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Solving Time Problems

SKILL: Numbers

DIFFICULTY: 4/5

LEVELS: 20, based on the time intervals, number of hours, and operation (addition/subtraction)

BRIEF RATIONALE: This treatment works on reading comprehension and math calculations.

In Solving Time Problems, you will solve addition and subtraction word problems related to time. Input the answer using the keypad. Be sure to include the colon in your response. Submit for feedback. The treatment auto-adjusts in difficulty based on performance.


HINT: A hint button is available in the lower-left corner of the screen to show the written operation. Using the hint will mark the item as incorrect (as it was not answered independently), but may help you solve the problem.

FOR THE CLINICIAN:

Acalculia is an acquired cognitive disorder characterized by difficulty processing numbers, calculations, and quantities. Difficulty with word problems can also stem from underlying deficits in attention, language, reading, writing, or other cognitive domains (a condition known as secondary acalculia).


According to an interview of people who had suffered a stroke or traumatic brain injury, difficulty talking about or managing time is a common problem and can have a significant impact on daily life (Benn et al., 2022). In Solving Time Problems, we've included hundreds of functional, realistic problems that adults would encounter, providing countless practice opportunities.


A benefit of including math word problems in a treatment plan is that it addresses multiple areas of language and cognition simultaneously - a great example of a "high-mileage treatment." This is because solving word problems requires multiple skills like:

  1. Interpreting the word problem
  2. Picking out relevant information
  3. Planning which operation to use
  4. Carrying out the calculation

When using Solving Time Problems with patients, try offering external support (e.g. writing) or teaching attention strategies (e.g. verbal mediation). These strategies can actually help improve the deficit, according to Ardila & Rosselli (2019).

Selected References:

  1. Ardila, A., & Rosselli, M. (2019). Cognitive rehabilitation of acquired calculation disturbances. Behavioural Neurology, 2019, 1–6.
  2. Benn, Y., Jayes, M., Casassus, M., Williams, M., Jenkinson, C., McGowan, E., & Conroy, P. (2022). A Qualitative Study into the Experience of Living with Acalculia after Stroke and Other Forms of Acquired Brain Injury.

  3. Fasotti, L. (1992). Arithmetical Word Problem Solving after Frontal Lobe Damage: A Cognitive Neuropsychological Approach.