Many people are familiar with dyslexia and its impact on reading and writing, but dyscalculia, which affects number processing and understanding, is a bit more under the radar. Keen to find out about this lesser-known learning difficulty? Use this handy guide to explore dyscalculia signs, causes, and options for support.
Dyscalculia isn’t about being “bad at maths” or anxious about reciting your times tables. It’s a specific learning difficulty that significantly affects how someone processes and understands numbers.
Unlike more general maths learning difficulties, which affect up to 25% of people, a diagnosis of dyscalculia is actually relatively rare; just 6% of individuals are thought to have it. This may suggest that dyscalculia is less common, although some experts argue that the condition is simply underdiagnosed compared to dyslexia, which is better understood.
In the past, dyscalculia was treated as an umbrella term for many different types of maths-related learning difficulties. This changed in 2019 because researchers found that dyscalculia challenges were more extreme in impact.
There is no single, unified experience of dyscalculia, and many people online suggest they have very different experiences of living with it. Despite these reported differences, there are some common signs that professionals tend to look for when making a diagnosis. These signs include:
Want to dig deeper into how dyscalculia presents? The British Dyslexia Association’s designated dyscalculia page provides more information on how professionals diagnose dyscalculia in the UK.
How we classify dyscalculia is a little nuanced. Even though dyscalculia is technically a learning difficulty in wider terms (i.e. it doesn’t have a “global impact” on an individual like a learning disability), it is considered a “disability” in legal terms. This is because the Equality Act 2010 views any condition that makes it significantly harder for a person to do “normal day-to-day activities” as a disability.
So, if a person’s dyscalculia makes it considerably harder for them to do everyday things like managing finances, telling the time, or passing a required work exam, it is seen as a disability and should be treated that way by employers and educators.
It’s hard to say for sure what causes dyscalculia, but most experts agree it’s a genetic and biological condition you are born with, much like being colour blind or left-handed.
Just like any other learning difficulty, having dyscalculia has nothing to do with your overall intelligence or how hard you try. It just means your brain is wired slightly differently.
According to National Numeracy, comorbidity is common in dyscalculia. This means many people with dyscalculia also have other specific learning difficulties or medical conditions.
If you believe you could have dyscalculia but don’t have a formal diagnosis, you might decide you want to speak to a professional. Since the NHS can’t perform dyscalculia assessments, you’ll need to book a private assessment with a certified Educational Psychologist or a specialist SpLD assessor. You can find a list of assessors on the Dyscalculia Network website.
From there, you may be able to apply for government funding. This can give you access to specialist tools and equipment if you’re employed and need help at work.
If you’d prefer not to go down the diagnosis route but believe dyscalculia is affecting your employment, you’re still eligible for support from your employer. It’s best to start by chatting to your manager or HR department. They have a responsibility to make reasonable adjustments so that you can do your job properly and aren’t unfairly held back.
When it comes to adjustments, you may find that you benefit from:
As we mentioned earlier, having dyscalculia has nothing to do with how intelligent you are. In fact, lots of people with dyscalculia find that they have strengths in the following areas:
Communication: People with dyscalculia can be strong communicators with a natural flair for both creative and linguistic expression.
Problem-solving: When a problem crops up, a person with dyscalculia may be quick to think on their feet and have multiple different solutions.
Strategy & “bigger picture” thinking: People with dyspraxia have a tendency to “think outside the box” and connect dots others might miss.
Did you know? When a person has greater abilities in some areas and noticeable difficulties in others, it’s sometimes referred to as a “spiky profile”. While often associated with autism, spiky profiles also affect people with learning differences and other neurodevelopmental conditions. You can find out more about them in our Spiky Profiles in Autism blog.
Since the NHS can’t offer dyscalculia assessments, dyscalculia is diagnosed via a private assessment with a certified Educational Psychologist or specialist SpLD assessor. You can find a list of qualified assessors on the Dyscalculia Network website.
Absolutely. Having dyscalculia doesn’t affect your overall intelligence or ability to do a job well. If dyscalculia is impacting your work, your employer has a legal responsibility to make reasonable adjustments. You don’t need a formal diagnosis to ask for support; simply reach out to your manager or HR team and let them know what you’re finding difficult and how you’d like them to help.
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