Dyscalculia

Dyscalculia and Maths Difficulties

The British Dyslexia Association (BDA) states that:

“Dyscalculia is a specific and persistent difficulty in understanding numbers which can lead to a diverse range of difficulties with mathematics. It will be unexpected in relation to age, level of education and experience and occurs across all ages and abilities.

Mathematics difficulties are best thought of as a continuum, not a distinct category, and they have many causal factors. Dyscalculia falls at one end of the spectrum and will be distinguishable from other maths issues due to the severity of difficulties with number sense, including subitising, symbolic and non-symbolic magnitude comparison, and ordering. It can occur singly but often co-occurs with other specific learning difficulties, mathematics anxiety and medical conditions.”

According to the BDA, approximately 25% of people have maths learning difficulties. These may be caused by neurodiverse conditions such as dyslexia or external issues such as a traumatic learning experience related to maths or school absence. It is common for individuals with dyslexia to also have difficulties with maths.

Some people with maths difficulties have dyscalculia. Dyscalculia is at the severe end of the maths learning difficulties spectrum.

A combination of the common indicators listed below may suggest dyscalculia.

Primary

Difficulty grasping basic arithmetic concepts like counting, comparing, and sequencing numbers
Trouble learning and recalling maths facts (e.g., addition, subtraction, and times tables)

Difficulty with subitising – the ability to look at a small set of objects and instantly know how many there are without counting them. For example, when rolling dice, we don’t need to count the dots to know what we have rolled
Lack of understanding of how numbers relate to each other, such as understanding that 6 can be made from 5 + 1, double 3, or 4 + 2

Inability to estimate a number of objects (e.g., understanding the difference between 30 sweets and 300 sweets)
Challenges understanding number lines and time
Confusion with number shapes or symbols, such as mixing up “+” and “x”
Tendency to avoid maths-related tasks and low confidence with maths

Secondary

Lack of an intuitive understanding of numbers and simple number concepts, for example the relationship between multiplication and repetitive addition.
Reliance on procedures (which may not be understood), rote learning, and simple ways of working out answers (like counting on fingers)
Lack of understanding of how numbers relate to each other, such as knowing that 6 can be made from 5 + 1, double 3, or 4 + 2 (flexibility of number)
Difficulty with understanding the magnitude of numbers (e.g., understanding the difference between £40 and £4000)
Difficulty with arithmetic but not necessarily in other areas of maths such as geometry and algebra.

Difficulty with maths concepts including fractions, percentages, and ratios
Difficulty with problem-solving, especially multi-step problems
Trouble with visual-spatial tasks, such as understanding graphs or maps
Challenges in estimating cost, time intervals, and distance
Confusion with sequences, such as steps in an equation or multi-step operations
High maths anxiety

Dyscalculia

Dyscalculia and Maths Difficulties

A combination of the common indicators listed below may suggest dyscalculia.

Primary

Secondary

To explore whether an assessment might be appropriate for your child please contact me to arrange a telephone conversation

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