Assessment of learning disability (dyscalculia) among school going children: todays concern

Learning disability (LD) is defined as the brain’s inability to receive process, analyze or store information. Dyscalculia is difficulty in learning or comprehending arithmetic such as difficulty in understanding numbers, learning how to manipulate numbers, and learning math’s facts. It is generally seen as a specific developmental disorder like dyslexia. Dyscalculia is a mathematical learning disorder where the mathematical ability is far below expected for a person’s age, intelligence and education. This study explored assessment of learning disability (dyscalculia) among school going children. The study sample comprised 60 school going children (boys and girls) of different boards (CBSE, ICSE, UP) from three private schools at Lucknow city. The dyscalculia children were assessed through standardized Learning Disability Battery Part I was used to screen dyscalculia children. The reliability and validity of the scale was .82 and .69 respectively. The results revealed significant difference between type of board and category of dyscalculia. The study highlights the need to educate parents and teachers about learning disabilities (dyscalculia, dysdraphia, dyslexia etc), and to strengthen the social support network of these children’s families.