What is dyscalculia? Tara Sutaria opens up about her math-learning disability

Tara Sutaria recently opened up about living with dyscalculia, a learning disability that can make it difficult to understand, process and work with numbers. While talking about financial literacy in an August 28 interview with Hauterrfly, the Toxic actor revealed that she often makes mistakes when attempting calculations. As a result, she relies on her father and accounts team to help her navigate financial decisions and manage her finances.

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The 30-year-old star said, “I am lucky because my dad really helps me with that. It’s very important to know everything about your bank work, your paperwork, how to really take care of your finances as a woman. I try to understand as much as I can but I have a learning disability, a maths learning disability , called dyscalculia. I try, but more often than not I make a mistake. So I need my team, I have my accounts team and all of that – they look into everything.”

According to the Cleveland Clinic , dyscalculia is a learning disorder that affects a person’s ability to understand and perform mathematical tasks. Similar to how dyslexia affects brain areas involved in reading, dyscalculia impacts regions responsible for processing numbers and mathematical concepts. While signs of the condition typically emerge during childhood, some adults may have dyscalculia without ever being diagnosed.

People who have dyscalculia struggle with numbers and math because their brains don’t process math-related concepts like the brains of people without this disorder. However, their struggles don’t mean they’re less intelligent or less capable than people who don’t have dyscalculia. The learning disability can also take an emotional toll, with some people experiencing anxiety, depression or other distressing feelings when faced with mathematical tasks.

Symptoms of dyscalculia can vary between children and adults and may present differently depending on the individual. According to the Learning Disabilities Association of America , some common signs and symptoms of the condition in children and adults include:

Adults with the disability may have difficulty in one or more of the following tasks:

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. It is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.

Eshana Saha is a fresh face in lifestyle and cultural journalism, bringing a refined, multidisciplinary perspective to the intersection of entertainment, fashion and holistic wellbeing. With less than a year of professional experience, she has quickly adapted to high-pressure editorial environments and currently works full-time with HT Media. Prior to this, she interned for nearly six months with Hindustan Times’ entertainment and lifestyle vertical, where she gained hands-on experience in digital reporting, trend analysis and editorial storytelling.