Mathematical Learning Difficulties and Dyscalculia

Terms such as “Mathematical Learning Disability,” “Developmental Dyscalculia (DD),” but also “Mathematical Learning Disorder” and “Mathematical Learning Difficulty”1 are originated in the field of cognitive psychology in order to investigate the development of basic number processing. These terms are introduced referring to atypical situations, defined as a presence of various cognitive deficits in a student’s processing of numerical information that lead to persistent and pervasive difficulties with mathematics. The issues of diagnosis of a Mathematical Learning Disorder and instruction for the students with a positive diagnosis are getting increasing research attention; however research in this area is still lagging behind compared with other academic subjects such as reading. Generally, the clinical context lacks attention toward the important theoretical perspectives that should guide any form of educational support aimed at prevention or remediation of MLD. In the following sections, we will introduce the main perspectives, other than the purely cognitive ones, taken in mathematics education to study MLD, focusing in particular on findings on prevention and remediation. We will conclude with considerations on the possibility of fostering more constructive collaboration across the research communities studying MLD.