AccessSTEM

Dyscalculia is a mathematics-related disability resulting from neurological dysfunction. Students who are diagnosed with Dyscalculia have average to above-average intellectual functioning and a significant discrepancy between their math skills and their chronological-age-peer norms. For a diagnosis of Dyscalculia, it must be determined that the math deficit is not simply related to issues such as poor instruction, vision, hearing or other physical problems, cultural or language differences, or developmental delays.

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD), formerly classified as ADD or ADHD, may impact a student's classroom behavior and study skills. Some students with AD/HD will need accommodations to help them achieve academic goals. Students may be the best source of information about their needs; teachers should encourage student input on the best accommodations.

Some common challenges faced by learners with Dyscalculia, a learning disability that affects performance in mathematics include:

Background

My name is Sara and I'm 23 years old, profoundly deaf and in medical school. I use interpreters and speak American Sign Language (ASL) when I can in order to communicate with my professors and classmates. When I have an interpreter in classes I understand the material and I feel well liked by my classmates. I am also a proficient lip reader, a skill which helps me out in many situations, too.

Several terms have emerged in recent years that describe similar though somewhat distinct design concepts. The terms accessible design, usable design, and universal design are all approaches to design that can result in products that are easier for everyone to use, including people with disabilities.

The University of Washington is working hard to ensure that the campus community understands opportunities for students with disabilities.

Making Math, Science, and Technology Instruction Accessible to Students with Disabilities is a resource designed to help preservice and inservice educators fully include students with disabilities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) instruction. The materials can be used for individual instruction and to deliver training to preservice and inservice teachers at all academic levels. Engaging videos are included.

Orientation and mobility (O & M) specialists work with individuals with visual impairments to help them learn how to safely navigate their environment. On a postsecondary campus, an O & M specialist could help an individual plan campus routes, apply techniques for safe indoor and outdoor mobility, and analyze intersections and traffic patterns. These services are typically available through state agencies that coordinate services for people who are blind.

For most of us, reading a web page containing mathematical calculations is simple. As we read, we automatically translate the mathematical expressions into operations and equations. Looking at a formula, we know which operations to perform and in what order. Now imagine, rather than viewing the equation, having it read to you character by character from left to right. Even a simple equation like "One over one plus two plus two" can be interpreted many ways with different results.

The Boston Public School system is known for its commitment to incorporating technology and universal design into its public institutions and classrooms. In 2001 the Access Technology Center (ATC) moved into the Boston Public Schools' Office of Instructional Technology (OIT) to expand technology access and training opportunities for teachers.