All my life I have sucked at math. I mean I was honestly really really bad! Looking back I can remember it starting once we hit long division in 3rd grade, and it didn’t get any better from there. I was always lost, but somehow, with lots of bad grades, and lots of blaming my teachers, I made it through school. Fast Forward to today’s world and they diagnose kids with a lot of things to explain why they do bad in school…there’s dyslexia, ADD, ADHD…I’m not saying that kids don’t have those things, I’m just saying doctors are quick to explain away problems. I always told everyone I had to have some sort of disorder..like a dyslexia for math, but no one believed me! Well look what I found! There is such a thing as a math disorder, and it’s called easily enough Math Disorder!
Mathematics Disorder Symptoms and DSM-IV Diagnosis
As seen on BehaveNet.com and from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth Edition Mathematics Disorder is diagnosed based on the following criteria.
A. Mathematical ability, as measured by individually administered standardized tests, is substantially below that expected given the person’s chronological age, measured intelligence, and age-appropriate education.
B. The disturbance in Criterion A significantly interferes with academic achievement or activities of daily living that require mathematical ability.
C. If a sensory deficit is present, the difficulties in mathematical ability are in excess of those usually associated with it.
Ummmm Hello!!! That’s ME!!! My problems with math became apparent when I entered 3rd grade and had to take a placement type test. I did so bad, that the teachers thought I just numbered the circles wrong. Yes I did THAT BAD! I did so bad that I got placed in a remedial math class with 1 other student. I didn’t even get to take math with the rest of the class! My problems persisted each year, and each year I would cry to my parents and tell them my teachers weren’t teaching it correctly. Almost every year my parents would go into see the teachers and say “what’s wrong with you? why can’t you teach my Jenny?” Looking back it’s pretty funny that I never truly took responsibility for my lack of skills.
Now we are in 2009 and I am 29 years old and to this day I can’t read a ruler, or figure out percentages. Many have tried to teach me..I might get it for like 1 minute but the next time I try to figure out 40% off I have no clue how to do it. I am pretty screwed when my future children reach 3rd grade. By then they will have more knowledge of math than I do. Hey, I still have to add on my fingers!
Even though I have never been truly diagnosed I am self diagnosing myself with this Mathemetics Disorder. It doesn’t mean much for me now. I will just use it as an excuse the next time my dad makes fun of me when I try to measure something for work and fail. I’ll say Hey! I have a Disorder!
I love how you just admited on your blog that you can’t read a ruler.
But I shouldn’t talk I guess, I have a spelling disorder. There has to be one of those, right?
My blog is about honesty Kel, and I am not ashamed:) lol
OMG thank you for discovering this!! I think i MUST have this as well lol! I am absolutely, terribly bad at anything having to do with numbers!!! This makes me feel a bit better lol
Everyone always makes fun of me for not being able to do multiplication in my head. I’ve always blamed it on moving in third grade, to a totally different state, right in the middle of learning my times tables. I don’t think I have this disorder, but I’m glad to know that there’s something like this! Explains a lot.
My daughter was born with a math disorder. There is a name for it but do not recall. I was born with ADHD. When I found this library book “A Touch of Life” by Robert Fulford, D.O. He is a traditional Osteopathic doctor who has healed children with disorders, with Sarcral Cranium alignments. I decided to find a Osteopath in NYC. Found one who had the author Robert Fulford’s photo on his wall. I knew I was in the right place. My Osteopath healed my wrist problem and my ADHD. I sent my daugther to him and he healed her Math disorder. When we are put of ailgnment it can cause all kinds of health problems. Many children are born with health problems, because of the way doctors pull the baby out with forceps.
Diane
I just remembered the name for the Math Disorder, which is Dyscalculia
Dyscalculia or Math disability is a specific learning disability involving innate difficulty in learning or comprehending mathematics. It is akin to dyslexia and can include confusion about math symbols. Dyscalculia can also occur as the result of some types of brain injury. Recent research suggests that dyscalculia can also occur developmentally, as a genetically-linked learning disability which affects a person’s ability to understand, remember, or manipulate numbers or number facts (e.g., the multiplication tables, clock time, etc.). Dyscalculia sometimes prefer to the term “Arithmetic Difficulties” (AD) to refer to calculation and number memory deficits.
Diane
Thank you so much Diane, That is some interesting information. I think that this point in my life I have learned to accept that me and math just don’t get along…but the aligning information could be very helpful in the future if my children have the same problem. I never knew of the names either! I appreciate your comment!
where can I be tested for a Math problem ? I want to get my GED/EDP but I know I will never pass the Math ! all through school I failed ! they passed me on along !!scared , embarrassed ! Thanks I am in Maryland.allegeny co
Hi Donna, I wish I could tell you where you can be tested but I have never been tested myself so I am not sure. but I bet you can search the name of the disorder and find it. Good luck!