Abstract
The article argues for the avoidance of terms related to learning difficulties in mathematics which, like “dyscalculia”, suggest the presence of a disease or disorder. On the one hand, studies that provide clear evidence that mathematics learning difficulties depend in particular on how children are taught mathematics argue against such a “medical paradigm”. The article reports on some of the main findings of such studies. On the other hand, as this article will try to show, the term “dyscalculia” is conceptually deficient, and a certain type of research on dyscalculia is fundamentally flawed in that it does not investigate mathematical learning, but rather its preconditions. Finally, the possible negative consequences of labelling children as dyscalculic and the responsibilities of teachers and the school system are discussed.