Change Your Perspective: It's Just Dyscalculia

The ERASMUS+ project 'Change your perspective: It's Just Dyscalculia' is located in the field of school education. It focuses on the development, testing and evaluation of a curriculum as well as face-to-face and online courses for dealing with dyscalculia. Dyscalculia is a pronounced impairment of mathematical thinking or calculation skills. The project has a duration of 24 months. The project language is English.

According to Butterworth/Varma/Laurillard, dyscalculia occurs in five to seven percent of the world's population. Dyscalculia is an arithmetic disorder that is not thought to be curable. According to the WHO, it is internationally recognized as a mental illness.

Numbers are perceived as symbols rather than units of measure. Affected people often suffer throughout their lives in school, work and other life contexts from major difficulties in dealing with numbers, arithmetic and mathematics in general. The practical handling of quantities such as money, time, lengths and weights is also more difficult.

Adequate school support for those affected can certainly lead to great progress.

Early diagnosis of dyscalculia is important, not only with regard to school, but also for the transition to the world of work. The aim is to provide the affected person with adequate support. This helps to close gaps in knowledge quickly so that the affected pupil can keep up with lessons.

Those affected face the challenge of finding an environment that matches their skills and strengths and in which dyscalculia does not have such a restrictive effect, especially when choosing a career. Social professions, professions with animals and creative professions can offer certain opportunities here.

With regard to dealing with dyscalculia, support should always be symptom-specific. This means that the support should directly address the respective difficulties and also incorporate the strengths of those affected.