Mathematics is about measuring change in an ordered and sequential fashion. However, people with dyscalculia often don’t have a solid grasp of the concepts of change, consequence, time, sequence, order, and disorder, so their ability to understand and use math concepts will be limited to memorization of facts, procedures, and formulae. In many cases, people with dyscalculia will also have dyslexia, and those who have dyslexia will often have difficulty with maths, even if it isn’t dyscalculia.

Dyscalculia affects people of all ages, genders, and backgrounds and has nothing to do with intelligence. People with high, average, and low IQs can struggle with dyscalculia, and it can impact day-to-day activities such as cooking, counting money, grocery shopping, and getting to places on time. As research into dyscalculia is still relatively limited, many people are living with dyscalculia under the assumption that they’re ‘stupid’ or just bad at maths. Many cases of dyscalculia aren’t discovered until the individual is well into adolescence or adulthood. At Master Dyslexia, I believe it’s important for people to recognize the signs of dyscalculia, so those struggling with the condition can seek dyscalculia treatment and support earlier in their education.

The resulting negative emotional reactions and increasing sense of frustration can lead to low self-esteem and the adoption of survival-based cover-up and coping solutions. Examples include day-dreaming, dependence on others,  acting out, class clown and becoming quiet. An example of the confusion and disorientation dyslexics can feel when looking at 2-D symbols is like when you jump off a merry-go-round – you have stopped spinning, but the world keeps on spinning for a while. Your brain is not receiving accurate information about what is happening to you and around you. This can result in you feeling confused, dizzy, nauseous, unbalanced, even ill. You have just experienced the feeling of dyslexia.