Is It Math Anxiety or Dyscalculia?
Math is one of those subjects that divides people. Either you’re a “math person” or you’re not. You love it or you hate it. Whichever camp you fall into, having a child who struggles with math can be overwhelming at times. Homework sessions are tear-filled, they just don’t “get it” no matter how many times their teacher or you try to explain it, and you are left to wonder if something else is going on. Both math anxiety and dyscalculia are extremely common learning challenges that impact individuals of all ages. Here are some ways to tell the difference:
What Is Math Anxiety?
Math anxiety is a feeling of fear, anxiousness, tension, or self-doubt when it comes specifically to completing math tasks. It is extremely common—some estimates even show that a majority of US individuals face some level of apprehension or anxiety when it comes to even basic math.
Math anxiety doesn’t always impact performance. Up to 4 out of 5 individuals who report math anxiety are actually average-to-high math performers. They just dislike these tasks greatly and feel overwhelming fear and stress when it comes to these tasks.
What Is Dyscalculia?
It is a neurological disorder sometimes called “math dyslexia” that affects a person’s ability to understand and process mathematical information, regardless of their intelligence level or motivation.
According to one researcher, “One of the theories that exists is that dyscalculia is really caused by an impairment in what’s known as either the number sense or the approximate number system. And that system is what allows us to know that, for example, a group of five apples is more than three apples. It allows us to compare, and order, and process quantities without the use of verbal symbols or labels.”
Individuals with dyscalculia may be average or above average intelligence, but they just don’t get numbers. They have trouble finishing patterns. They don’t intuitively understand sequencing, comparisons, and other mathematical concepts. Because of weaknesses or differences in key areas of their brain, dyscalculic students struggle to grasp even the most basic of math concepts.
How to Tell If It’s Math Anxiety or Dyscalculia
Both math anxiety and dyscalculia may not be primarily “math” issues: they are brain differences. The way the brain handles math tasks relies on a core set of thinking and learning skills. If any of these skills are inefficient or weak, math tasks are going to be harder than for others.
Here are some questions to consider when you’re trying to determine which of these struggles your child is facing:
- When does it hit? If it’s before the math task is even started, it’s likely math anxiety. If it’s during the tasks themselves, there may be some element of dyscalculia.
- What does the resistance to math look like? Is it fear/stress/anxiousness or is it puzzlement? If it’s the former, math anxiety could be the reason, but if they just simply don’t get it (even on basic levels), it may be dyscalculia.
- Does it carry over into day-to-day life? While both math anxiety and dyscalculia could impact real life situations outside of math class, dyscalculia has a much larger hold on the brain’s abilities than math anxiety would. If your child has basic awareness of number concepts during play, cooking, hobbies, sports, etc., it is more likely to be math anxiety. But if they struggle in even these contexts, dyscalculia is a possibility.
Building Math Skills Regardless of a Diagnosis
At LearningRx, we believe in looking at the learner beneath the labels. Yes, we will take into account outside diagnoses—but they don’t change our approach. Instead of treating the symptoms (learning struggles) with accommodations or explanations, we look at the root cause: the brain.
All learning happens through efficient cognitive function, and math is no different. Whether your child has dyscalculia, math anxiety, or just struggles more than peers in this area, we are here to help.
Building attention, working memory, logic, number awareness, and more core learning skills has helped thousands of individuals grow in confidence and ability in math performance. Between 2010 and 2018, more than 3,500 students completed our math program and improved math skills by 3.2 years on average!
These included individuals with diagnoses like dyscalculia, dyslexia, ADHD, and other learning struggles. Regardless of diagnosis, your brain has the ability to grow and change—and we are here to help!
