Dyscalculia
(dis-cal-que-lee-ya)
What does that even mean?
Dyscalculia (rhymes with Julia!) is the name for when you find working with numbers completely bamboozling - they make very little sense! You can't see the patterns in the counting, rules and processes don't stick and you haven't ever figured out the code behind the evil circular object called a clock!
Dyscalculia is something you're born with; it will always be part of you, but you're definitely not dumb. You can be super bright, or even a pofessional mathematician and still have dyscalculia. Dyscalculia affects the number and mental arithmetic parts of maths, but sometimes other parts of maths (such as algebra or geometry) are ok for people.
We can also now diagnose people with a specific learning difficulty in maths (SpLD maths) it can be just as hard as living wtih dyscalculia but in a slightly different way. It means that we can identify the needs of more people and get them more support.
From SASC 2025
The definition of dyscalculia
We now look for distinct areas of mathematical ability to 'map' to what scientific research has shown us are the features of this difference in how brains developed. It is a part of neurodiversity which explains how all our brains are unique.
Firstly, the troubles with maths are severe and persistent and happen even if you've had great teaching of maths and tried really hard. Dyscalculia affects people regardless of their overall ability or intelligence so I would expect you to have just a specific academic difficulty in the area of maths, not everything else. Although, it may go alongside other neurodiversities such as dyslexia, ADHD or dyspraxia (DCD) for instance.
Dyscalculia will look different at different ages so as you grow up, different areas are affected but understanding the relationship between numbers so that you can name them, order them, compare them and make estimations will remain a core difficulty.
Maths SpLD is slightly different to dyscalculia and relates to differences in processing numbers perhaps due to language difficulties, executive function (such as visual spatial working memory and inhibitory control) and visual spatial processing. It is no less severe or impactful, but has a different origin.
Maths diffculties run in families and maths anxiety is commonly part of the picture. We also find that other neurodiversities such as ADHD, DLD or autism go hand-in-hand with maths difficulties.
As such, unpicking the influences is a complex task which requires a Level 7 trained specialist assessor who can complete a holistic assessment in accordance with strict standards set out by the SpLD Assessment Standards Committee (SASC). This means that your report will be considered reputable and valid for the lifetime of the learner.
All assessments need to be conducted face-to-face as it is not allowable to conduct them online.
