My 10 Year Old Son Can't Remember His Numbers

Dyslexia. I have it. And still struggle with math/number. I have a hard time reciting phone numbers, and if someone tell me a phone number verbally, I have a hard time dialing the number at the same time. Sometimes I can't even read a phone number to someone if they ask!
I wasn't diagnosed until college- and struggled all my life without knowing.

Sounds like dyscalculia (which is a disorder similar to dyselxia, but instead of letters and grammatical concepts it's numbers and mathmatics concepts). BUT it could be many things. It's not a common adhd thing (although the adhd trait of not being able to focus on anything boring except with extreme effort makes dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, and similar particularly difficult to treat...because your're fighting 2 disorders).

I'm a strong second for a full evaluation.

could he be dyslexic? My sister is, and was always reading numbers backwards.

Sounds like Dyslexia to me too.

You need a full evaluation. Take him to a board certified child psychiatrist and a Neruopsycholgist. Do both. Once you get the evaluation data on his educational and processing skills, you will have a better idea of what is going on here, and you can actually get a good diagnosis. Try treatment with the psychiatrist, one medication try is not adequate, that is, if ADHD is the diagnosis, or if he has a diagnosis that requires medication. Medication is a tool that will help him manage symptoms so that the other therapy he needs for education and social-emotional-behavioral skills can be more effective. Your cart is way ahead of your horse, get him evaluated ASAP, you really need that Nuropsychological evaluation data and a psychiatrist to use that data to confirm a diagnosis and help you plan a multi facited, sustained treatment plan.

You especially need to have his memory processes assessed. This could be consistent with ADHD, if he has retreival issues related to attention. You just don't know with out the data. Go get it as soon as you can.

The school should be doing evaluation of their own, a child who cannot count sequentially by age 10 will have educational needs that should have already drawn the attention of his teachers. Is he on an IEP?

M.

Edit: At least 25% of children with ADHD are dyslexic also. Evaluation is essential, you don't know what your son has if you have only been to a neurologist and only tried medication. There are many different conditions that cause simular issues, and it may not be just as simple as a diagnoses followed by treament followed by recovery. It is much more complicated than a diagnostic "word". Please get the evaluation so that you know what the educational needs are, like processing speed, and working memory, visual processing and information retreival skills-I suspect that these are going to be important factors in how you remediate what ever this is. You need him to have a Woodcock Cognative (a neuropsychologist will know what this is.)

Take him to a phychtirst or family counsler who works with ADHD... what your son is trying to process and remember has very little to do with ADHD, what he is experiancing is similar to Dyslexia and Dyscalculia. Find someone, not a neurlologist, to help you and your son with skills to help him advance.

I have ADD (or now it is just ADHD, whatever), but I also am Dyslexic and always switching letters and words around (thank God for spell checker) but with a family counsler who specizlized in ADD, ADHD, Dyslexia and so on I was able to learn skills to help me advance in the school system. I was told by 3 other doctors when I was a junior in high school that I would not make it through the first year of college because of my dyslexia BUT with the 4th docs help and skills he taught me I graduated from college.

So keep doing what you are doing and get a GOOD family counsler who can help teach skills not just medicate (medication only works to a certian point, school and life skills need to be taught). There are many books out that will also help, I did not findn them till college but they really helped me!

Some books that have helped me, they might not all apply:
Stress Can Really Get on Your Nerves! by Trevor Romain & Elizabeth Verdick (this is geared towards young adults but find it very helpful even if not in school any more)
Survivor Personality by Al Siebert
Being the Best by Denis Waitley
Time Management for Unmanageable People by Ann McGee Cooper
You Don't Outgrow It by Marnell L. Hayes, Ed.D
Succeeding Against the Odds: Strategies and Insights from the Learning Disabled by Sally L. Smith

He may have a learning disabillity related to math. Google you states learning disability association for information on learning disabilities and support.

In writing, request that the school do testing that includes a complete educational evaluation. List your concerns in the letter. The school is required to do the testing within 45 days of your request. This is mandated under the federal laws, No Child Left Behind, IDEA. You may need an advocate to help you navigate the system. You can also get your son an independent evaluation with a psycologist that specializes in learning disorders. But it is very expensive and under law the school is required to provide the testing.

Hi M.,

My then seven year old had the same problem only with words. She was diagnosed with ADHD as well. The long and the short of it was my sister suggested I detox my house (for other reasons) and after I did, my daughter's behavior changed almost overnight. I had her on grade level reading within eight weeks after the detox. She told me later that she knew all the answers and she knew what the stories meant but she couldn't articulate them. It was like her brain was jumbled. All the synthetic chemicals in my house were actually poisoning her. Her ADHD diagnosis was removed at her next doctor's visit.

