Just when I thought they were finally getting it

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LOL - I still use my fingers. Multipication - forget it. Calculator is my only saving grace.

If you are looking for a good calculator, I recommend Texas Instruments:

http://education.ti.com/educationportal ... ators.html

I have used these for years with excellent results.

For your son, I might recommend the TI-34 or the TI-73:
http://education.ti.com/educationportal ... i34mv.html
http://education.ti.com/educationportal ... _ti73.html

It has the ability to do all the basic math (19x3), and the benefit of showing the equation next to the answer (as seen on the website). So, your son will type in 19 x 3, hit enter, and it will show up next to the number 57. That way, he can always review the input and make sure he typed in 19 x 3, instead of 91 x 3 by accident. It can also scroll through multiple problems, so he can go back and review a previous calculation if needed. It also has detailed steps built in so your child can see how to simplify fractions and so forth. Its basically ideal for the middle school mathematics.

I would avoid the 'elementary' calculators, even though he is still technically in elementary. Those just have single line displays, and there is no way to review and make sure you typed in the right formula. Those are the basic calculators most people think of when they hear calculator.

Unfortunately, the TI-34 doesn't have the ability to automatically solve algebraic equations, i.e. you can't put in 5x+14=34, hit solve and get an answer. It also doesn't have graphing ability.

The TI-73 is basically a TI-34 with a larger screen (easier to see what your doing), and can do graphing. But I don't think it can automatically solve algebraic equations either. The hardware could easily do it, but I think they left that feature out so that students would have to learn how to do it themselves. I am not sure this is a really good idea with somebody who has dyscalcula, but I don't think it will be a problem until a few years down the road. Either way, I think I would recommend the TI-73 more just due to the larger screen, and usability.


Beyond that, you can get him a calculator to suit his interest in math related subjects. If he isn't going to use math, then a TI-73 may be all that you will ever need. If he is interested in more technical fields, you can get him a nice high end calculator like the TI-89 (the one I use) or even a TI-200 (the one I want). And do keep in mind that just because your child struggles with arithmetic doesn't mean he is always going to be hopeless with math. Albert Einstein himself struggled with arithmetic and he still did well in the area of science.

Also, Texas Instruments recently came out with the new Nspire line of graphing calculators. I don't know much about them as I am still using my trusty TI-89, but they look interesting. They may be something to look into a few years down the line when your child hits high school, and his TI-73 is falling a bit behind (the lack of auto-solve is a real limitation at higher levels of math). It might be a good ideal to ask your school's high school math teacher what he thinks of the Nspire calculators as he will probably be more familiar with new updates in the field of graphing calculators (assuming he is doing his job well).


Also! Just to add, the TI-89 and TI-200 calculators are banned by the ACT people (apparently they don't like useful tools). So, you might want to keep that TI-73. Or, you could just take the SATs instead which do allow you to use the TI-89 (I think the TI-200 is still banned).

Funny you should mention that! My father used to be a math teacher right out of the Marines and moved on to a position with TI. We were not allowed to bring any other calculator into the house!

Still, too many buttons for me.

Ask him if he thinks the new Nspire, TI-89 Titanium, or the TI-200 would be better for an Engineer with a TI-89 (original) looking to upgrade.

Also, I disagree with there being too many buttons, there clearly isn't enough. With the TI-89, there is a 2nd button, a diamond button, and an alpha button. When you hit these keys and another key, it does something different. I.E. hitting + makes a +, hitting 2nd and + brings up the character menu, hitting diamond and + changes the brightness, and hitting alpha and + makes a U. Much in the same way that C, Shift C, Ctrl C, and Alt C make different commands on a keyboard. If there were more keys, they wouldn't have to be used 4 different ways like that. Also, there would be fewer menus to sort through if more shortcut keys where available.

Also you can put calculator games on your calculator. Great stuff. I loved bowling.

That too! I spent about 90% of my high school math class playing Tetris and Alien Invaders.

Unfortunately, my dad passed years ago... but he would have appreciated the conversation none the less!

I am a special education teacher and I have had great success by teaching children their multiplication tables using "Touch Math." You should google it. Maybe the school could try this approach? Good luck.

I wonder if that logic works better for neurotypicals than for aspies.

I never memorized my multiplication tables in school. To learn something I need to know the reason why, and there isn't any real reason why 7x8=whatever; it just is. I did learn to count by twos, threes, etc., and I did learn some tricks like the sum of digits trick for 9s.

Long division was slow, no doubt, and I'd end up writing extra intermediate results in the margin of the paper, but I would eventually get the right answer when most of the other kids didn't. I didn't think long division was intended as a technique for use in one's head without a piece of paper. If I need to divide ten digit numbers, I still use paper.

Not having my multiplication tables memorized didn't hold me back then, and it didn't keep me from getting into MIT or from graduating there.

30 seconds is probably enough to do single digit multiplication by counting by one of the factors, but the time limit could be putting extra pressure that wouldn't help.

For aspies who worry a whole hell of a lot, time limits are stress inducers on steroids.