Research

Helping to diagnose dyscalculia

A mathematics support tutor at Loughborough has developed a special tool to give adults an indication of whether they are at risk of dyscalculia, a hidden condition resulting in poor numeracy skills.

It is estimated that between three and six percent of adults could have dyscalculia, but many remain unidentified as screening is currently only available in children. Dyscalculics face challenges each day with tasks such as household budgeting, checking change or helping children with homework.

Clare Trott from the University’s Mathematics Education Centre has been working on the new tool for a number of years, in conjunction with her colleague Nigel Beacham. Known as DisCalculiUM, the system is the UK’s first online screener, which can identify adults displaying signs of dyscalculia, enabling them to seek further help.

Through a website and manual, the system creates a profile of the user to highlight, for instance, their understanding and application of numbers.

“Although up to 60 percent of people with dyslexia have problems with maths, very little research has focused solely on dyscalculia and how it can be overcome,” explains Clare. “Recent advances in neuroscience have increased our understanding of both an individual’s numerical and mathematical processing. However, awareness of dyscalculia as a disability is still very low. DysCalculiUM will enable adults all over the UK to access the support they need.”

With the help of the University’s Enterprise Office, the project is now being rolled out commercially through assistive technology specialist iansyst Ltd and public sector service provider Tribal.