Show Notes
If you've searched for dyscalculia online, you've likely come away more confused than when you started. There are different sources, different definitions and some of them even seem to contradict each other. This episode explains why that is, and gives you the definition most assessors in England work from.
I set out what dyscalculia is, how it sits within the broader picture of specific learning difficulties (SpLD) in maths and why the distinction between the two is important for seeking the right support. I also explain what numerical magnitude processing is, why it's the foundation dyscalculia difficulties sit on and what that looks like in practice.
We cover: Why definitions of dyscalculia vary so much, and the different frameworks (DSM-5, WHO, SASC) behind that variation The specific differences between a ‘Specific Learning Difficulty (SpLD) in Maths’ and ‘Dyscalculia’, and why SASC describes both as "equally debilitating" What numerical magnitude processing actually means and why our sense of quantity has much older evolutionary roots than school maths The specific areas dyscalculia can show up in such as naming and ordering numbers, estimation, place value and counting Why maths-specific language and vocabulary add another layer of difficulty on top of the numbers themselves A practical framework for observing what's actually going on for your child, whatever label does or doesn't apply yet
There's a practical takeaway at the end, and a companion guide to help you put it into practice with your own child.
Companion guide: https://learn.aedds.co.uk/cgsu
Reference: Lorenzi, E., Kobylkov, D., & Vallortigara, G. (2025). Is there an innate sense of number in the brain? Cerebral Cortex, 35(2).
Next episode: Why homework becomes a battle – why this is often one of the most exhausting parts of having a child who struggles with maths, and what might help.
More from Safety in Numbers: For Parents of Children with Maths Difficulties
"What does this mean for my child's future?" is one of the first questions parents ask once dyscalculia is properly on their radar.
Maths conversations at home can turn into battlegrounds without either parent or child quite knowing how it happened. In this episode, I look at what's really going on underneath those difficult conversations and why the goal isn't getting one conversation right, but understanding what every conversation is building over time.
If you've ever left a parents' evening reassured, only to watch your child struggle just as much at home the following week, this episode is for you. I look at why "my child is getting support" and "my child's support is actually working" aren't the same thing, and what tends to get in the way of the second one, without any of it being anyone's fault. I also cover the different, less obvious shapes a maths difficulty can take at school: the helpful child, the funny one, the child who's called lazy or easily distracted, and why a parent is often the one person who can see what's really going on underneath.
Your child can do the method at home. They can explain it, work through it calmly, get the right answer. Then in class, or in a test, or the moment they're put on the spot, it disappears.
If your child still uses their fingers to work out maths, you may have wondered whether they should have grown out of it by now.