Professional development

Dyscalculia (specific learning disorder in mathematics) is a condition that affects about 6% of the school-age population. Although dyscalculia is as prevalent as dyslexia, and it can seriously affect people’s life chances and it is often neglected by both educational professionals and policymakers. Currently, in the UK (and in many other countries), a diagnosis of dyscalculia is very rare, and educational support and official recognition is lacking. This video presents information about the typical symptoms of dyscalculia, and how our views about dyscalculia and diagnostic approaches have changed in recent years. We talk about the cognitive profiles of dyscalculic learners and cover some of the theories related to these cognitive differences.

Dr Kinga Morsanyi is a Senior Lecturer in Mathematical Cognition at Loughborough University. She has a broad range of research interests, which lie at the intersection of research into mathematical cognition, and reasoning and decision making. Currently, one of her main research interests is dyscalculia (specific learning disorder in mathematics). Dr Morsanyi is researching the cognitive profile of individuals with dyscalculia, the demographic risk and protective factors, typical symptoms (including problems in everyday settings), and co-morbidity with other developmental disorders. She is also leading the development of an app (Numeralis), which involves a standardised screening instrument for dyscalculia and tasks to assess the broader cognitive profile of learners. Dr Morsanyi is associate editor or editorial board member of several academic journals, member of the UK Young Academy, and advisory board member of the Dyscalculia Network.

Ages: Primary, Secondary, Early years, Higher education