students with inattentive ADHD pay better attention in class.
4. Finally we'll explore classroom interventions to discover ADHD behavior modifications that can help your child pay better attention and stay more focused in class.
5. One last area to explore is whether your child has an un-diagnosed visual disability. A child suffering with Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome also known as Irlen Syndrome can exhibit symptoms that mimic dyslexia, ADHD and anxiety disorders. You'll discover many simple-to-implement solutions to help a child with a visual disorder.

If you would like to do some research on types of learning disabilities:

When you read these invaluable resources you'll find many practical, hands-on strategies to help your student dealing with a math learning disabiity become more successful.

You'll benefit from the ”can-do” approach from both of these books and you'll find great tips for managing different types of learning disabilities.

The ideas from both books have been guided me in managing learning differences and discipline situations as a parent, a classroom teacher, and a school principal.

I am especially indebted to Executive Skills in Children and Adolescents for the learning differences articles I have written for this website.

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