Signs of Maths Difficulties/ Dyscalculia

• Difficulty recognising symbols quickly (+ –  x  =  ÷)
• Difficulty understanding what + –  x  =  ÷ means in a number sum:
  • e.g. 4 x 2 = 8 means 4 groups of 2 equals 8; and understanding what ‘groups of’ and the term ‘equals’ means.
• Slow to recall basic number facts e.g. 6+4=10 and/or not understanding the relationship between 6+4=10; 4+6=10; 10-6=4; 10-4=6.
• Have difficulty recalling previously learned maths knowledge.
• Difficulty understanding patterns (then used for areas such as multiplication).
• Slow or unable to learn and quickly access times tables.
• Difficulty interpreting written maths problems and breaking down and working out the individual steps to find the final solution.
• Have difficulty understanding, interpreting and applying maths language to maths concepts.
• Unable to accurately or quickly tell time on an analogue clock, or understand what the time on a digital clock means e.g. 8:11 means 11 minutes past 8 o’clock.
• Difficulty transferring known maths knowledge to new concepts, building new knowledge on learnt knowledge.

Are all students with a maths learning difficulty considered to have a specific learning difficulty in maths, known as dyscalculia?

• No! Other areas of difficulty such as dyslexia, ADHD or working memory can impact upon a child’s ability to understand and retain maths knowledge.
• Limited research currently suggests 5-7% of students are likely to have dyscalculia (Haberstroh & Schulte-Korne; 2019*).

      What is dyscalculia?

• Dyscalculia as described by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual – Fifth Edition (DSM-V), used by psychiatrists and psychologists to diagnose disorders, as “a pattern of difficulties characterised by problems processing numerical information, learning arithmetic facts, and performing accurate or fluent calculations” (DSM-V 315.1 F81.2).

What to do if my child seems to be struggling in maths?

It is important to remember that your child may simply have not yet learnt the concepts and needs some additional support to bring them up to peer level in maths. So,

1. Firstly, discuss your concerns with your child’s classroom teacher who will understand your child’s maths abilities in the educational setting.
2. Discuss intervention strategies e.g. 1:1 or small group learning support for maths.
3. Engage a maths tutor who can revisit the basic skills and move your child through the process of better understanding maths concepts.
4. Seek a comprehensive assessment with a psychologist (called a psycho-educational assessment) to investigate areas of cognitive abilities and academic skills that may be impacting on your child’s understanding of maths, and provide a diagnosis (if deemed relevant) for dyscalculia. A psychologist will then provide a written report with the results, interpretation of the results, and (usually) learning strategies to support your child in maths skills development.

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*Haberstroh, S., & Schulte-Korne, G. (2019). The Diagnosis and Treatment of Dyscalculia. Deutsches Arzteblatt International. Published online 2019 Feb 15.