Dyscalculia is a neurological difference and specific learning disability that affects a person’s ability to grasp fundamental number concepts and number relationships. This affects not only their performance in maths, but also other subjects (e.g. order of events in history), and their everyday lives in areas such as managing their finances and time. Despite having a prevalence rate similar to that of dyslexia and ADHD, and high rates of co-occurrence, dyscalculia is often underrecognized and underdiagnosed compared to other neurodivergent conditions.
I became interested in dyscalculia when I encountered my first dyscalculic student. Having grown up with a natural aptitude in maths, I found it confounding to meet a secondary student for whom numbers just didn’t make sense. They could memorise formulas and procedures and carry them out mechanically, but would make mistakes or be stumped by basic arithmetic. Rather than writing off the student as just being “bad at math”, I went down a rabbit hole trying to understand why their brain was so different, and how to help. This led to me completing the Certificate in Dyscalculia and Maths Learning Difficulties; Support and Intervention by the British Dyslexia Association.
Specialist support and intervention
I am currently qualified as a specialist tutor to provide support and intervention for learners with dyscalculia or other maths related difficulties. The intervention I provide helps learners develop a relational understanding of number concepts using the Concrete, Pictorial, Abstract (CPA) approach and multisensory techniques, and rebuild their confidence in maths. Dyscalculia intervention is curriculum independent, and starts where the learner's current understanding breaks down, which is often much earlier in the curriculum than where they are expected to be.
The teaching strategies and approaches I use will benefit any learner who is struggling with maths, regardless of whether they have a dyscalculia diagnosis. If your child is experiencing unexpected difficulties with maths and can benefit from specialist support, do get in touch.
