The word ‘dyscalculia’ means difficulty performing math calculations. In other words, it just means ‘math difficulty’. And specifically, it means a learning disorder which affects math. Sometimes confusion arises when we start dealing with the term ‘dyscalculia’ as it relates to ‘special education services’.

There are very strict criteria (which can differ quite a bit from State to State) which determine if a student has a learning disability as it is defined by special education rules. When a student’s math difficulties are severe enough to meet this criteria, special education services are indicated. On the other hand, ‘dyscalculia’ has no clearly defined criteria. A student with any degree of math difficulty may be considered to have ‘dyscalculia’ by some educational specialists. This frequently occurs when a student receives an educational evaluation outside of the public school system.

So, being identified as having ‘dyscalculia’ may or may not indicate the need for special education services. It should be noted that some students with learning disabilities experience math difficulty and probably could be considered to have ‘dyscalculia’. However, the term is seldom used within public schools because of the lack of any strict or measurable criteria.