What is Dyscalculia?

In this video we get back to the basics with a simple definition of dyscalculia.

Video transcript

"What is dyscalculia?"

Dyscalculia is a learning disability. It is often diagnosed as "a specific learning disability with an impairment in math."

Oftentimes, people get confused and asked, "Is dyscalculia a certain type of math learning disability?"

No. Dyscalculia IS the term we use to refer to having a math learning disability. Similarly we use the word “dyslexia” to talk about having a specific learning disability with struggles in language.

So dyscalculia is a learning disability, but I don't love the term "learning" because I think it makes us think this only happens in school, it only affects people when they're learning. When in fact, dyscalculia impacts one's entire life. It is not something that you grow out of, it is not something that goes away. It is something that impacts students and teens and adults.

Dyscalculia is also a neurological difference. This means it is a difference in the brain, the part of your brain that processes and calculations and numbers. It's firing differently. So dyscalculia is not something caused by lack of education, or because you're not smart, or because you didn't have a good math teacher. It's the way you were wired. It is often hereditary, meaning your family members could have had it, or sometimes it's developed in really early infancy.

How many people does dyscalculia impact? Well it impacts more than you think. It impacts about five percent (5%) or more of the population. They estimate somewhere between three and eight percent (3-8%). So another way to think about that is one person of every twenty people you know is dyscalculic. In the classroom that looks like 1-2 students in every classroom. So it's a lot more than you imagine.

To learn more about dyscalculia, including the signs and symptoms, visit this page on my website.

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