I’m 17m and a junior in high school diagnosed with dyscalculia. I hate school math with a passion. I’m in Algebra 1 right now and I’m barely passing with a solid D, and maybe it’s just my perception of things but I feel like I’ve been made subtly fun of by friends for years. Even if I’m not it’s so demoralizing and emotionally exhausting for me to be two years behind most of my peers when I excel in everything else. So after meeting with my family medicine doctor earlier this year I learned that I could possibly get accommodations to not need to take math in college (yay), and because of that be able to switch from Algebra 1 to our school’s Applied Math class, which I’m much more comfortable with and I think will benefit my future.

Fact forward a few weeks and me and my parents had a meeting with my math teacher, the principal, and the guidance counselor. And after some deliberation we decided that I could switch the beginning of second semester. But now a few weeks away from the start of second semester my mom is saying the switch may not be the best thing for me because of how it would look on my transcript. But I don’t understand her logic. If we can talk to the disability aid of what ever schools I apply for to get that math accommodation, why would it matter if I switch classes? Wouldn’t it be better if I switched and was able to show improvement academically for my effort? My mom says sticking with Algebra 1 will show that I tried, witch is better than quitting. But also a D doesn’t look good an a transcript either, so what good is trying if I have nothing to show for my hard work?

Do you guys think my logic is sound and I should switch? If not can those of you who’ve gone through high school an college explain the benefits of sticking with the math class I’m in even though I’m nearly failing?

For those of you who are ok-ish with money and budgeting, how do you do it? What tools, resources, tricks & tips and all that kind of thing helps you with your budget? If you've really struggled but got better at handling your money, how did you improve? What do you find unhelpful? Like, what advice made things worse? Any and all input is welcome!

I cant do mental maths and I struggle with reasoning problems. When the teacher asks me to do something like 33-9 on the spot, it takes me a whole minute to comprehend it and still get the answer wrong lol. My teacher said 'you're scaring me' as I couldn't do basic math.

Bu t even with basic math for me to be able to answer it I have to write it down and process it. im not bad at math ive always been in top set classes, currently im working at a grade 7 (in American system that is like an A-, here the uk highest grade is a 9, an A*)

I work in retail where I put out greeting cards at a shop. The way the cards are placed is that they are designated a code such as A-01-01

This means that card goes in section A, row 1, pocket 1. Very simple right? Yeah, I mean honestly it is.

Except I swap the numbers out ALL the time and get everything mixed up. B-10-08, I put it in B-08-10 instead.

It is so frustrating because it makes me feel so stupid, plus I have to go back and double work in the event that I find the card that actually does go in 8-10. Now I have to take out my scanner and scan the incorrect card and find where it goes. That time adds up when I do it 15 times.

And no, they are not numbered at all. I have to count down to the correct row, then count over to the pocket. Except a lot of times when I'm counting over, my eyes end up jumping up above or down below so I'm in the wrong row. I have to physically place my finger on each one and count like I'm in 2nd grade.

It makes me feel so incredibly stupid. I mentally scream at myself, how can you be so slow? Why is this so hard? why can't you count something so simple?

UGH.... thanks for listening reddit

Hello,

I’m a 19-year-old Italian student majoring in computer science. I’m doing decently, and I have no problems with the subjects directly related to what I’m studying. For example, anything involving logic or computational thinking doesn’t bother me, and I’m able to understand these topics without major issues. Sure, I need extra time, but I eventually grasp the concepts.

However, my main struggle is with a subject called Analisi 1 (Analysis 1), which basically involves the study of functions and general calculations. It’s very abstract and not something you can easily relate to real life, but it’s required to progress to the second year because it develops the skills needed to understand such data.

I’m completely terrible at it, partly because I only received my diagnosis halfway through high school, which means I missed a significant portion of foundational mathematical knowledge (I can’t even divide properly). I’m writing in the hope that someone with a similar major can offer advice on how to actually understand this subject. I’ve tried private lessons, but they haven’t worked so far.

