Number Challenges: Dyscalculia in Adult Education

When teaching in adult education, instructors may encounter students who have particular challenges with math and numeracy. Many factors might explain why some students struggle with making sense of math concepts significantly more than others, including a specific learning disorder called dyscalculia.

What is dyscalculia?

Similar to dyslexia – which is related to reading – dyscalculia is a specific learning disorder that affects how the brain processes numbers and quantities. One of the most commonly used diagnostic criteria is the DSM – the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. It’s now in its fifth edition, published by the American Psychiatric Association.

In the DSM-5, dyscalculia is defined as:

A neurodevelopmental disorder of biological origin manifested in learning difficulty and problems in acquiring academic skills markedly below age level and manifested in the early school years, lasting for at least 6 months; not attributed to intellectual disabilities, developmental disorders, or neurological or motor disorders. 

This brief video gives a wonderful overview of dyscalculia (note the British pronunciation!)

A few things to know:

• 5-10% of the population may have dyscalculia.
• It is believed dyscalculia is grossly underdiagnosed due to a lack of understanding of the disability.
• Many people with dyscalculia have other cognitive impairments.
• 20-60% of people with dyscalculia have other diagnosed conditions like dyslexia.
• There may be a connection between dyscalculia and the inability to read music.

Want to learn more?

Next steps for you:

First, take time to view the first ATLAS webinar on this topic from February 2024, with Justine Hill (DOC-Faribault).

Next, plan to join us at our next Dyscalculia Webinar on February 6, 2025, from 2:30-4:00 pm CST!

• REGISTER NOW >>

Presenting in February are your MN Adult Education colleagues Justine Hill (Faribault DOC) and Genna Hart (Project for Pride in Living).