Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government why dyscalculia is not included in the NHS A-Z Conditions, while dyslexia and dyspraxia are included.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Dyscalculia is a learning difficulty that affects the ability to use and acquire mathematical skills. We want all children who struggle with maths or any other subject to be able to receive the appropriate support so they can succeed in their education. The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Code of Practice is clear that meeting the needs of a child or young person with special educational needs and/or a disability does not require a diagnostic label or test.

NHS England advises that the NHS.UK website is not intended to cover every condition, treatment, or service the National Health Service provides. If something is not currently covered, it does not mean the NHS does not recognise it. The key factors considered include:

• public demand, for instance through search engine activity;
• suitability for a national audience;
• prevalence of the condition or symptom;
• whether other trusted organisations, for instance charities, are better placed to provide this information; and
• NHS England’s ability to clinically assure and maintain the content over time

NHS England appreciates the importance of providing information for conditions like dyscalculia and will continue to review and assess requests to ensure the NHS website best serves the needs of the public.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government why educational psychologists are not required to learn about dyscalculia as part of their training, but they are required to learn about dyslexia.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Educational psychologists play a critical role in the support available to children and young people, including those with special educational needs and disabilities. That is why we are already investing over £21 million to train 400 more educational psychologists over two cohorts, starting their studies in 2024 and 2025. This is in addition to the £10 million currently being invested in the training of over 200 educational psychologists who began their training in September 2023.

The Educational Psychology Funded Training scheme is a three-year doctorate programme delivered by universities on behalf of the department. The courses are approved by the Health and Care Professions Council and accredited by the British Psychological Society, who set programme content requirements. The curriculum includes 'individual differences in Maths difficulties', which we expect would cover conditions such as dyscalculia.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to close the research funding gap between dyscalculia and dyslexia, where the funding for dyscalculia research is significantly lower than that of dyslexia, despite research suggesting that the two conditions have comparable prevalence rates and life consequences.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The department does not fund specific standalone research into either dyscalculia or dyslexia

Recently published evidence reviews from University College London ‘Identifying and supporting children and young people with cognition and learning needs: a rapid evidence review’ will help to drive inclusive practices as they highlight what the best available evidence suggests are the most effective tools, strategies and approaches for teachers and other relevant staff in mainstream settings to identify and support children and young people (0-25) with different types of needs. This report is attached.

In addition, the What Works in SEND research programme, led by a research team from University of Warwick and supported by special educational needs and disabilities academics from the University of Birmingham, is researching tools settings can use to identify the needs of neurodivergent children and young people.

Both of these programmes will support the teaching of children with special educational needs, including dyscalculia.

Found: Letter dated 10/11/2025 from Baroness Smith of Malvern to Baroness Bull regarding data collected by the