Awareness and perspectives of parents of children at risk of mathematics learning difficulty on the diagnostic process

This study aims to explore the awareness levels, diagnostic experiences, and support needs of families whose children are at risk for mathematics learning difficulties. Employing a phenomenological design, the research recruited seventeen parents from Van, Türkiye, representing diverse socio-economic and educational backgrounds through maximum variation sampling. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews and analyzed using content analysis. Findings indicate that mathematics learning difficulties signs are typically noticed in the first or second year of primary school, most often through vigilant classroom teachers. While families initially struggle to accept the difficulty, teacher guidance accelerates the diagnostic process. Children experience prominent challenges in number sense, multiplication and division, telling time, and money calculations—difficulties that foster anxiety, diminished self-confidence, and social exclusion. One-to-one instruction, adapted activities, and counseling services offered by schools are considered helpful, yet access and continuity remain uneven. Teachers endeavor to provide psychological as well as academic support, but cooperation with rehabilitation centers is limited. At home, families employ concrete materials, online videos, and peer assistance; however, information gaps, financial constraints, and low public awareness impede these efforts. The study recommends that policy makers enhance teacher-training programs with mathematics learning difficulties-focused modules, establish interdisciplinary support teams within schools, expand access to digital and physical learning resources, and prioritize public awareness campaigns.