Dysmaths helps students “write like others” in math

Last updated on 27 March 2026

There are situations where the computer is presented as an obvious solution. For a dysgraphic or dyspraxic student, typing can actually remove some of the obstacles. But in mathematics, one quickly encounters another wall: writing a fraction, aligning a division, posing an operation properly, drawing a figure, placing an … angle all the mathematical formatting quickly becomes laborious.

As a result, the student has a PC, but cannot really produce a job in the expected format, or has to go through endless DIY. Often, you end up with a blurry photo of the notebook sent to the ENT, or a Word document where everything shifts as soon as you touch a line.

This is precisely what we are trying to solve. Dysmaths : a free application designed to enable pupils with special needs (in particular dysgraphy and dyspraxia) towrite their math on computer in a simple way, legible and academic, like the others. A resource that has its place in a wider toolbox, with Other tools to support dys students on a daily basis.

What is Dysmaths?

Dysmaths is an online application that offers a very direct interface: the student works on a page that looks like a school sheet (with several possible backgrounds) and has a toolbox to easily place mathematical and geometric elements.

The idea is not to replace a course or “automate” the answers. Dysmaths does not do maths instead of the student. The aim is to remove the motor and graphic barrier so that it can focus on reasoning and approach.

What I like here is that the tool is aimed at a very specific need, without promising mountains and wonders.

The tool was designed by a parent whose child is affected by these difficulties, precisely to enable him or her to write his or her homework and computer-based math lessons in a format close to the classroom notebook.

What can be done concretely with Dysmaths

Dysmaths targets the needs of everyday life in cycle 3, middle school and high school, with very “field” functions.

Writing math symbols without fighting with an equation editor

Anyone who has ever tried to write math in a word processor knows this: the equation editor is often too complex, too slow or too fragile. Dysmaths is based on a simpler logic: the tool or symbol is chosen and placed on the sheet.

For a dys student, it is an immediate gain: less fine handling, fewer keyboard/mouse round trips, fewer drawer menus.

Set operations “in the right format”

Correctly aligning numbers, arranging a resolution, clearly presenting a sequence of steps can become a real headache when handwriting is difficult and the digital layout is unstable.

Dysmaths proposes an approach that resembles a gridded sheet: we place the elements, we build a clear layout, and we obtain a readable, printable rendering. The student can thus put down his operations and write his calculations as on a notebook, without fighting against formatting.

Making geometry with simple tools

Geometry is often one of the most difficult points for dyspraxic students: ruler, compass, precision of the layout, organisation on the … sheet

Dysmaths offers tools to create figures and place geometric elements without using a complete software of dynamic geometry, often too complex. The student chooses a figure (segment, circle, shape, etc.) and positions it on the sheet using tools designed specifically for school use.

Choose the type of sheet: a detail that counts

Dysmaths allows you to choose the background: Seyes, large tiles, small tiles, lineage sheet, white sheet. This may seem anecdotal, but it is very important in practice: visual cues and spatial organisation are a real help for many dys students.

The student thus finds a familiar environment, very close to what he uses in the classroom, which facilitates the appropriation of the tool.

Export to PDF to print or render a job

Once the work is complete, Dysmaths allows you to export the result in PDF (or PNG). This is the key for use in class:

• print and paste in the notebook,
• render a paper assignment,
• post a job on ENT or by email,
• keep a clean record in the pupil’s file or in the teacher’s archives.

The student thus produces a document that resembles that of the others, while benefiting from its adaptations.

Getting started: how to use it in the classroom (or at home)

The tool was designed around a very simple interaction: drag and drop or click on the sheet, then choose what you want to place. This logic is often more accessible than a conventional equation editor, especially for students who are already cognitively overloaded.

Scenario 1: Homework on its own

The student does his exercises in the PC, builds a clear presentation, then exports in PDF. The teacher receives readable work, comparable to that of other students, without having to decipher difficult writing or wobbly layout. And if the challenge is also to make the instructions more accessible, you can complete this tool to adapt a text for DYS students.

Scenario 2: Classroom activity with AESH

In a computer room or with an individual computer, the student can follow the same activity as the class. AESH does not need to “rewrite” in its place: it helps to choose the right tools and organise the page, and then lets the student actually produce his or her work.

Scenario 3: Adapted assessment

For controls where presentation matters (geometry, reasoning writing, calculation), Dysmaths can become an interesting compromise: the student is assessed on the approach and understanding, not on his ability to trace to the millimetre or to hold a pen.

To keep in mind

Before offering Dysmaths to a student, it is necessary to check some technical prerequisites: the tool works online and therefore requires stable internet access, whether in the school or at home. The student must also have a computer with a recent browser (PC, Mac, or possibly Chromebook). If the teacher systematically requests paper renderings, provision should be made for the possibility of printing the outputs.

Last precaution, it is necessary for some children to provide a small accompaniment for the handling.

This does not detract from the quality and added value of this small utility:

• Free and thought from the start for dys students.
• Interface centered on school reality: sheets, symbols, operations, geometry.
• PDF export very useful for rendering, archiving and sharing work.
• A tool that meets a need rarely covered: the mathematical writing of everyday life, between simple word processing and dynamic geometry or formal calculation software.
• And to work the notions differently in parallel, you can also look at tools for make math more alive.

In short: for whom, for what?

Dysmaths has a simple goal: to allow dysgraphic or dyspraxic students to write their math on computer clearly and quickly.

For students already equipped with a PC for accommodation (PAP, PPS, occupational therapist recommendations), it is exactly the type of tool that can make the difference: regain some form of equality in the face of the task, and finally being able to show what they know how to do … without being penalised by their writing. Thanks to Guillaume Champeau to have created it and shared it with everyone.

Guillaume Champeau has just published the source code on GitHub.

Note that Guillaume also offers another application for DYS students: My Duties. It is a simple and easy-to-use application to help children with dys disorders grasp and manage their school homework.