Research On Dyscalculia Is Still Growing

Ok, so maybe it’s a slow grower, but since we started this blog, there have been some leaps in research, and overall there is a little higher general awareness of dyscalculia. We thought we would give you a little rundown of the latest research related to dyscalculia over the last years, and perhaps this will help us see what the future may hold for dyscalculics the world over!

Back in 2018, some researchers at the University of Bonn were up to some, quite frankly, mind-boggling stuff. So we are born with the ability to count, and shortly after birth, babies can estimate the number of events and even perform simple calculations. But what exactly happens in the brain? And do we process abstract numbers differently from concrete quantities? To answer these questions, the researchers measured the reaction of individual nerve cells to quantities and demonstrated that certain nerve cells fired in response to very specific quantities. With the possibility of studying the individual nerve cells of the brain and the discovery that counting is done on such a scale, the researchers hope that their results will contribute to a better understanding of dyscalculia.

In 2020 the University of Cambridge released findings that different learning difficulties do not correspond to specific brain regions, as previously thought. Instead, it appears to be poor connectivity between ‘hubs’ within the brain, which is much more strongly related to the learning difference. This is the first time that hubs and their connections have been shown to play a key role in learning differences and may hold the key for us to finding ways to strengthen them.

A large study by the Karolinska Institutet released in May 2021 revealed that young children who practice visual working memory and reasoning tasks improve their math skills more than children who focus on spatial rotation exercises. The findings support the idea of training spatial cognition that programs such as Calcularis use enhance learning and that when it comes to math, the type of training matters. 

If you have read or found some recent research on dyscalculia that you think would be an important addition to the blog, please do get in touch and comment below. 🙂