Dyscalculia

These issues are very significant, as low numeracy is linked not only to poor academic achievement and limited career opportunities, but also to an increased risk of unemployment, mental and physical illness, and higher rates of arrest and incarceration even in the presence of adequate literacy. In addition to these personal consequences, at the societal level, the estimated annual cost of low numeracy to the UK economy is around £33 billion.

What is dyscalculia?

Dyscalculia is a specific learning disability, characterised by persistent and severe difficulties in learning and understanding mathematics, despite adequate intellectual ability and age appropriate school education. Dyscalculia is a neurodevelopmental condition, which means that it has a biological basis, although environmental factors also play a role in its development. Early signs of dyscalculia are present from a young age, and problems persist, even when pupils receive high-quality specialist intervention. This does not mean that people with dyscalculia cannot improve their mathematics skills, but achieving knowledge and skills that is appropriate for the person’s age and level of education requires sustained and considerable effort and specialist support. Dyscalculia is a life-long condition, which means that it continues to have an effect on people’s everyday life when they are no longer in education. Dyscalculia also often cooccurs with other conditions (including mental health issues), which can lead to additional challenges.

Lack of diagnosis for dyscalculia 

With a prevalence of about 6%, it is likely that there is at least one child with dyscalculia in every class of 30. Nevertheless, dyscalculia is very rarely diagnosed. Although the prevalence of dyscalculia is similar to dyslexia, a dyslexic child is about a hundred times more likely to be diagnosed and to receive specialist support.  

Early identification of children at risk of dyscalculia is crucial, as early intervention could change developmental trajectories⁶. If problems persist, access to an official diagnosis is also very important. In particular, obtaining an official diagnosis can help with accessing specialist support and reasonable adjustments. A lack of diagnosis also means that dyscalculic children do not appear in official statistics, and there are no specific government-funded programmes aimed at supporting them. Once people are officially diagnosed, they can meet and share their experiences and offer community and support. Increased diagnosis rates would also accelerate research into dyscalculia, as it would help with the recruitment of dyscalculic participants for research studies. 

Lack of training for teachers and lack of specialist support

Currently, teachers do not have access to training in dyscalculia. This is the case even for secondary school teachers who specialise in mathematics teaching. We recently conducted a survey of educators in the UK, Italy, Vietnam and South Africa to assess their knowledge and awareness of dyscalculia, and their experience of relevant training⁷. Overall, 1323 educators participated in this study (607 educators from the UK) from various job roles (from Teaching Assistant to Head Teacher), from both state-funded and private schools and from early years to further education settings. Our study identified several typical knowledge gaps and misconceptions relating to dyscalculia. However, higher level of education, working in specialist inclusion and support roles, and access to relevant training were related to better knowledge and awareness of dyscalculia. By contrast, the number of years of working as an educator was unrelated to knowledge of dyscalculia, indicating that educators do not spontaneously pick up knowledge of dyscalculia while performing their daily activities, which highlights the importance of relevant training.  

In terms of the availability of training, only 24% of educators in the UK have received any training related to dyscalculia, in contrast with 61% who have had training in dyslexia, and only 5% of educators in the UK had received any pre-service training in dyscalculia. In terms of international comparisons, the availability of training in the UK was similar to Vietnam (where 16% of educators have received dyscalculia training) and South Africa (where 25% have received training).  

Training provision is also scarce for specialist dyscalculia assessment and support. Until the 2023/2024 academic year, both Edge Hill University and the University of Chester offered postgraduate courses on dyscalculia, which have now closed down due to financial pressures. Currently, only the British Dyslexia Association offers Level 2, 3, 5 and 7 eLearning courses in dyscalculia.  

No official recognition of dyscalculia Dyscalculia lacks official recognition. There is almost no mention of dyscalculia, and no relevant guidance offered to dyscalculic people, parents, carers or teachers on the Department for Education (DfE) website. There is also no major charity in the UK offering support for dyscalculia. The only relevant organisation is the Dyscalculia Network, a Community Interest Company, run on a voluntary basis by two people. Dyscalculia research is also not prioritised by major UK funding bodies. Between 2010 and 2020, the Wellcome Trust funded dyslexia by £3m and dyscalculia £1m; UKRI 2005-2019 funded dyslexia with £107m and dyscalculia £23m⁸.  

The educational importance of reading and literacy is emphasised from the start of primary school. This is also strengthened by the provision of a Phonics Screening Check in Year 1, whereas there is no equivalent early screener for maths. In contrast, GCSE Maths is used as a gatekeeper for accessing various professional qualifications. Every year, a third of pupils in England fail GCSE Maths, and few improve when they retake their exams⁹. In addition to demonstrating issues with the current system in addressing low numeracy levels in the general population, using GCSE Maths as a requirement for a variety of professional qualifications (where often very limited use of mathematics is needed) discriminates against dyscalculic people, and further limits their educational and career prospects.

Policy recommendations

• Offer official recognition of dyscalculia, and publish guidance and support materials on the DfE website.
• Raise awareness of dyscalculia, and train education professionals and educational psychologists (ideally, already as part of pre-service training) in what dyscalculia is, and how to support it. To promote access to work and equality in healthcare settings, training is also needed for people in other professional roles.
• Promote the use of reliable screening tools for identifying pupils at risk of dyscalculia from the start of education, and provide access to targeted, specialist support for pupils with mathematics difficulties, regardless of diagnostic status. Early screening for mathematics learning difficulties should be provided, possibly in a similar format to the Year 1 Phonics Screening Check.
• Reconsider using GCSE Maths as a gatekeeper to access various university courses and professional qualifications. Offer alternative provisions for learning essential mathematics that is specific to each profession.
• Increase funding for dyscalculia research to match the funding for other developmental conditions (e.g., dyslexia, which has a similar prevalence, and comparable significance for educational and career prospects).