To give more context about my situation, here are the challenges I face:

Dyscalculia

Dysgraphia

Dyslexia (mild, about 20%)

Short-term memory issues

In Italy, I believe people with these conditions are referred to as DSA. If anyone could offer advice or share strategies for managing and overcoming these difficulties, it would be incredibly helpful.

Best regards, and have a nice day.

I've recently (just this past year) discovered through therapy that I'm probably autistic. This led me down a bit of a rabbit hole of researching into it, and it led me to the discovery that dyscalculia is a common co-morbid condition. My mind was blown, and I finally felt like I had an explanation for how terrible I am at maths and how terrible it makes me feel.

I was relieved to know there was a reason for why I'm atrocious at time-keeping, appalling at working out change and handling money generally, rubbish at taking or giving directions, always have to count on my hands, struggle with dates (e.g. associating months with numbers), can't visualise things like measurements or distances for the life of me, ironically find reading an analogue clock easy but when it comes to 24-hour clocks I go braindead, and the only times tables I can ever remember with any certainty are the 2s, 5s, and 10s. Even then I'm slow at 2s.

Maths feels like a foreign language to me and maths classes always felt like literal psychological torture; I had emotional breakdowns trying to do maths homework, and eventually stopped doing any maths homework at all in my final year at school because I decided I was happier to skip lunch breaks in detention than put myself through the emotional hell of doing maths at home.

Even after getting a tutor to help me I failed my maths GCSE the first time around (and scraped by getting it the second time in college – had to be re-graded because the pass/fail margin was so close). It affected my already poor mental health at the time to the point of very dark thoughts (that I won't elaborate on here, but you know what I mean) when I knew I would have to continue studying maths.

So, having discovered there could be an explanation, I decided to spend quite a bit of money to get a screening test done (– and that's a screening, not a diagnosis – I don't have the money for an actual diagnosis lmao).

There was a visual puzzle test, which I was good at, sequencing tests, which I was terrible at, an actual maths test, which I managed to get about half through – very slowly and very stressfully, having to use my fingers to count and work things out in ways I knew any of my maths teachers would have hated – before having to give up on, a number-reading test, which stressed me out but I was able to do it, and some estimation/comparison tests, which I was neither awful nor great at. And putting colour overlays on the paper I was reading off of didn't have a big impact on me.

Basically we finished and I was told I didn't have dyscalculia, I just had bad maths anxiety and poor short-term memory. But my visual reasoning (I think that was to do with the puzzle solving test) was good, and my processing speed (I think that was to do with my ability to read a written list of numbers aloud) was fine, and my ability to get through the actual maths test was middling – so, yeah, it wasn't likely I had dyscalculia.

I kind of pretended to be glad to hear the results to the screener (who was very lovely and bubbly, I was relieved about that at least) but I'm honestly gutted to know that I'm probably just shit at maths. I feel stupid for hoping there would be a reason for my struggles and stupid just for how bad I am at maths when I probably don't have an excuse for it.

Came out of the assessment with a horrible headache, regretting that I really pushed myself to try and work out all the problems I was given, and bought some food on the way home. Completely miscalculated the cost of the food and payed way more than I thought I'd have to, then got on the wrong bus because the timetable was confusing so had to pay for another ticket on another bus after that (a similar mistake to the one I'd already made that same morning while trying to get a bus into the city for the screening in the first place). Broke down crying as soon as I finally did get home.

It's not like maths is a huge part of my adult life – I've gone out of my way to make sure it's not – and my mental health, though fluctuating, is nowhere near as dire as it was at school and college. But having all of these negative thoughts I used to have about myself and all of the negative things my teachers used to say about me being confirmed isn't exactly doing wonders for my self esteem.

Idk I guess I'm just wondering if screening tests could be inaccurate...? Wishful thinking perhaps, I'm assuming I just misunderstood what dyscalculia actually is or it's being portrayed in a misleading way most of the time.

