U2’s Larry Mullen Jr shares dyscalculia diagnosis

Posted On December 16, 2024December 16, 2024

U2’s Larry Mullen Jr has revealed that he has been diagnosed with dyscalculia. Dyscalculia is a form of dyslexia; however, rather than impacting his ability with letters; instead, it affects his comprehension of various numbers. 

The 63-year-old, who is the drummer in U2 and one of the band’s founding members, recently explained the difficulties he faces when dealing with numbers. “Counting bars is like climbing Everest,” he said when discussing his diagnosis publicly for the very first time. Mullen explained that he has always struggled with counting and adding numbers; however, he wasn’t previously aware that this was the result of a learning difficulty.

He spoke in depth about his diagnosis. “I’ve always known that there’s something not particularly right with the way that I deal with numbers. I’m numerically challenged,” he said during an interview with Times Radio, “And I realised recently that I have dyscalculia, which is a sub-version of dyslexia. So I can’t count, I can’t add.” 

Mullen isn’t on his own with this diagnosis, as according to the British Dyslexia Association, about six per cent of people around the world suffer from dyscalculia. The official definition of the disorder is that it is a specific and persistent difficulty in understanding numbers. This can lead to a wide-ranging number of difficulties surrounding mathematics.

One of the major impacts that his dyscalculia has is that it impacts his ability as a drummer. Mullen said, “When people watch me play sometimes, they say, ‘You look pained’.” He clarified, “I am pained because I’m trying to count the bars. I had to find a way of doing this.” 

Despite his difficulties with numbers and counting bars, Mullen has confirmed that he is in the studio with U2 working on new material, which is a departure from their usual sound. “I don’t think it will be what we normally do,” he said, “I would hope it would be something different […] But I’m excited to get back in some capacity.” 

What is dyscalculia?

Dyscalculia is described by the British Dyslexia Association as “a specific and persistent difficulty in understanding numbers which can lead to a diverse range of difficulties with mathematics.” The association also confirms that the disorder can be unexpected regardless of the person’s age, experience and level of education. It occurs across all different age ranges and abilities. 

Several factors can contribute to people’s struggles with mathematics. Dyscalculia falls at one end of the spectrum and can be identified because of the severity of the difficulties people have. It can occur as a separate disorder but can also be combined with other learning difficulties, medical conditions, and mathematics anxiety. 

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