I never did medicate her because I home schooled and there was no pressure from the doctor. That gave me a very clear picture of how much was going on when her behavior changed for the better. I'll be glad to fill you in on everything I did if you're interested. Let me know...

God bless,

M.

could it be dyslexia or something similar to that? If he is in the public school system it is possible that there are testing services available in the school. If he's in private, you might call your district public school and see if they'll still test. I know my dd's bff goes to private school in Texas and she gets testing services from the public school in the district where her private school is, not in her home district. Ask the teachers for resources. I'm surprised they haven't already pointed you in the right direction.

I'm rooting for you. Good luck.

Have you had him tested for dyscalculia? Does he have trouble reading a clock too? Mix up right and left? Seem to have difficulty managing time? All signs of dyscalculia, dyslexia's less understood sibling. My youngest, also 10, has both ADD and dyscalculia and it is a tricky combination. Get him tested ASAP.

I was a special education teacher and taught children with similar learning difficulties. I agree with the other posts that say your son may have a learning disability. If he has not been already, I would definitely have him tested through the school in order to develop a learning program for him (IEP) so that he can receive appropriate services such as extra help from a special education teacher.
One thing I would suggest is to try a multi-sensory approach to learning. It might help your son to see, touch, and hear the numbers (I have seen this work wonders with letters). There is a program that I have used called Touch Math that could be helpful. Each number has "touch points" on it that represent the number's value. For example, 4 has 4 touch points. You can go to www.touchmath.com to learn more and to print some free worksheets. I have used this program to teach children in lower elementary grades addition and subtraction but I think it might be something that could help your son. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions!

The cognitive skill of memory is linked to atention through neurodevelopment that should happen in infancy. If a child retains what is called Spinal Galant, some but usually not all of the following symptoms are seen:
 Fidgeting
 Bedwetting after age 5
 Poor concentration or attention
 Poor memory
 Very sensitive or very insensitive (not average) to several senses (visual, hearing, touch, smell, taste)
 Difficulty reading
If this sounds like your son, look up "primitive relexes" or "neurodevelopment" or "spinal galant" for more information. To overcome this, it just takes a few minutes a day for about a month to overcome this. I did with my daughter, and she is now a dean's list college student, who had such a porr memory, she couldn't remember her spelling words two days after her test!

Good luck!

M.-
Sounds like it's more than just ADHD. I would demand an IEP for the beginning of the school year. This is a process where all the professionals sit with your son and talk to him and administer tests (Psych, Speech, Counseling, Sp. Ed, etc.) Then they meet and discuss the tests and make some recommendations. It took my son's school from Sept to Nov to get it done. They are given two weeks to respond to your request and six weeks to get the testing done and more time to write the reports. Also, the IEP request must be made in writing and e-mails probably do not qualify. I suggest that you get your request in before this school year ends and on the first day of school you can find out when they're scheduling the tests. Also in CA my son, who also has ADHD , was give a 504 exception. This allows him to have special compensations for testing: ask questions, have directions read to him, quiet room, etc. I'm not sure if it's a federal program or a state program. If you are financially able, you might want to see if there's someone that can work with him over the summer and get some private testing done. Personally, I wasn't able to do that. I think Easter Seals had some special programs?!?! Can't hurt to call.

As mom to a 5th grader, the sooner you do this the better. Fifth grade math concepts are pretty complicated (adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing fractions and decimals). How does he do with verbal problems? I bet he compensates a lot that way.

Good luck,
S.

This sounds like dyslexia instead of being part of ADHD.

I have trouble with numbers in a certain series. I don't see them right in my head sometimes so I have to write them down (I get 5 and 2 mixed up as well)

Talk to the learning support teacher and have him tested for Dyslexia.

Nanc

This isn't something that is known for being associated with ADHD. It sounds like a learning disability, and if that's the case, the things you're mentioning are not going to help him - special education services will. He is a bit old for flash cards. Have you discussed this over the years with his teachers and have you had a complete evaluation done to look for learning disabilities? The ADHD diagnosis is enough to get him classified frt special ed services and accommodations, but I think you should look further into the problem. How is he managing in math classes? 5th grade math concepts and next year in 6th go way beyond basic counting, adding/subtracting - my 5th grader (middle school) is dealing with multi-digit decimal operations, geometry, non equivilant fractions.
I urge you to go for a full evaluation for your son.