Is there anyone else out there who thought they had dyscalculia but learned they were just bad at maths? How do you cope? What do you tell people, like employers, to make sure you're not forced into doing maths, even though you don't have any diagnoses to get them to take you seriously? In my experience people really aren't as forgiving as others say they are.

I'm just feeling a little lost at sea right now, I suppose. Any advice or similar experiences would be appreciated.

I have been studying the English language for a long time, but I suffer a lot in writing. There must be a spelling error. I tried a lot with different techniques to improve it, but the improvement is very little. This affected my confidence in working and writing letters and emails, and now I am thinking of studying abroad and trying hard to improve that. I am ready to study with a private teacher who will help me get out of this crisis. Any other suggestions

Not going into nursing school anytime soon, I have a BA in psychology and currently trying to get into a masters program for psychology as well. Growing up with dyscalculia really stopped me from ever thinking I could go into any field that revolved around math or calculations. I failed all my math classes growing up from 1st grade to sophomore year of hs, which resulted in summer school every time. I just wanted to know any nurses out their who have this as well how were prereqs and nursing school for you? If I ever did go into this field what area would be the easiest in terms of not having to do a lot of math.

and i mean actual jobs teens can do, not jobs that require college and degrees because i read a post where they asked which jobs a 16 year old could do.. legit every single reply mentioned jobs that a 16 year old in fact CANNOT do 😭. i’m 19 for reference

Whenever im usually trying to solve a math problem i always wonder how someone got the answer and forgetting they did basic steps first to get the answer to a math problem and im really slow at mental math and i rely on counting with my fingers alot

I'm finally getting assessed after years of struggling. Yesterday during the IQ portion of testing we got to the math equations. I couldn't do it. Years of self-loathing, self-blame and abuse came welling up out of me. I just started crying. I've been hiding this disability for years, stuffing it down because I'm already "so smart" so how could I be struggling right?

This shit hurts so bad, I wish I didn't slip through the cracks as a kid. I wish I got help sooner. I feel so behind.

At my dyscalculia assessment yesterday I was given the WAIS-5 and the Woodcock-Johnson achievement test (math). I fully expected that the math test would be awful and it was. But I was mostly distressed by how difficult I found the IQ/cognitive test. It never occurred to me that I might have a low IQ, but… there were so many sections that I couldn’t do at all.

But here’s the thing… most of the IQ tasks felt like math. I can’t remember strings of numbers or put them in order, because of dyscalculia. Numbers disappear in my brain. If he gave me a string of jumbled letters to alphabetize instead, I’m certain I could do it.

And the figure weight scales… those are essentially math too, or it feels like it uses the math section of my brain. It’s basically asking, “What shape plus which other shapes equals this amount?”

The number matrixes are math, too. I can’t. Do. Math. That’s why I’m there. But ask me for creative solutions to a non-math problem, or to figure out a riddle, or replace the matrixes with crossword-like letter boxes, and I would do much better.

I guess I just don’t understand why they would assess somebody for a specific math learning disability with an IQ test that might produce an inaccurate result of broader intellectual disability/impairment… because they are assessing fluid reasoning by using math questions.

Does anyone have insight into that? What was your assessment experience like?

Is there a term for people who are slow at math but still good at it?

I’m not attempting to self-diagnose but rather to understand my experiences and whether Dyscalculia might apply to me IF I underwent a formal diagnosis.

Here’s what I’ve noticed about myself:

Left-right confusion: I struggle to distinguish my left from my right, especially while driving, which has delayed me from getting my license.

Navigation difficulties: I rely heavily on visual markers and memory to find my way around because I’m not naturally good at navigation.

Mental math struggles: I’m terrible at mental math. Sometimes I think of the correct number but accidentally call it by another.

Analogue clocks and 24-hour time: I find these particularly challenging to read.

However, I’m surprisingly good at math and navigation when I’m not under time pressure. It takes me longer to process and formulate answers, but I get there eventually. For instance, I scored a B- in math during my undergraduate studies, but I believe I could have earned an A if I hadn’t felt so rushed in exams.

