Do you have Dyscalculia? If so, how do you cope with it?
I have suffered with this all of my life. Only recently I learned there is an actual name for it.
Dyscalculia is the inability to comprehend or do mathematical problems. I've never been able to do number problems. Don't even like to see numbers - they are meaningless to me. Put a cryptogram in front of me, and I'll see the pattern in a short time and solve. But give me a Sudoku puzzle, and I'll stare at it for a long time and will never solve it.
Wikipedia has good info on this condition, if you type Dyscalculia in Search. It was just interesting to me that it had an actual name for the condition. I've always thought of it as Dyslexia - but with numbers.
Seniors, if you have this condition, how have you managed to deal with it?
Grela LaTuc2013-03-07T14:16:12Z
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I've never heard of the word before, but I think I may have it also. I can't even do simple adding and subtracting without a calculator, if I don't have a calculator, I have to use my fingers. It was my poorest subject in school. One of the things that kept me from going into astronomy, I couldn't understand higher math.
I know I do have a form of dyslexia. I'm always getting 6s and 9s mixed up, I have to look at those numbers a few time to get them right.
Now I have a name for my other math problems, rather than just being stupid. I always said when they were handing out mathematical brains, I though they said a type of train, so I gave them to my brother, he's been good with mathematics.
Your take on it - dyslexia with numbers - sounds about right. No, I've always been good with numbers and simple arithmetic. I got hammered on algebra and anything higher than that, though. Sudoku puzzles are mostly a nightmare for me, but I can solve the easiest ones with hints. I have always had problems with diagrams, patterns, things like that. It's like reading Greek to me. And machinery and the way parts fit together is a mystery to me.
Not with numbers, but with science, especially chemistry, I had to have it in college and it just seemed that my brain could not comprehend what I was supposed to learn. I honestly did not know enough to ask a question. I managed to barely pull through on 3 courses, I really don't understand it but it must be something similar to what you have.
I took five years of first year algebra before anyone would take me seriously that I didn't understand math. Put letters and numbers together and BAM! My head spins. I don't know that you could say that I did "cope" - I just had to work ten times harder than anyone I knew at the matter.