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So, I actually got my diagnosis a few months ago, but I've been processing (and moving and going to summer school) for a while, thus the lack of posting. I got a diagnosis of Mathematics Disorder which was a fantastic relief, but they seemed strangely reluctant to use the word dyscalculia. Actually, they only used it once, in quotes, when explaining why I came in to get tested in the full report. So that kind of bothered me. The tester also did not seem to understand what I was talking about when I referred to 2E (twice exceptional) students and put that in scare quotes as well (This was despite me specifying at the beginning that I wanted someone experienced with 2E students and dyscalculia). Basically, I got the diagnosis I was expecting and was happy about it, but the tone of the evaluation and the general attitude of the tester in the report was enough to make me lose all respect for them and the facility I tested in. If that makes sense.

But yay for getting a diagnosis! And so fast! Even if it's not up to my standards, still! It's something and I'm glad to have it. And the results from my IQ testing were just funny, especially the discrepancy between my Reading Fluency (99th percentile) and my Math Fluency (12th percentile). Huge difference!

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Hey, LieutenantBlueBerry
congrats on your diagnosis, must be a relief.
I just wanted respond to what you had written - pure dyscalculia cannot necessarily be determined from IQ tests which is probably why your tester has not utilised the terminology. 'Math learning disorder' can encapsulate dyscalculia but can also refer to other processing deficits that can have an affect on math or numeracy such as small working memory, visual spatial processing deficits etc... and these are the things which will show up on the standard IQ testing. Either way, whatever the wording on your diagnosis you should be entitled to the same accommodations and I do not think it is beyond politically correct to use the term dyscalculia when referring to your difficulties. The main issue at the moment is that there is no strict definitions in place... until this is decided the word dyscalculia will be used interchangeably.

Regarding 'twice exceptional', I think this is an informal terminology and I am currently not aware of people using it officially when writing up reports (it may be different in the USA). I certainly am twice exceptional and have seen numerous psychologists who acknowledged it but not in any official reports.

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Thanks for the information! I think it didn't help that I wasn't able to actually talk to the tester after I got my results. I basically just got a big sheaf of papers with the test results, psych evaluations, etc. and noticed more than a few errors in it when it came to the interviews I gave and even a few noticeable spelling errors, which made me mistrust a lot of what I read.
What would the formal term for twice-exceptional be then? In my own research that's the only term I've found describing gifted individuals who also have learning disabilities. I'd be curious to know what the technical term is as I don't particularly like the term twice-exceptional.

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no worries,

yes I know what you mean about errors, several of my reports had errors in - ranging from grammar to contradicting themselves. I think you would be well within your rights to highlight these errors to them so they could correct them - it does not look good on the psychologist themselves - so you would be doing them a favour? I don't think there is a formal term for twice exceptional as it is not really defined as a type of diagnosis, the difference between your scores would be evidence enough of you being very capable in one area and not in another - I think the nearest formal term you would get on a report to 'twice exceptional' would be 'high functioning' but that would be gleaned by the report write up that says you are very good at reading (or any other high functioning areas).

the wikipedia page here back up what I am saying about no clear definition for twice exceptional - http://en.wikiped...xceptional

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Sometimes if they insist on certain terminology, it could be because they are limited to specific terms for legal reasons, or possibly because they want to nudge you into a different set of statistics for their own purposes. Glad you got the diagnosis anyway!

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7/15/11
Dear LieutenantBlueBerry,
I'm so glad that you've received your well-deserved diagnosis. Regarding the mistakes they made in taking your history,... the same thing happened to me. It's disconcerting, at the very least. And in my case, I was quite angry, as those errors that the grad student put as my 'history' skewed my results, so that I wasn't diagnosed as dyscalculic (officially, Mathematics Disorder) by that first testing.

I believe that you should be able to write up a page of 'corrections', send that page to the psychologist, and get some kind of acknowledgement. I've even read here of one member (who had the same thing happen) insisting that the psychologist fix those errors immediately, and got this concession. Sadly, I have to disagree with tr3s that the psychologist will consider this a 'favor'. He 'should' appreciate it, but I doubt that he 'will'. My psychologist wouldn't even answer my calls or emails about the errors in my history on my Report. I've since learned that because a government agency paid for my testing, I would have had to make a huge, formal complaint to get any response.

But, in the end, I was re-tested by another psycholgist and got my diagnosis, and feel just glad to have the accommodations.

I've recently read on another forum (BeingDyslexic) a different term used for Twice Exceptional,... one used in the UK. I'll try to find that term. Sorry I forget these things. - jus'

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7/15/11
Okay, here's the link to that Thread on BeingDyslexic. It isn't quite the way I'd remembered it. 'Stealth Dyslexia' was the term that was used. But, in fact, this is a very good Thread to read, because it shows the level of frustration with testing and accommodations that exists worldwide, and in the area of dyslexia as well as dyscalculia. - jus'
http://www.beingd...entry42571

At this above Thread, see comments 14 through 19.

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Hi Lieu,
Twice exceptional is really not relevant to a diagnosis.
The basic distinction is between a Global and Specific Learning Disorder?
With a Specific LD in one cognitive process, it is typical that other cognitive processes will be developed to an exceptional level to compensate.
So that the discrepancy, makes the distinction between a Specific and Global LD.
But as for the 'spelling errors'?
In which case, the Tester might be Dyslexic?
Where as you wrote, it made you mistrust a lot of what you read?
But even worse, the Tester could have been Dyscalculic?
Then you would mistrust the figures?
Dyscalculia is a Mathematics Disorder, so it is the same whatever it is called.
What you need to do, is to contact the Tester and tell them that you want to discuss the results.

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I can provide some insight in to why in the United States, we are not diagnosed as having Dyscalculia. The answer is quite simple actually, the DSM-IV does not acknowledge the term Dyscalculia. The only disorder which is recognized as the moment is Mathematics Disorder. Fortunately, Mathematics Disorder is Dsycalculia and it is a recognized learning disability, so patients who are diagnosed are eligible for accommodations.

The new editions of the DSM, the DSM 5 will be published in 2013 and one of the changes that they wish to implement would be to replace "Mathematics Disorder" with Dyscalculia. The definition is virtually unchanged. If they accept the change, we'll have to wait until 2013 to legally say that we have Dyscalculia. What it really comes down to is semantics.