The contrast becomes more apparent when I compare myself to my family. My parents and siblings are exceptionally skilled in math:

My grandmother was a math teacher her whole life.

My father studied physics and math at an advanced level due to his profession.

My mother has a double masters in statistics and mathematics, and a PhD in Statistics.

Both of my siblings have consistently scored above 90% in math throughout their lives.

Every other person in my family is an engineer.

I’ve always felt like the odd one out. My school math teachers reinforced this perception, often calling me “dumb” because I couldn’t quickly solve simple problems during class or timed exams.

I don't know if this provides any context, but I seem to excel in areas they don’t, such as creativity and aesthetics. I’m very artsy and have an exceptional aesthetic sense, which sets me apart from my family.

TL;DR: I’m slow at math and struggle with things like left-right distinction, mental math, analogue clocks, and navigation, but I excel when not under time pressure. Despite my family’s exceptional math abilities, I’m the “oddball” who’s more artsy and aesthetic-focused. I’m curious if these traits could relate to Dyscalculia but not self-diagnosing.

Hey everybody! I hope you're all having a great day. I recently got diagnosed with dyscalculia after struggling with math and numbers for pretty much my entire life. I'm a junior in high school and in grades 9 and 10, I got absolutely terrible math grades. I passed both courses but I severely lost hope in doing well in math. I find complex equations really hard, and I can't really do mental math quickly beyond extremely simple stuff. I also have ADHD which I think contributes to that.

The program I'm in is very academically challenging, and I love literally every single other aspect of the program. However, I have to take one more math credit to graduate, and to stay in the program. I have high grades (mid-high 90s) in all my other classes so I want to keep my average up, but I'm so worried about math impacting that. I got permission from my program's leader to take a regular-stream class, so at least I'm not taking the advanced class (which is what I was taking in grades 9 and 10.)

The class I'm currently signed up for is called "Math for Everyday Life." I have no idea what it's going to be like . I googled to course content and apparently it's similar to statistics or economics? I've never taken classes like that before.

I'm wondering if anybody else knows what that course is like, if you've taken it. I'm also wondering how people with dyscalculia find statistics or economics?

Thank you so much in advance!

<3

Has anyone had any experience of the above? If you have diagnosed or undiagnosed dyscalculia and have found ways to make trading easier, tips would be appreciated.

I can't even be diagnosed because gps does not care about adult diagnosis I am 19 now my teachers failed me at school I was just told that am lazy n then years later I learnt that dyscalculia is a thing and that I have it , it sucks I still haven't gotten a referral they make the process so fcking difficult

Back in school I had an “learning disorder” but the only thing that I ever really struggled to learn was math, math was the biggest pain in my ass in school, but now I’m starting to realize that I might just have dyscaculia

Hi everyone,

I’ve been struggling with numbers and math for as long as I can remember, and I’m starting to wonder if I might have dyscalculia. I’ve read a bit about it, and a lot of the symptoms really resonate with me. Here’s what I’ve experienced:

• Basic math feels impossible: Even simple calculations like addition or multiplication are incredibly hard for me. I struggle to do them without a calculator, and I often forget the steps to solve problems I’ve done before.
• Numbers don’t stick: I can’t seem to retain numbers in my memory. For example, if someone gives me a phone number, I’ll forget it within seconds, even if I repeat it to myself multiple times.
• Time and schedules confuse me: Reading clocks, estimating time, or planning anything involving dates feels overwhelming. I’ll mix up times or miscalculate how long something will take.
• Left vs. right issues: I often mix up directions or lose track of where I am, which I’ve read can sometimes be related to dyscalculia.
• Anxiety around math: Just seeing a math problem or thinking about dealing with numbers makes me anxious or frustrated.

At the same time, I’ve always loved reading and writing. I don’t have any trouble with words or letters, so I’m pretty sure I’m not dyslexic. In fact, I find reading relaxing and enjoyable, which is part of why I’m confused about my struggles with math and spatial awareness.

