Video

What Dyscalculia Really Means

Dyscalculia is a relatively new topic that has captivated many families in the world. It refers to an inability to do basic math, similar to how dyslexia affects reading.

Laura Lurns Last updated February 19, 2025 · 1 min read

In this video, Dr. Daniel Ansari explains how dyscalculia is often first detected when young students struggle with math-related subjects in school. Often, they fail to identify the quantitative, spatial, and sequential relationships between objects. Struggles like these, in turn, lead to difficulties with simple arithmetic.

Dr. Ansari argues that the underpinning difficulty of dyscalculia is the inability to understand quantity. For instance, a child with developmental dyscalculia will not be able to determine which of two (or three or four, etc) numbers is larger or smaller than the other. It is not only the inability to identify the quantity of something, but also the numeric relationships between entities which defines dyscalculia.

Key takeaways

Get a clear cut definition of Dyscalculia for students now in the classroom.
Teachers are an excellent resource when it comes to dyscalculia on the whole.
The learning difference could prevent students from understanding basic math concepts.

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Laura Lurns · Learning Success expert Writes about the learning brain for parents who want plain answers. Every article is grounded in current neuroscience and classroom practice.

Key takeaways

Is your child struggling in school?

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