Dyscalculia
Dyscalculia is a term referring to a wide range of difficulties with maths, including weaknesses in understanding the meaning of numbers, and difficulty applying mathematical principles to solve problems.
Become a member
Those students who experience delays in their numeracy development for no clear reason, and their response to additional support is slower than their peers, it is more likely that they have a specific learning disorder with an impairment in mathematics called dyscalculia.
Dyscalculia is rarely identified early.
Predictors of dyscalculia
Studies have been done to try to identify predictors of potential mathematical disability. The main predictors include:
- Not knowing which of two digits is larger, i.e. understanding the magnitude and relationship of numbers
- Lacking effective counting strategies
- Poor fluency in identification of numbers
- Inability to add simple single-digit numbers mentally
- Limitations in working memory capacity
Why do some students struggle with maths?
Simply performing poorly in math's does not necessarily mean that a student has a specific learning disorder in this area.
There are a number of reasons why an individual may find it more challenging to develop their numeracy skills such as:
- maths related anxiety
- learned helplessness resulting in a reduced level of practice
- less effective mathematical instruction
- memory issues
- general reading delays that make it harder for them to extract the necessary information from written questions and difficulties with organisation and planning
Many individuals who struggle with mathematics due to one of these reasons often respond quickly to targeted and more intensive support.