I want to understand if this could be dyscalculia or if it’s something else, like anxiety or lack of practice.
For those of you who have dyscalculia or know about it, does this sound familiar? How did you figure it out?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

I have an appointment with the disability coordinator at my college to discuss accommodations for the required math class.

These are some ideas I was thinking about… I don’t know what they will be willing to agree to so I included a range. Are there any others you can think of that might be helpful? (I already get extended testing time for my ADHD diagnosis.)

  1. Substitute Course 

a. Take a substitute course associated with mathematical principles that does not require completing equations, such as CIS-102 Business Computer Applications or BSN-250 Principles of Marketing 2. Online Adaptive Course, Self-Paced a. Take an online course to earn Prior Learning credit; this would allow me to spend 7 months on a class instead of 4 b. CSM Qualitative Reasoning (Other colleges give 3 prior learning credits for classes such as: Math 100-Introduction to Mathematics, Math 103-Fundamentals of Mathematics, Math 120-Contemporary Mathematics for Business, Math 136-Topics of Mathematics https://www.csmlearn.com/websiteimages/CSM_Curriculum_Guide.pdf) 3. Math Course Accommodation Suggestions a. Pass/Fail rather than letter grade b. Earn enough points to pass based on amount of time spent on assignments rather than on number of questions completed / accuracy (could do in tutoring center to track hours) c. Shorter assignments, ex: 10 questions instead of 15 (problems take me about 3x longer to complete than other people) d. Ability to redo assignments I did poorly on e. Opportunities to earn extra credit (such as creating infographics about voter stats, school budgets, college demographics, etc.) 4. Math Exams Accommodations a. Replace exams with research papers explaining the application of mathematical principles (such as the concepts behind voting theory, taxes, etc.) b. If exams are required, ability to retake tests c. Ability to test in a private room (I need to talk out loud to work through a problem) d. Ability to use a calculator / assistive apps such as MyScript Calculator during exams e. Ability to bring a dry-erase board and colored markers to exams (I need to color-code equations and fully erase mistakes)

This is my story.

When I was younger I was diagnosed with dyscalculia and have always found some aspects of maths hard. I’ve had long periods of my life where I just wanted to avoid maths altogether, but I’ve never actually given up and i’ve studied multiple maths courses, since I’ve been an adult things have changed a lot than since I was a child. I’ve been able to significantly improve my test scores since studying and taking it very seriously.

People with dyscalculia are more likely to experience mental health problems, and I was diagnosed with psychosis about two years ago.

I am currently working towards gaining a qualification in maths by Christmas time.

Today I scored 50% on a maths test & without revising, when the pass mark is 67%. My teacher was very pleased with this.

With each test I take I am making a move to becoming more independent and hopefully I’ll be able to work a stable job and think of long term goals in a few months.

I (19 yo Uni student) was recently diagnosed with dyscalculia. Math has (obviously) never been my strong suit. I am currently going to college for animation, so a basis In math is something I don’t necessarily need for my degree, but I have always had a deep need to understand things and know things, so it bothers me that there’s one concept I can’t fully grasp. It takes me minutes to do basic math problems and to count change. I can’t pronounce large numbers out loud and I have a very hard time visualizing numbers and formulas in my mind when they’re spoken to me. I’ve always been deeply insecure about my struggle with numbers, and I thought I would feel relieved by being diagnosed, because it wasn’t my fault after all, but I just feel hopeless; is it going to be impossible for me to grasp mathematical concepts? What are strategies you use to improve your math skills? Are there websites, apps, or other things that you use to practice?

If there's a spectrum for this disorder, I'd say maybe I'm slightly to the right of the bell curve. I managed to get a 2 year degree in precision manufacturing (cnc machining) with honors somehow. However, I felt pretty mediocre actually doing the job. Things people could just do in their head I never could. Even repetitive math tasks and concepts I'd have to think twice and definitely check with a calculator. The course work had algebra and trigonometry, I don't know how I passed those. I really liked my physics class but it was a dumbed down version. Machine learning looks interesting and probably one of the only future proof careers out there. But the math is fkn bonkers. And if I managed to scale that mountain, what good would it be if I'm terrible at it in the field, or it's just a massive struggle? Has anyone here managed to get a degree or a job in machine learning or something similarly math intensive?

