DYSCALCULIA
What is Dyscalculia? The current definition of dyscalculia refers to a specific and persistent difficulty in understanding numbers, which can lead to a diverse range of difficulties with maths. It affects individuals of all age groups, socio-economic groups, levels of education, abilities and experience. We say that dyscalculia often comes with a ‘friend’, as often there is significant co-occurrence of different neurodiverse conditions. Maths difficulties are best thought of as a continuum, of which dyscalculia sits at the end. The condition is thought to occur in 6% of the UK population, equivalent to 1.5 children per a typical class size of 30 pupils. Therefore, it is almost inevitable that, over time, educators will have to teach many young people with dyscalculia. However, unlike with other learning difficulties,
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Top tips for supporting children with dyscalculia
such as ADHD or dyslexia, research into dyscalculia is still relatively embryonic. In a recent piece of research by Loughborough’s Mathematics Learning Support Centre (MLSC), it found that those with dyscalculia were 100x less likely to be diagnosed and given appropriate teaching support than those with dyslexia.
