Introduction

What is Dyscalculia?

Dyscalculia is a learning difficulty where people struggle to learn, understand, and use mathematics.¹ Approximately 3-6% of children have dyscalculia, and it is equally as common in biological males and females.²,³

Children with Dyscalculia often have no other issues, though it can be linked to other learning problems.^3,4 Having family members with Dyscalculia makes you much more likely to have it.⁵

Children cannot outgrow dyscalculia, it is a lifelong condition which continues into adulthood.⁶ However, there are methods that can be used to help children develop their mathematics skills and make the most of their abilities, which can help them use maths confidently in their everyday life.

Understanding Dyscalculia

Symptoms and signs 

The signs of Dyscalculia are usually first picked up in school settings when teachers notice that the child struggles more than the rest of their class to learn numbers and counting.⁶

Children between the ages of eight and ten who have Dyscalculia are slower than their peers when counting, they struggle to fill in numbers on a blank sheet, their understanding of place value is not as strong, and their processing of numbers is less automatic than other children their age.⁶

People with Dyscalculia often:^1,7

• Lack of confidence with numbers
• Find remembering numerical information tricky
• Struggle to work out mathematical equations
• Find it difficult to give or follow directions
• Experience emotional symptoms when faced with mathematical problems, for example nausea, stomachache, sweating, anxiety or panic, fear, aggression or anger

If you feel that the above symptoms apply to you or someone that you know, it might be worth talking to a specialist about getting a Dyscalculia assessment.

Causes and risk factors 

Causes

The parietal lobe is a region of the brain which sits at the back and the top of the brain. This part of your brain helps you understand mathematics, among other things.¹⁰

Dyscalculia can arise when the cells within the parietal lobe struggle to make connections, which means that understanding numbers and mathematical problems proves to be more difficult.⁹ It is not yet known what causes dyscalculia, but research is underway to figure out its exact aetiology. Because of its elusive causes treatments are limited, but some coping mechanisms have been developed to make life easier for people with dyscalculia.

Risk factors

Even though we do not understand the precise causes of dyscalculia, research has found certain risk factors that increase the chances of developing dyscalculia. Some risk factors include:^{4, 5}

• Environmental deprivation during development
• Poor teaching in the past
• Low weight at birth
• Premature birth
• Fragile X Syndrome
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• Epilepsy
• Developmental Language Disorder
• A family history of dyscalculia

Related health issues

Someone with dyscalculia may not experience any other health problems. However, having dyscalculia can come with other problems. This is referred to as “comorbidity.”

People with dyscalculia are more likely to experience mental health problems including:⁷

• Depression
• Anxiety 
• Bipolar disorder
• Behaviour disorders

Dyscalculia and Dyslexia

Dyscalculia and dyslexia are often associated, up to 40% of people who have one of these disorders, also have the other.⁶

Dyslexia appears to be more understood than dyscalculia, but more research is currently being done to better the understanding of dyscalculia.⁶ This is becoming easier with better brain imaging techniques and an improved understanding of how the brain works.

Acquired Dyscalculia

Someone who does not have dyscalculia as a child, but develops it later in life, is referred to as having acquired dyscalculia. This can be caused by damage to the part of the brain dedicated to mathematics.⁷

If you notice a deterioration in your mathematics skills, either after an accident or on its own, seek help from your GP so that they can investigate and refer you for further checks if necessary.

Diagnosis of Dyscalculia

How to get diagnosed

Some schools can make a referral for dyscalculia. If you are concerned that your child or a child that you know may have dyscalculia, it is worth speaking to the child’s school and see if they can arrange an assessment.¹¹

If you are an adult, you can arrange an assessment for Dyscalculia via your employer.¹¹ If your school or workplace does not have the option for Dyscalculia assessment, you can speak to your GP for an onward referral.

It is important to rule out other factors that can cause difficulties with learning. Examples of things which can make it more difficult for children to flourish while studying include:¹²

• ADHD that is not linked to dyscalculia
• Hearing problems that prevent them from hearing the teacher during lessons
• Vision problems may prevent them from seeing the school board or their books while studying

It would be worth arranging a sight test, hearing test, and ADHD assessment as these problems can be treated individually, or as part of the dyscalculia treatment if they are comorbid (if the child has Dyscalculia as well as ADHD, hearing issues or vision problems).

Diagnosis

Dyscalculia is diagnosed either by assessing the child’s general intellectual abilities and comparing these to their performance in maths, or by finding out that the child’s development in mathematics is two years or more behind where it should be.³

The British Dyslexia Association recommends that the Dyscalculia assessment be carried out by a professional who has a qualification of at least level 7 in dyscalculia assessment and Associate Member of British Dyslexia Association (AMBDA) dyscalculia.¹³

As mentioned above, during the checks the assessor will also want to rule out any other causes for the problems with mathematics, including mental health issues or problems with vision or hearing.⁷ 

Treatment

Dyscalculia treatment in childhood

During a child’s development, their brains develop and adapt cognitive functions including maths skills. Specialised teaching can be carried out by professionals trained in this area,⁸ during which learning techniques are delivered one-on-one.⁷ This specialist teaching can lead to improvement in confidence with mathematics.

The treatment should begin as soon as possible because it is easier to learn these adaptations at a younger age.^{7, 8} As the brain ages and develops, it is more difficult for it to learn new pathways that help the mind cope with dyscalculia.

Treatment should also take into account any other problems that the patient is facing, for example, anxiety, depression, ADHD or dyslexia.⁸ The common problems linked with dyscalculia are outlined in the Related Health Conditions portion of this article.

Dyscalculia treatment in adults

Adult brains are less adaptable than the brains of children, so unfortunately Dyscalculia which has been present since childhood is not treatable in adults. If an adult has developed Acquired Dyscalculia, this can however be treated.⁷

Treatment for acquired dyscalculia focuses on the underlying cause of the condition, whatever this may be.⁷ Your medical team will discuss this treatment with you if you have acquired dyscalculia.

Summary

Dyscalculia is more common than people realise. It is often linked to other learning difficulties, like dyslexia, or mental health issues like depression and anxiety.

If it is diagnosed early, there are methods that can be used to help a child to improve their mathematics skills. The best results are achieved when the child’s parents, school and healthcare team work together to improve and develop their mathematics skills.

If someone has developed dyscalculia later in life, it is important that the cause of the dyscalculia is found and treated, if possible.

If you think that you or someone you know may have dyscalculia, speak to the relevant teacher, your GP, or another healthcare provider. Resources like the British Dyslexia Association are useful sources of information for people looking to learn more about dyscalculia.