Struggling with maths? Maybe it's dyscalculia

The learning difficulty is frequently underdiagnosed and can be mistaken for other conditions like dyslexia or ADHD

- Jane Ng Senior Correspondent

When Mr Jason Wang's daughter failed all her tests in Primary 3, he was worried and got her tuition for all the subjects.

When her grades did not improve by the end of that year, Mr Wang, 48, who is head of Asia-Pacific in a fintech company, started to help her in mathematics and noticed that she was not able to grasp the basic patterns of numbers.

He shared her struggles with a friend in 2024, and she mentioned the term "dyscalculia" and explained that it is like dyslexia, but for numbers.

It was the first time he had heard of the term and he decided to get his daughter tested.

In January, the girl who is now 11 and in Primary 5, was diagnosed with dyscalculia, a learning difficulty that affects understanding and working with numbers.

Says Mr Wang: "It affirmed what I had been suspecting, and it was a relief that it wasn't her attitude towards learning that was the problem."

He has been looking for suitable support outside of school to help with her condition.

"It took some trial and error to find the right fit for her learning style. Building rapport and chemistry with the educator has been key to helping her make progress," he adds.

He wishes there could be more help for kids with learning difficulties. "We have Ministry of Education centres for third languages. Can we have MOE centres to help kids with learning difficulties for all subjects? No child wants to fail," he says.

POSSIBLE SIGNS OF DYSCALCULIA

According to research, dyscalculia affects an estimated 3 to 7 per cent of the population.

Educational psychologist Helmy Faber has more than 20 years of experience working with students who have learning or developmental disorders.

She says the condition is frequently underdiagnosed, as many children's difficulties are attributed to dyslexia or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) instead.