Is dyscalculia affecting the way you spend – and save?
Do you have dyscalculia? Or perhaps you think you have it, but you haven’t yet been diagnosed with the condition.
Dyscalculia is described by many as ‘numbers dyslexia’ – and it could affect the way you view, spend and save money. In this – the latest article here on the Knowledge Hub of our site, we focus on dyscalculia and some of the challenges people with the condition face.
What is dyscalculia?
It’s a learning disorder which affects an individual’s ability to understand number-based information and maths.
Dyscalculia, states British Dyslexia Association, is ‘unexpected in relation to age, level of education and experience and occurs across all ages and abilities.’
Dyscalculia signs include difficulties relating to:
- Counting backwards
- Breaking down problems (into multiple steps) in order to solve them
- Measuring items and quantities (while cooking or baking, for example)
- Solving word problems
- Using money to pay for items
- Exchanging notes for coins (and vice versa)
- Counting change
- Understanding and converting fractions.
Dyscalculia signs depend on which parts of the process a person struggles with most. It can also depend on the person’s age and the situations they encounter most often.
How might dyscalculia affect people with the condition?
Laura Parker, a senior content designer who runs the website, Accessible Numbers, has been extremely vocal on LinkedIn about her experience of the condition, particularly with regards to banking.
In a post on the social network, she discussed how dyscalculia has impacted her mental health. She wrote: ‘I got my first bank account when I was 16 years old. You had to go to the cash machine to get money back then, but I routinely got my PIN number wrong.
‘I had to request a new card so often that my account was flagged as fraudulent and locked down. For a while, I had no access to my money. Because I was refused a bank account with one provider, I struggled to get another one… And it spiralled from there. You can only get paid when you have a bank account.’
Laura, who says she’s ‘dyscalculic, has low numeracy skills and high anxiety’, went on to say that she still obsesses over PIN numbers and security codes, ‘sometimes checking up to 10 times to make sure I have the number correct’. Today, she’s a huge advocate for others with dyscalculia, and is on a mission to change the landscape for those with the condition – follow her via LinkedIn to see how she’s getting on.
She tells us: “Managing money is a mystery to me. I've lost thousands from overpaying bills, not spotting mistakes on receipts, sending the wrong amount of money to people and getting into unnecessary debt. Feeling like your finances are out of control is distressing.”
She goes on to say that banks and financial organisations should promote financial inclusion by presenting numbers clearly.
“They should prioritise user research with people like me and iterate based on feedback.” says Laura, adding: “When the numbers in financial services are not accessible, it can have serious consequences. It could mean the difference between people getting the help they need or not.”
What if you’re yet to be diagnosed with dyscalculia?
Characteristics of people with maths learning difficulties which can also be found in learners with dyscalculia include (but are not limited to) difficulties understanding some maths concepts, such as fractions and percentages.
People with the condition may also have difficulties with sequencing and pattern spotting, and difficulties with short term, working and long-term memory.
There are many more identifying signs, which can be found here – and if you feel you have dyscalculia but are yet to receive a diagnosis, it could be worth chatting to your GP in the first instance. British Dyslexia Association also suggests arranging a dyslexia assessment – head here for a directory of local dyslexia associations.
Here at Unity Mutual, we’re on hand to support anyone who may require extra help when banking with us. We’re real people; rest assured that when you contact us, you won’t be speaking to an automated system – we’re here and we’re ready to help you get to grips with anything that’s proving a challenge with regards to saving money.
Need help understanding your statements or other literature we supply? Do not hesitate to get in touch with our team – and reach out if we can help in any other way.
Until next time…
