What is a kid has problems with Math
Output Difficulties
A student with problems in output may
be unable to recall basic math facts, procedures, rules, or formulas
be very slow to retrieve facts or pursue procedures
have difficulties maintaining precision during mathematical work
have difficulties with handwriting that slow down written work or make it hard to read later
have difficulty remembering previously encountered patterns
forget what he or she is doing in the middle of a math problem
Organizational Difficulties
A student with problems in organization may
have difficulties sequencing multiple steps
become entangled in multiple steps or elements of a problem
lose appreciation of the final goal and over emphasize individual elements of a problem
not be able to identify salient aspects of a mathematical situation, particularly in word problems or other problem solving situations where some information is not relevant
be unable to appreciate the appropriateness or reasonableness of solutions generated
Language Difficulties
A student with language problems in math may
have difficulty with the vocabulary of math
be confused by language in word problems
not know when irrelevant information is included or when information is given out of sequence
have trouble learning or recalling abstract terms
have difficulty understanding directions
have difficulty explaining and communicating about math, including asking and answering questions
have difficulty reading texts to direct their own learning
have difficulty remembering assigned values or definitions in specific problems
Attention Difficulties
A student with attention problems in math may
be distracted or fidgety during math tasks
lose his or her place while working on a math problem
appear mentally fatigued or overly tired when doing math
Visual Spatial or Ordering Difficulties
A student with problems in visual, spatial, or sequential aspects of mathematics may
be confused when learning multi-step procedures
have trouble ordering the steps used to solve a problem
feel overloaded when faced with a worksheet full of math exercises
not be able to copy problems correctly
may have difficulties reading the hands on an analog clock
may have difficulties interpreting and manipulating geometric configurations
may have difficulties appreciating changes in objects as they are moved in space
Difficulties with multiple tasks
A student with problems managing and/or merging different tasks in math may
find it difficult to switch between multiple demands in a complex math problem
find it difficult to tell when tasks can be grouped or merged and when they must be separated in a multi-step math problem
cannot manage all the demands of a complex problem, such as a word problem, even thought he or she may know component facts and procedures

