Dyscalculia in the Workplace
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Many of us feel uncomfortable when we think back to our maths lessons at school. I certainly have no recollection of how to do long division or trigonometry, but for most of us this doesn’t make much difference to our daily lives.
Now imagine if you were unable to easily tell the time, count out change at the supermarket or follow the numbers in a spreadsheet at work. It could affect your day-to-day, undermine your confidence and lead others to make (totally unjustified) judgments about your intelligence.
These are some of the challenges that may be experienced by the 3-6% of the population (1) who have dyscalculia, a neurodifference that affects the ability to acquire arithmetical skills. Some individuals with dyscalculia can have difficulty understanding simple number concepts and performing accurate mathematical calculations, lack an intuitive grasp of numbers, and have problems learning number facts and procedures.
Strengths
Individuals with dyscalculia often possess sought-after skills which make them a great asset to employers. These include real strengths in strategic and holistic thinking, problem-solving, creativity and the use of language. There is therefore a business imperative, as well as a moral and social case, for ensuring that dyscalculic individuals are empowered to utilize these skills at work and supported to address the challenges they face.
Commonly associated strengths of individuals with Dyscalculia
Dyscalculia and Co-occurance
Dyscalculia frequently co-occurs with other neurodifferences. For example, around half of children with dyscalculia also have dyslexia (2), and dyscalculia is present in about 11% of children with ADHD (3). Although it can be diagnosed in childhood, many individuals reach adulthood before being diagnosed, which can mean that they don’t receive the additional support they need during their education.
Dyscalculia in the Workplace
If you have a team member with dyscalculia, you can empower and support them by taking a strengths-based approach – ensuring that both of you understand their strengths and figuring out together how these can be best utilized within their role. It is important not to make assumptions about what support or adjustments will benefit a particular individual. Listen to their views and if they are unsure, a workplace needs assessment can help to identify the adjustments that are most appropriate for them, in the context of their specific job role.
Whilst everyone is different, some examples of adjustments and support that individuals with dyscalculia often find useful are as follows:
Ensuring that you minimise on-the-spot demands, especially if these demands involve numbers.
Presenting numbers using a chunking technique. The chunking technique uses bullet points to divide critical information into digestible chunks. These digestible chunks help to structure information.
Presenting numbers in a visual way, such as using colours. This can help to ensure the information is bite size and easily digestible.
Encouraging regular breaks when the individual is dealing with numbers, such as transferring data from one spreadsheet to another. After a break, looking at the numbers with fresh eyes may help with spotting unintended errors.
Ensuring written instructions follow any verbal instructions.
It is also important to consider the culture in your team and wider organisation. What messages do your organisational priorities, ways of working, recruitment and talent management practices send to employees (or potential recruits) with dyscalculia or other neurodifferences? How likely is it that they will feel safe to disclose their neurodifference without fear of discrimination or disadvantage, and what barriers might they face in fulfilling their potential?
Getting support
Here at Lexxic we are passionate about creating a world where all minds belong and have been on a mission to do so for the past 15 years. We would love to partner with you to turn this vision into a reality in your organisation. Creating a neuroinclusive organisation can increase productivity, innovation, employee engagement and attraction and retention of talent, so it is the smart thing to do, as well as the right thing to do.
Find out more about our psychological support services for neurodivergent talent, our education and awareness offer for teams across your organisation, and our Neurodiversity Smart psychological consultancy services today!
Become a Neurodiversity Smart organisation today, enquire today:
References
Shalev, R.S., Auerbach, J., Manor, O. et al. Developmental dyscalculia: prevalence and prognosis. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry 9, S58–S64 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/s007870070009
Morsanyi, K., van Bers, B., McCormack, T., & McGourty, J. (2018). The prevalence of specific learning disorder in mathematics and comorbidity with other developmental disorders in primary school-age children. British journal of psychology (London, England : 1953), 109(4), 917–940. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjop.12322
Soares, N., & Patel, D. R. (2015). Dyscalculia. International Journal of Child and Adolescent Health. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2015-29454-003