What Is Number Blind? ? An Overview | Speech Therapy

A condition where an individual has difficulty reading, understanding, and using numbers is called Number Blind. Everyday calculations like addition, subtraction etc, are affected and the person has problem managing money, reading time, and doing other simple arithmetic calculations.

This disability is usually a result of some brain injury or damage to that part of the brain that controls and manages the learning and processing part of the brain in some cases, while in most of the studies it was found to be hereditary. Let us learn more about this disability.

What Is Number Blind?
This disorder is also known as Numlexia which means bad counting. Number blindness adversely affects the ability to do simple arithmetic calculations like addition, subtraction, or even reading the numbers correctly. Unlike others dyscalculia people cannot identify 3 to 4 objects without counting.

Genes play a very important role in determining this disorder. Studies have found that a child or and adult with this difficulty has at least one member in their family suffering from this disorder. The condition where number dyslexia is caused due to any damage to the brain is called as Acalculia.

Even when the child knows how to calculate, is aware of concepts, formulas, different steps involved in calculation, knows how to reach the result, still he or she is not confident enough about it and would not be confident about it.

Number blindness affects 1 out of 20 kids and when compared to girls, boys? ability to read and understand numbers is badly influenced. But, this does not mean the child has low IQ, and he or she should not be labeled, dumb, lazy, or dull. They can do excellently in other fields where his or her interest lies.

Symptoms Of Numlexia:
The following signs of the condition should help the parents, teachers, and friends to identify the disorder and provide support and aid to the sufferers. These kids rely on some sequence and memory to do the calculations without ever understanding how numbers and calculations actually work.

• Every day calculations like addition, subtraction, multiplication and division is very difficult for them to do.
• It is problematic for them to count coins.
• Adults have a problem keeping track of investments, finances, and managing their money.
• Telling time by a watch is very troublesome for these individuals.
• Reading maps and following directions is difficult.
• Confusion prevails over understanding left from right.
• Number reversal is very prominent. They read and write a number in the reverse order. For example they write 45 instead of 54.
• Estimating cost, measuring distance, time, calculating speed etc are very bothering to these people.
• They have trouble sequencing numbers or remembering them in the correct sequence.
• Games and sports that involve scoring points or numbers are not interesting to them.
• They have trouble remembering names, recognizing faces, and often address a person with some other name but starting with the correct letter. For instance they would call ?Jane? and ?Jeanette?.

Possible Help For People With Bad Counting:
Apart from giving more attention to teach these people the correct methods, and extra tutorials other simple changes too can make their daily life easy. Following are some of the suggestions.

• The first and the major help one can provide is to stop calling them dumb. This mars the psychology of the child and would push him or her further away from the subject. Encouragement, support, patience, and motivation would help the child many folds.
• Work in tandem with the child. Teach him or her very patiently each concept many times and see to it that the child understands the concept rather than just memorize it.
• Introduce many innovative methods while teaching mathematics.
• Give a digital watch to know the time.
• Use calculators and other supporting devices to do complex calculations.
• Encourage the child to learn new things, and pursue new interests rather than limiting his or her life trying to learn mathematics.

The condition of number blind affects only one part of a person?s life. With family and friends? support not just this disorder but other conditions too can be dealt with confidently.

Source: http://speechtherapy.ygoy.com/2012/10/26/what-is-number-blind-an-overview/

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