Design innovative, age-appropriate interventions for adults with DD targeting cognitive, numerical, social, and emotional dimensions¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · 5 claims (5 for) · 1 study (1 associational), q3 · 1 of 1 report an effect size · 5 claims rest on one study

Description¶

The authors conclude that because numerical difficulties in adults with DD extend beyond formal arithmetic into everyday tasks and emotional well-being, there is a need "to design innovative interventions that may target deficiencies in the cognitive, numerical, social, and emotional dimensions of adults with DD". They note that efforts to support students with mathematical learning difficulties have been made for decades, but attempts to propose age-appropriate trainings for adults with numerical difficulties are rare. The study's findings on money usage, time and measure estimation, and awareness are offered as new information for formulating such interventions.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Interventions should address everyday numerical competencies (money, time, measure) as well as social and emotional well-being, not only formal arithmetic

Constraints¶

• The authors note their sample was a selected group of students or workers seeking clinical assessment, possibly not comparable to the broader category of low numeracy, leaving open how broader populations would respond

Target Learners¶

• adults with developmental dyscalculia
• adults with numerical difficulties

Target Learning Goals¶

• everyday numerical skills such as money usage and time and measure estimation
• social and emotional well-being related to mathematics

Claims¶

• Arithmetic deficits in adults with DD concentrate in mental calculation, arithmetical rules, and written calculation, with number comprehension and transcoding preserved [+M]
• Adults with developmental dyscalculia are impaired in everyday numerical tasks, particularly time estimation, measure, and money usage [+M]
• Adults with developmental dyscalculia score significantly lower than controls on the formal NADL test of school-acquired numerical abilities [+M]
• Numerical difficulties in adults with DD are associated with negative emotions and psychosomatic symptoms traceable to primary school age [+W]
• Adults with developmental dyscalculia are aware of their numerical difficulties in everyday life [+M]

Related Strategies¶

• Interventions for adult DD should target both number-specific core deficiencies and domain-general skills while incorporating preserved skills

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Vigna Giulia, Ghidoni Enrico, Burgio Francesca, Danesin Laura, Angelini Damiano, Benavides-Varela Silvia, Semenza Carlo. (2022). Dyscalculia in Early Adulthood: Implications for Numerical Activities of Daily Living. Brain Sciences. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci12030373