DYSCALCULIA SCREENER

DYSCALCULIA  SCREENER

A computerized test assessing dyscalculia, developed by BRIAN BUTTERWORTH according to his conceptualization   of dyscalculia.

  

BRIAN BUTTERWORTH

For children aged 6-14.  Administration time is 15-30 minutes.

Information about the test can be found here, in the manual:

http://www.dyscalculie.com/dlbin/dyscalculia_screener_manual.pdf

Here are a few points from the manual:

The test is based on Butterworth's approach and on DFES2001 definition (Brittish department for education and skills):

• DFES2001 definition: Dyscalculia is a condition that affects the ability to acquire arithmetical skills.  Dyscalculic learners may have difficulty understanding simple number concepts, lack an intuitive grasp of numbers, and have problems learning number facts and procedures. Even if they produce a correct answer or use a correct method, they may do so mechanically and without confidence.
•  
• Children are born with an understanding of "numerosity" – with the understanding that a collection of things has a number, a quantity.  Manipulations of this collection/set of things (for example, combining it with another set of things or taking a subset of things away) influences its "numerosity".  One set of things can have the same, a larger or a smaller numerosity as another set of things.  The set of things can be abstract (three wishes).

• Babies who are a week old, and animals, have the ability to compare the numerosity of two sets of up to four things, and to identify changes in the numerosity of these sets.  Young children understand  that quantities can be ordered by size.  Numerosity is the basis for learning to count and for understanding the quantitative value of the numerals 1-9.

·  Dyscalculia is caused by dysfunction in numerosity.  Dyscalculics have poor understanding of the basic concepts of number and numerosity.  They have difficulty recognizing sets of up to four things and have to count them.

· Butterworth distinguishes between learning disabilities that can be manifested in math -  and dyscalculia.  For  example, short term memory disabilities or processing speed disabilities will affect math performance.  In fact, a disability in any cognitive CHC ability might affect math performance (I hope to write about that in the future). Dyscalculia is a specific condition of dysfunction in "numerosity".

 The screener is intended to identify dyscalculia as defined here and to distinguish it from low math achievement.  This goal is accomplished by using reaction time.  This is because dyscalculics can perform well on the test, but they need more time to do it.  They will take time to count, for example, where others will "see" the result immediately.

The test structure:

The test has four subtests:

·  Simple reaction time measures the general reaction time of the child, in order to achieve a baseline.

·   Dot enumeration  - the child sees a set of dots and a numeral.  He presses "yes", as fast as possible, if the number of dots in the set fits the numeral, and "no" if it doesn't.  The quantities are up to 9.

·  Number comparison – numerical stroop- the child sees two digits: one is large (physically, in large font) and one is small (physically, in small font).  He has to indicate the highest value digit as fast as possible. 

·   Achievement tests – addition and multiplication.  The child sees answered math problems (such as, 8+3=11) and presses "yes" as fast as possible if the problem is correct and "no" if it's not.

·  If the child scores low on both ability tests (numerical stroop and dot enumeration) he has a high risk for dyscalculia.

·  If the child scores low on all three tests – he is dysclaculic.

·  If he scores low on the achievement test but not on the ability tests, the reason for the difficulties might not be dyscalculia, but bad instruction or lack of practice.