This may come to be a stupid request, but could anyone help list some suitable jobs for dyscalculia? I am a teenager, and I'm rapidly approaching the age I could get a job at to begin saving up for adult life. I'm very lost though. I'm not very bright with numbers, but it seems most jobs I could apply for may have something to do with numbers. I just don't know. Any help is appreciated, sorry if this seems ridiculous.

Does anyone else who speaks a second language have a lot of difficulty translating numbers? I speak French well enough to the point I got a job in my twenties (this was way before AI and Google Translate) involving some translation work. I loved it and was good at it…but could not, for the life of me, translate numbers between languages (like years and dates). I could speak about numerics in one language or the other, but could not translate between them.

Curious if anyone else has had this experience?

Hello dyscalculia team

I draw your attention especially to those who are ADHD and especially those who are in France and not aware of it.

There is a new law that has come out, I will share it with you this good evening

https://www.vie-publique.fr/loi/296008-loi-du-15-novembre-2024-reperage-troubles-du-neuro-developpement-tnd

Hello everyone!

I (F25) got a degree in film, and nothings worked out (the industry has crashed). I don't see it coming back in a meaningful way, and my degree has been collecting dust for a year and a half. I think it's time to pivot, but I don't know what to do. I guess the sad part is I picked film because I enjoy it and it wasn't a lot of math, it took me awhile to accept that numbers would never work for me, thought I did the right thing but no one knew AI and covid was coming of course. Growing up I wanted to be like strictly math heavy things, and I've been thinking it over again now that I'm at the drawing board. However, I'm not sure if astrophysicist, dermatologist, or genetic counselor will work for me though (my dyscalculia caps at a 3rd grade level and I'm already in debt from the first degree). Thinking of getting a paralegal certificate but unsure if my heart is in it, desperately scared of it being another dead end, but being driftless is really depressing me as well. Anyone been through this? Maybe any career advice on what to do next?

My parents are convinced that I do, but I'm not sure if it's true or if I just suck.

I do struggle with maths a lot. The first trimester of my school year is almost over and I severely failed maths class. I also failed maths last year, but not as much as this time.

I also remember that maths was hard for me even when I was 7 or 8.

I still don't know my multiplication tables in HIGH SCHOOL.

It is very difficult for me to do mental arithmetic and I often need to count with my fingers.

It has become quite rare in recent years for me to do my math exercises right (to be honest, I am not sure I remember the last time I did an exercise well). Even though I have learned the lessons, it's difficult to apply them in exercises.

Of course, I'm not asking you to diagnose me, but in your opinion, Do I really have "symptoms" of dyscalculia ?

Hi everyone, I’m 15. I find basic arithmetic like addition and subtraction easy, I struggle with my times tables a little and I also struggle with dividing but specifically with decimals. I also cannot comprehend multi step equations like trigonometry or algebra. I can’t comprehend what I need to do and if I do for a split second I forget it and I have to relearn it again everytime I do it, which takes ages. I also have adhd (diagnosed) and asd (diagnosed) and I’ve read that they are common with dyscalculia.

I always fail maths and I have severe anxiety with maths and I hate it. I just struggle to comprehend what to do it’s like I genuinely can’t grasp the equations

I don’t have the thing where numbers switch around in my head, and I can do basic addition like 10+12 easily with no struggle, so I’m a bit apprehensive about if I actually have it or I’m just bad at maths.

Any help would be appreciated:)

Is there any point getting a diagnosis? I have a couple of exams with maths in and this assignment has been screwing my brain over. Other than maybe just some extra time in exams, is there much point in getting a diagnosis for it now im an adult?

My classes are small, currently our first year combined class has about 35 people total. So depending on the teacher maybe they could know I have it and help if need be? I'm honestly not sure.