Dyscalculia is a learning disorder related to difficulties in understanding and applying numbers, calculations, and mathematical operations.

Main characteristics of dyscalculia:

• Difficulty remembering number sequences (e.g., phone numbers, dates)
• Difficulty understanding quantity relationships (“more,” “less”)
• Difficulty performing simple addition or subtraction without assistance
• Difficulty learning the multiplication table
• Difficulty telling time on a clock
• Difficulty using money or correctly calculating change

Neurological basis

Dyscalculia is associated with specific features of brain functioning. The areas responsible for numerical perception and quantitative analysis are affected.

Signs of dyscalculia in children:

• Reverses numbers (e.g., writes 51 instead of 15)
• Always uses fingers to count
• Gets confused with hours, days, and dates
• Has low performance in mathematics while showing significantly higher achievement in other subjects

How to help

First and foremost, it is important to encourage the child and praise even small successes.
Do not get upset when the child uses their fingers to count — instead, you can draw colored circles, sticks, and other visual aids on paper.

It is important to develop visual perception, as their thinking is often image-based. Graphic materials, diagrams, and color schemes are helpful tools.

Speech therapy and neuropsychological interventions are used to overcome dyscalculia, helping to develop the child’s spatial thinking, memory, and attention.

 

12 November 2025, Wednesday