Location: Virginia, USA Posts: 4 Joined: 2007-04-26
I don't know if dyscalculia fits me; however, I do know that many of the accompanying things described are landmarks from the pathways of my life.
My folks and I finally came to an understanding that I would show my report cards - progress reports with the math first, so they would be happy by the end of the coversation. A's and B's in everything except math - which was D to C-. My homework just wasn't done - didn't need to do it. Except for math. Hours every night. Never ask a question, because - after so many years of experience - no answer was ever sufficiently clear to help. Drill, Drill, Drill - pass the test - that's all we ask (the teacher says this). How can you get A's in Advanced Biology and be flunking out of algebra???? How can you be editor of the yearbook, the schools literary magazine, the poetry magazine, be pres of the senior class, pres of the science club, drama club lead and not know your time tables or when to divide or multiply? (The teacher AND my folks.)
College - Geology major. Postponed the math requirement. Sponsor/prof finally caught on. You've got to take it to graduate. Dropped out of calculus before I flunked out. Remedial math. Algebra. Complaint from the tutor. "He tries hard - I can see that. But he's NEVER going to get this stuff. We were working on fractions and decimals. How utterly embarassing.
Work - stayed away from the math for supervisory and managerial duties. when forced to do math, I implemented computerized systems at the company that would do it for me. I had to do a project by hand once (of many times) that took me an enormous amount of time to add up a column of 62 numbers and find the average. I got at LEAST 13 different answers.
Home - I just can't answer my 6th's grader's math questions without going online to look it up. I just plain don't know. It's coming to that with my 2nd grader. I tell him it's OK to count on your fingers and make up rhymes and talk to yourself in a rhythm when you're counting so you don't loose your place. Daddy does it, too. Teacher sends a note back thanking me for my little fib which made him feel better. Wasn't a fib at all.
All my life I've had a real problem with basic arithmetic. I've always felt stupid and idiotic because of this. I've been pretty creative with my workarounds - which have benefited others while 'protecting' me (my ego, I guess). But I've always felt like a second class citizen of the world. Not that I have not tried - hours and hours and days and days of drill and memorization then the test and pffffft! gone with the wind. Chris - C or D. Needs to put more effort into his homework. Chris needs to pay more attention to numerical detail.
Countess
'You should really be sympathetic to people who suffer 'Normalism' (Geoff)
My Child (born 97) has Dyscalculia
Sorry for any spelling mistakes ;-)
