20 Signs Your Child’s Math Struggles May Be More Serious Than You Think

Is it just math anxiety?

It’s no secret that some kids are just not very good at math. Others may experience something called math anxiety, where they feel so much pressure to succeed in math that it practically paralyzes them. But some children’s math troubles may be more serious than either of those. Those kids could have dyscalculia, a math-based learning disability, sometimes called “math dyslexia.” And experts, such as Daniel Ansari, PhD, a developmental cognitive neuroscience professor and advisor for Understood.org, say that dyscalculia is just as common as dyslexia, but far less frequently identified. So how do you know if your child might have dyscalculia? Here are 20 telltale warning signs that you should be aware of, based on your child’s age.