Dyscalculia and excuse

Or we are just dismissed and written off by teachers as being “hopeless and heedless” and punished accordingly, personal experience in Primary School 

When I had a learning difficulties assessment I was told I don't have discalculia, but I relate to most things said on this thread. When I think about numbers it's like running smack bang into a previously invisable wall, I too have no images that relate to numbers, just a grey flat concrete wall that I can't see around or over. I can do somethings, I know if the change I've been given is right and I can do some mental arithmatic, but not a lot else. Somone mentioned calculus, I don't even know what that is, along with so many terms it never came up at school where the general attitude was, 'you're a girl, you'll have a husband to do all this for you'. I think many people struggle to understand how one can be autistic and not good at maths and tech, it's a double whammy as you're challenged by both typicals and A-typicals. Sadly it is normal not to be able to do basic maths, there's loads of people who really struggle, I think it's as much the way we teach maths as anything else and that people dont' understand that my immediate question when told 2+2=4, is why? This causes frustration for all, I feel that if I understood why, the rest of it would fall into place.

During my early school years, the head teacher had an interesting way of teaching us times tables; we would stand up in class and recite them while jamming to the beat of Green Onions. In high school, I owned a handy times table pencil case, but unfortunately, I couldn't use it during exams. I also used to have a timetable cassette, and to this day, hearing Green Onions triggers my memory to recite times tables.

Thank you 

That makes sense.

That makes sense.

That makes sense.

That makes sense.

So much of this point blank refusal to understand autism issues that is still an issue today that comes from those in positions of power and Athority who abuse that same position of power who try to force us into situations that they know perfectly well that are inappropriate for us even with support “hand holding” (as they call it) and where they accuse us of “making excuses” when we can’t cope, further accusing us of having a problem with accepting Athority because of our perceived failure (in their infinite wisdom) to take responsibility and to be obedient to their Athority which they percieve as disobedience and our apparent refusal to respect their Athority demonstrated by our failure to be obedient without question, protest, objection nor comment, as if it was a case before a court - another example is in jobcentres where despite the reality of lack of appropriate support, people with autism are forced by the system into getting GP appointments, despite the many problems involved for further support and/or forced onto training courses and into jobs that are totally inappropriate and if we fail to do so, we are accused of all of the above and are sanctioned - it also comes from the misconception that the only way to manage autism is by means of ultra strict discipline and anything we say is dismissed as nonsense because that is just the autism talking, which is perceived as negative attitudes stemming from immaturity and refusal to grow up 

I don't have problems with maths outside of mental arithmetic. I cannot create a mental image of numerals and arrange them to perform adding and subtracting, they just seem to float about and disperse. If forced to do mental arithmetic, I group numbers into tens then count the left over numbers like they are dots on dice. It is a very inefficient method. If I have access to pen and paper I'm OK. I don't really have problems with money in the form of bank balances, interest levels, mortgage repayments, knowing the value of purchases, or even making investments.   

In school we all had to stand up in front of everyone and recite all of the times table.

Week after week after week I never learned any more. It was boring and pointless to me.

Childhood in the 90's was most definitely NOT what you could call "Autism Friendly".

I have almost zero maths abilities and I am 54. If I was asked to do times tables I would literally count on my fingers from the few I might know like 6x6 I tnow is 36 and I would add 6 to get to 7x6. I get the idea basic aritihmic but simply cant do it in my head. As for fractions and anything like equasions just forget it, never needed to know it. I have always explained it like I loved history and you have evidence, books, accounts etc of history, loved Geography , you can see a montain, river etc. maths is just a made up jumble of numbers to me.

Same.

Quite simply = My brain is completely incapable of arithmetic.

However, I am perfectly capable of Mathematics. I can calculate and extrapolate. I can use equations and formulas. But I need a calculator for basic arithmetic.

But because I can't do basic arithmetic. I was branded as thick and failed math.

Mathematics in school had two parts. Aided and unaided. With, and without a calculator.

I got full marks in the aided. I couldn't answer a single question in the unaided. I failed the entire year because of that.

Fair? Well. From what I've learned about the world and neurodiversity. Nothing is fair.

I believe you. If people don't believe you just like that then try to ignore them - they are not worth your time or energy.

It's hard having this, and being autistic but we all have different strengths. You may not excel in maths but you will in other things.

Hi Martin my brother has autism and learning difficulties it has never been diagnosed with dyscalculia. He has no understanding of money values, change given etc? I’ve recently come into supporting him after we lost our parents and I wonder if you struggle with money if you are any coping strategies you use to help you day to day? 

I used to suffer from Prosopagnosia as well when I was young, but it improved.

I have essentially zero ability at mental arithmetic, I never know if the change I have been given is correct. However, if given a pencil and paper, my maths ability, if not outstanding, is quite adequate. Adequate enough to support a career in scientific research at least. I think I must have a very specific form of dyscalculia.

I believe you and emphasize because I suffer from Prosopagnosia (face blindness) and nobody believes me.

I had dyscalculia throughout my school years, and looking at numbers and money would produce anxiety and fear. So I avoided using money as long as I could. I was bad at math throughout the entire time. 

I was about 23 years old when I started to reteach myself math. It was because I was fed up with the social stigma that surrounded math, the avoidance of embarrassment,  and the avoidance of looking stupid, and I just didn't care about that anymore. If the school system's methods for math didn't work for me, I can learn other methods. 

I learned a lot of different methods to calculate math that were simple and easy for me to understand, and I also learned a lot of different symbols for numbers, so that it's easier for me to keep track of numbers. 

After several years, I could finally do mental math, which is something I never thought I'd be able to do in my entire lifetime. 

So I think that even with dyscalculia, it's about learning the methods that are easy for you to understand, and that work for you.