Acquiring mathematics knowledge in early childhood education is complex and challenging. Some children struggle with learning Mathematics. This study aimed to identify factors affecting the teaching and learning of mathematics in early childhood education. This study employed a qualitative approach to collect data through classroom observations and interviews. Interviews were conducted with teachers, doctors, and educational psychologists, and focus group discussions involving learners. The study aimed to understand teachers' difficulties in teaching mathematics and explore the factors influencing learners' ability to learn mathematics. The study found that neurodivergent learners face challenges acquiring arithmetic skills in a classroom setting. These difficulties arise from a curriculum that does not consider the cognitive limitations of neurodivergent students, such as poor visuospatial working memory and ADHD. Additionally, social and economic factors play a role; for example, some parents may have trouble affording preschool education for their children and access to medical resources necessary to assess their children's neurodevelopment. Factors within the learning environment, such as overcrowded classrooms and a shortage of teaching resources, exacerbate the situation. Insufficient prior knowledge, failure to identify neurodiversity early, and mathematics anxiety play significant roles in the difficulties learners and teachers face in early childhood mathematics education. This study will help develop a curriculum that considers the neurodiversity of learners with learning disabilities. It will also address internal factors within schools, such as the number of students enrolled and the necessary teaching and learning resources suitable for early childhood education.

Keywords: Early childhood education, mathematics, neurodivergent, teaching and learning.