So I just got the results for the test I took a few weeks ago and the lady that test me says that I have a "Math learning Disability" ....!? She never mentioned the word Dyscalculia once, so I asked her if there was a specific name for this (Seeing if she would say Dyscalculia) And she just said "No, It's just a math disability.." WHAT!? So now I'm confused, do I have Dyscalculia or not? should I go back and ask her questions? What if she has never even heard of Dyscalculia?
Location: United States Posts: 1860 Joined: 2008-11-14
LoveAlways, first of all let me say that I'm glad you were able to secure diagnosis! I know it seems odd to congratulate someone on having a learning disability, lol, but it will really open a lot of doors for you in education as far as getting accommodations etc.
In the United States, dyscalculia is not referred to as dyscalculia. The official name for it in the DSM-IV-TR (the psychiatric diagnostic handbook) is "315.1 Mathematics Disorder." In the ICD-9-CM (the International Classification of Diseases) it's called "315.1 Developmental mathematics disorder." Dyscalculia is a name that is much more commonly used abroad... in fact, my spell-check on Firefox doesn't even recognize "dyscalculia" as being a word, it tries to correct it to "miscalculate." Apparently in addition to being bad at math, my browser thinks I can't spell either.
(Fun fact, in the DSM-IV-TR "dyslexia" isn't listed as dyslexia either, it is listed as "315.00 Reading disorder." Same with the ICD, it's listed as "315.00 Developmental reading disorder." Dyslexia is a word that is common in the American lexicon, but isn't an actual diagnostic label, just like dyscalculia is not an actual diagnostic label.)
The short answer is yes, you do have dyscalculia, and that is what you've been diagnosed with. Most people in the U.S. don't refer to it that way, though. The technical diagnostic term is "Mathematics Disorder." Six one, half-dozen of the other, the point is that you got a confirmed diagnosis so now you are eligible for accommodations through your school's department of disabled student services. Congrats on that!
"The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings." - Eric Hoffer
