Charles Anifowose

Given that #dyscalculia is a neurodevelopmental reality as common as dyslexia, why does it remain in the shadows of public awareness and educational priority? What's the cost of our collective failure to 'do the math' on this invisible disability?

Federally, Canada offers support like the Canada Student Grant for Students with Disabilities (up to $2,800/year, maybe not enough but it could help some folks out there) and the Disability Tax Credit, which can help offset costs for interventions.

www.canada.ca/en/employmen...

Systemic support matters. In Ontario, for example, the Education Act & Human Rights Code mandate that school boards provide support for "exceptional pupils". This is often delivered through an Individual Education Plan (IEP) with specific accommodations.

Managing the co-occurring math anxiety is also crucial. It's a vicious cycle: difficulty causes anxiety, which impairs the very cognitive resources needed to do math. Creating a supportive environment and using the right tools can break this cycle.

The good news: The brain is plastic. Targeted, evidence-based interventions can build new neural pathways. Strategies like multisensory instruction (using touch, sight, sound) and the Concrete-Representational-Abstract approach might make math more accessible. Does this scale in practice?

Why numerical symbols count in the development of mathematical skills: Evidence from brain and behavior | Request PDF Request PDF | On Apr 1, 2016, Rebecca Merkley and others published Why numerical symbols count in the development of mathematical skills: Evidence from brain and behavior | Find, read and cite all the...

Dr. Rebecca Merkley's research adds another layer, focusing on the critical and challenging step of linking abstract symbols to their meaning. This process, combined with demands on working memory, can be a major bottleneck for learners.

www.researchgate.net/publication/...

Pathways to Mathematics: Longitudinal Predictors of Performance | Request PDF Request PDF | Pathways to Mathematics: Longitudinal Predictors of Performance | A model of the relations among cognitive precursors, early numeracy skill, and mathematical outcomes was tested for 182 ...

But it's not just one thing. Dr. Jo-Ann LeFevre's "Pathways to Mathematics" model shows how math skills are built on multiple foundations: quantitative sense, language skills, and spatial attention. A weakness in any of these pathways can lead to challenges.  

www.researchgate.net/publication/...

Researcher @numcog.bsky.social work is key here. He highlights a core deficit in grasping that a symbol like '7' represents a specific quantity. This makes building higher math skills incredibly difficult.

Paper: dx.doi.org/10.5038/1936...

So what's happening in the brain? Cognitive neuroscience points to the intraparietal sulcus (IPS), the brain's "number network" hub. In people with dyscalculia, this area often shows less activation during even basic number tasks. #neurodiversity #cogsci

The exhibit shines a light on #dyscalculia, a specific learning difference in math. It's as common as dyslexia, affecting 3-6% of people, but gets a fraction of the attention. It's not about being "bad at math"—it's a brain-based neurodevelopmental disorder.

I had the pleasure to participate in a tour organized by the ArtSci Salon today after Fields MathEd Forum, taking us to a new photography exhibition that explores dyscalculia from art to advocacy. Beautifully captured stills by the engaging Ann Piché.

artscisalon.com/i-dont-do-ma...

There's a time and a place for AI cardinals, and this probably isn't it 😝