Hi to All and I hope you’ve had a great summer.

The end of last term saw a lot of discussion about whether the new SEND Code of Practice
would make it easier for pupils with dyscalculia (but not dyslexia) to get extra time in exams
and/or a Statement, and some interesting conferences. This is a rather longer blog than usual but
I want to pass on the information that I gleaned.

The new SEND Code of Practice mentions dyscalculia.

Cognition and learning

6.30 Support for learning difficulties may be required when children and young people
learn at a slower pace than their peers, even with appropriate differentiation.
Learning difficulties cover a wide range of needs, including moderate learning
difficulties (MLD), severe learning difficulties (SLD), where children are likely to need
support in all areas of the curriculum and associated difficulties with mobility and
communication, through to profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD), where
children are likely to have severe and complex learning difficulties as well as a
physical disability or sensory impairment.
 
6.31 Specific learning difficulties (SpLD), affect one or more specific aspects of learning.
This encompasses a range of conditions such as dyslexia, dyscalculia and
dyspraxia.
 
page 86, section 6.31

What I wanted to find out was, now the Code recognises dyscalculia what effect was this going
to have?

I posted questions on a variety of forums and only received a single reply which was extremely
disappointing. I don’t know if this was because others, like me, didn’t know the answers, or
because no one else was interested to know.
Anyway, I was most grateful for this response:

1) Will it mean that students with dyscalculia can get extra time in exams without a diagnosis of
dyslexia?

Firstly, access arrangements such as extra time can be granted without a diagnosis or assessment of
dyslexia.  This would be necessary anyway, because there is no universally accepted definition of
dyslexia, and indeed no agreement as to whether it's a condition that has to be diagnosed by a clinician
or can be assessed by, for example, an EP.  EPs would certainly claim that they are able to assess for
dyslexia.

There is also no single test available to clinicians or EPs that would be universally accepted as providing a
definitive diagnosis or assessment of dyslexia.  Even the WISC test, most widely used in the assessment
of specific learning difficulties, wasn't actually designed for that purpose.
Secondly, tests for speed of processing can't depend on literacy, otherwise it would be impossible to
know whether the difficulty was caused by the literacy demands of the task, or related to a more
generalised processing difficulty.  Most tests involve tasks which focus on visual processing, comparing
patterns or symbols, but they also include tasks relating to processing of number, as well as reading
comprehension tasks.  Finally they can focus on general 'test-taking' speed.

2) Will it mean that students with dyscalculia (and not dyslexia) can get a statement?'

There is no bar to a student getting a statement on the basis of dyscalculia, but...

(a) having an assessment of dyslexia doesn't mean that a student needs a statutory assessment or a
statement;

(b) in my view, a student with dyslexia would be more likely to get a statement than one with
dyscalculia, because literacy difficulties - most obviously linked with dyslexia - have a more
obvious impact on a much wider range of curriculum tasks.  Being unable to read and spell accurately (or
taking a long time to do so) has an impact across most of the curriculum; having difficulties in processing
number-based tasks affects lots of 'pockets' across the curriculum, but you'd probably need to 'burrow
down' into the curriculum to identify those pockets in order to make a compelling case.  (That certainly
doesn't mean that it can't be done - it's just a widespread and superficial 'perception' that having
numeracy difficulties only means 'having difficulty with maths'.)

The likelihood of getting a statement should depend not at all on the label, but entirely on the nature
and amount of support that the student needs to access the curriculum and have their SEN met, and
whether the school can make the necessary provision from within its own resources (both in terms of
quantity of support and expertise).

3) If so, can they get a diagnosis without the expense of an Educational Psychologists report?'

As I've suggested, it's the assessment of speed of processing that leads to the access arrangement being
sought. 

I hope that answers some of the questions, but actually there are lots more issues that arise from them.

Despite the focus on speed of processing I wanted to know if there were any assessments for
dyscalculia that other teachers are using to give a definitive diagnosis – was there anything I as
missing?
 
At the Dyscalculia Conference I spoke to Judith Hornigold of Edge Hill (more about the actual
conference later) asking about assessment.  Basically she has no more to go on than we thought. 
We are still looking at a disparity model and underlying skills such as working
memory, perceptual reasoning and speed of processing.
 
I also attended a National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics conference led
by Debbie Morgan. We spoke at length and she feels it is still a grey area but pupils should be
able to get a statement for dyscalculia. However, she had no new ideas on assessment.
 
So, I’m afraid that there doesn’t appear to be any help out there for us. Yes the code talks about
dyscalculia and we should be able to get extra time and statements.  Debbie Morgan said that any
teachers with AMBDA status or equivalent could assess for this but there is no guidance on
which maths assessments to use.
 
Onto the summer conferences.

I have been really excited by the new focus on depth of learning and understanding and therefore
the importance of concrete resources – so perhaps we are beginning to make a difference after
all!
Debbie Morgan from the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics is keen
to take the use of concrete resources into secondary schools and talked about these views being
followed internationally, not just in the UK. She made it interesting and viable but then she was
talking to the converted with me!

Professor Jo Boaler talked at the Dyscalculia Conference on ‘How low achievers are created in
mathematics classrooms’ her ‘Elephant in the classroom’ syndrome. She quoted Carol Dweck
‘Every time a student makes a mistake in math they grow a new synapse’ and talked about
Dweck’s work on growth mindsets, as opposed to a fixed mindsets.

‘In a fixed mindset, people believe their basic qualities, like their intelligence or talent,
are simply fixed traits. They spend their time documenting their intelligence or talent
instead of developing them. They also believe that talent alone creates success—without
effort. They’re wrong.

In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed
through dedication and hard work—brains and talent are just the starting point. This view
creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment.’

Interestingly Jo Boaler said;

‘ From neuroscience
 Math should never be associated with speed
 Timed tests cause the early onset of math anxiety’

She went on to talk about the importance of number sense and quoted Gray & Tall, ‘low
achievers are not slow learners they are learning a different mathematics. The mathematics they
are learning is ‘a more difficult form of mathematics’.

Dr Sue Gifford spoke about inclusive classroom teaching involving a growth mindset, removing
the glass ceiling and avoiding anxiety.

Finally, some very interesting research published in July from genetics research;

Scientists found that around half of the genes that influenced the literacy of 12-year-olds
also played a role in their mathematical abilities. The findings suggest that hundreds and
 possibly thousands of subtle DNA changes in genes combine to help shape a child's
performance in both reading and mathematics.

But while genetic factors are important, environmental influences, such as home life and
schooling, contributed roughly the same amount as genetics in the children studied.

Robert Plomin, professor of behavioural genetics at Kings College London and an author on the study.

As for Unicornmaths there is another busy term ahead. We ran the first Really Useful Multi-
Sensory Maths Course last term - ‘Thank you for the awesome course. I have already used some
of your ideas and shared them with colleagues who are just as excited as I am’. This course is
aimed at TAs but there were also teachers, parents and Sencos there so a very interesting mix .
We are running it twice this term, October 3 & November 14 so please tell any colleagues or
friends who might be interested. Due to this, the next Dyscalculia Plus course will not run until
Spring 2015, February 28 & March 6.

This term I am talking at the maths conference in Bournemouth and the TES Show so please
come and say Hi if you’re there.

With best wishes for a good term,

Sarah