Number difficulties more common than dyslexia

The number of people struggling to deal with numbers and maths is much higher than previously thought, according to a professor at University College London.

A new study found that 3%-6% of 1,500 children in Cuba showed signs of dyscalculia – the maths equivalent of dyslexia - compared to 2.5% who had dyslexic symptoms.

Professor Butterworth, a dyscalculia expert at the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience at University College London, said that more attention needs to be paid to the condition in order for sufferers to get help.

He told the Cheltenham Science Festival: "Increasingly the evidence shows dyscalculia is just as common as dyslexia and yet it is not recognised nearly as widely by teachers, parents, schools, local authorities or central government.

"Many individuals may be unaware they have this condition and even if they discover that they do, there are no dyscalculia charities to assist them as there are for dyslexia."

Dyscalculia is an innate condition by which sufferers do not have the ability to understand mathematical problems.

Professor Butterworth has developed a screening system to identify dyscalculia, and believes screening should be carried out in young children.