ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the impact of a diagnosis on the child’s social status and argues that the critical role teachers can play, both as role models communicating the child’s likeability to their peers and as mediators in sharing the diagnosis with the classroom. Studies have tried to identify variables that might mitigate the negative self-perceptions of children with a diagnosis of dyscalculia. Many students with a diagnosis of dyscalculia might have, in addition to emotional distress, problems regarding their social status at school, which places them at a risk for future maladjustment. Besides supporting the class in understanding the cognitive aspects related to the diagnosis of dyscalculia, teachers should also focus on the emotional components of the diagnosis. A better understanding of the disorder, as well as a greater openness towards others, might be viewed as an overall more positive perception and acceptance of the dyscalculia. The chapter discusses possible future research directions in the area of dyscalculia.
