Dyscalculia (Developmental Arithmetic Disorder)

Yea it’s kind of hard when you find these things out. I mean you always think your normal but in the back of your mind you tell yourself "hey what’s wrong? How come everyone else is doing this? How come you can’t do this?"

Ever since I was a child I remember never actually being the brightest student, I got by most of my school years by remembering songs and counting on my fingers and using a calculator. In class I would get nervous if the teacher asked me a question like what’s the answer to the problem 185-46. I would just stop moving and be quite, usually I would start saying "um um um its ok well..." just stalling for time. It’s those moments that really get me I mean I feel so nervous, it’s almost as if the whole room was centered on me and I could feel myself getting smaller and smaller, my breathing would get heavy and wheezy, I would start to sweat and feel as if I would pass out at that very moment. At nights I would study hard, in class I would always try to be one step of the teacher but sometimes it never works out. But I still couldn’t get it I never could figure out basic arithmetic. I don’t think anyone could imagine the stress I gave myself. I mean I am always alert especially in math class. I try to hide myself from the teacher hoping that I wouldn’t be picked to do any problems involving mental math. But occasionally it does happen, and when it does I feel horrible it’s almost enough to make anyone cry when I struggle it’s like a fight for life or death. I know it must seem silly, a person not being able to do basic math but I have to tell you there are people and I am one of them. This also accounts to some of my reading strategies, for example when reading aloud I can stutter and also start to have the same feelings of nervousness as I have when salving a simple math problem, some of this also is similar to basic Dyslexia .My hole life has been just one big embarrassment after another I don’t think anyone has ever wondered how hard it was for me to actually try and try well to be good at doing these simple tasks of life. I never told anyone what happens to me not even my parents, friends, or teachers. I believe that not telling anyone what was going on may have been my mistake in life. I just wish once in my life I wouldn’t have to be scared if someone would ask me a simple question, and that I could answer it without fear and with knowledge.

It’s sad really. I am from my own personal habits a very intellectual person. I love reading about science and watching the discovery, history, and anything. An am fascinated with all forms of literature. But still it’s very hard for a person like me. And I don’t know how my family will feel. It will be hard having to children with mental problems, my sister for one has Down Syndrome. I was wondering if anyone on ATS also has these same disorder and if so how did you work with it or did u ever get rid of it.

Developmental Arithmetic Disorder
Arithmetic involves recognizing numbers and symbols, memorizing facts, aligning numbers, and understanding abstract concepts like place value and fractions. Any of these may be difficult for children with developmental arithmetic disorders, also called dyscalculia. Problems with number or basic concepts are likely to show up early. Disabilities that appear in the later grades are more often tied to problems in reasoning.

Many aspects of speaking, listening, reading, writing, and arithmetic overlap and build on the same brain capabilities. So, it's not surprising that people can be diagnosed as having more than one area of learning disability. For example, the ability to understand language underlies learning to speak.Therefore, any disorder that hinders the ability to understand language will also interferewith the development of speech, which in turn hinders learning to read and write. A single gap in the brain's operation can disrupt many types of activity.

www.findarticles.com...

sites for more info:

www.ldonline.org...

add.about.com...

www.noah-health.org...

I find it sad there isn't more in this thread. I had the same problem in school. I would break out into sweat and hives just from trying to do a math test. I feel ya on this one, and its not addressed in schools. I still have problems with it, but cope anyways...