Dyscalculia – The Hidden Struggle with Mathematics
প্রকাশিত হয়েছে : ০৩ ফেব্রুয়ারি ২০২৫

Mathematics is often regarded as a universal language, serving as a fundamental tool for understanding the world around us. In the UK and across the globe, it remains a core subject in education, playing a crucial role in GCSE qualifications and serving as a key entry requirement for higher education and employment. However, for some students, numbers and calculations are not just challenging but a source of significant frustration and anxiety. This struggle is not merely due to a lack of interest or perceived difficulty in mathematics; rather, it arises from a specific learning difference known as dyscalculia.
Drawing from my extensive experience as a mathematics teacher in a mainstream school in the UK and my role as a Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Ambassador, I wish to highlight key aspects of dyscalculia. Dyscalculia is a distinct area of SEND that demands attention and a deep understanding from parents, educators, and community leaders.
Many people confuse dyscalculia with dyslexia, but these are two different learning difficulties that disrupt students’ daily academic activities in distinct ways. Dyslexia primarily affects literacy skills, such as reading, writing, and spelling, making it difficult for individuals to recognise letters, decode words, and process written language. In contrast, dyscalculia specifically relates to mathematical abilities. It impacts a person’s ability to understand numbers, perform calculations, recognize numerical patterns, and grasp mathematical concepts. According to the British Dyscalculia Association, approximately 25% of people struggle with mathematical learning, with around 6% being diagnosed with dyscalculia. Unlike general mathematical learning difficulties, dyscalculia causes a severe inability to work with numbers and quantities. It is a lifelong condition that manifests differently depending on a person’s age, experiences, and opportunities.
As a mathematics teacher, my daily observations in the classroom have shown that students with dyscalculia exhibit various symptoms. These include difficulty recognising numbers and their values, struggles with basic mathematical operations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, challenges in understanding time, measurement, and monetary values, persistent reliance on finger counting beyond the expected age, inability to recognize mathematical patterns and sequences, and feelings of anxiety and frustration when faced with mathematical tasks.
Impact on Learning and Everyday Life
Dyscalculia is not confined to the classroom; it can significantly affect everyday life in ways that many people fail to recognise. Mathematical skills are essential for managing finances, understanding time, following recipes, and navigating maps. Students with dyscalculia often experience low self-confidence and anxiety, especially when their difficulties are misinterpreted as indolence or a lack of effort.
In the UK, educational institutions implement additional scaffolding and adapted learning support for students with dyscalculia to help them grasp mathematical concepts more effectively. Dyscalculia falls under the category of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and causes difficulties in recognising numbers, understanding mathematical operations, and identifying relationships between numbers. To address these challenges, teachers use step-by-step instructional strategies, incorporating visual aids, clear and repetitive explanations, and hands-on activities to enrich students’ learning experiences.
Moreover, mathematics teachers aim to reduce students’ anxiety and frustration by presenting mathematical concepts through real-life examples. Alternative assessment methods, such as oral explanations, graphic organizers, and guided instructions, are employed to help students approach mathematical problems with greater ease. Small group learning opportunities, additional time allowances, and digital tools are also used to make the learning process more inclusive and effective. The goal is to support each student’s individual learning pace and foster a positive attitude towards mathematics.
Raising Awareness and Enhancing Understanding
Although dyscalculia is a significant educational challenge, it remains widely underdiagnosed, leaving many students without the necessary support throughout their academic journey. To address this issue, it is crucial for parents, schools, teachers, and educational experts to collaborate in identifying the signs of dyscalculia and implementing effective teaching strategies. With appropriate support, students affected by dyscalculia can significantly improve their academic performance.
Increasing awareness about dyscalculia and expanding specialised training for teachers will ensure that students struggling with mathematical challenges are not left behind. By fostering an inclusive and supportive learning environment, we can empower these students to build confidence and enhance their capabilities, ultimately benefiting their academic and professional futures. Mathematical education is not just about learning arithmetic operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division—it should be accessible to everyone, regardless of learning differences, to support their daily lives and beyond. With the right approach, students with dyscalculia can develop confidence, improve their mathematical skills, and achieve success both academically and in their everyday lives.
Jamal Ahmed: A Mathematician (Currently working as a maths teacher at a Secondary School in East London).