Hello, I have a student with a visual-processing disorder in my geometry class. I would like to know if what I’m observing is due to the disorder and how to work with her more effectively.
I noticed that on a few of the questions, the question would ask for a “point” and she would give a “segment” as the answer. Is this due to the disorder?
Also, in order to help the students prepare for the exam, I printed out labels of the theorems and postulates which they were to place on index cards. Then, on the back of the cards they were to draw a diagram to represent the theorem or postulate. Would it have been better to provide the diagrams myself or is it more effective to have the student try to draw it?
Hi Laurie and welcome here,
You wrote that your student has a visual-processing disorder, though I would ask whether it may be a spatial-processing disorder?
As both work in combination, though play a different role in ‘maths thinking’.
While a segment can be represented visually, it is conceptualised in the mind, spatially.
What is the difference between a ‘point’ and a ‘segment’?
Basically that segment reprepresents quantity, the space between 2 or more points.
Though spatial-processing is what isolates the space between these points, and locates it within the whole.
But with a spatial-processing disorder, segments are not concieved of in relation to the whole.
Though an indication of a spatial-processing disorder, would be if she has difficulty with reading the time, on an analogue clock/watch?
Where seconds, minutes, hours are segments.
But spatial-processing is also what gives numbers quantity. Which is the difference between the way that we think of numbers and letters of the alphabet. So that with 2+3=5. 2 and 3 are concieved of as segments that form 5 when brought tegether.
Laurie, I run a forum for maths disorder Dyscalculia. Which I would invite you to visit.
[url]http://www.dyscalculiaforum.com/news.php
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