Hmm. Now I'm wondering whether in fact I did have dyscalculia, per se, as a child. I definitely had difficulties keeping up with other students in elementary school, when it came to memorizing basic arithmetic tables (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. And I certainly had dyslexia early on, which I seem to have overcome or transcended over the years (starting in childhood) --- now being an avid reader and writer. But when I read this formal description I became less sure of my own self-diagnoses, having only learned the word for it very recently.
I guess I assumed that everyone who had difficulty learning math as a kid must be diagnosable with dyscalculia, but this may not be the case, so I'll be looking at other possibilities as well.
My difficulty learning math at the rate of the other kids in class resulted in a lot of shame, and then a great avoidance of all things to do with math, which persisted through most of my life. I did learn enough math, however, to pass GED test and become admitted into college. I know almost nothing of algebra, statistics, calculus or trigonometry, which makes becoming a scientist nearly impossible! LOL.
It appears I actually probably don't have dyscalculia, or that if I have it is a very mild form of it.
I took an online "test" and it said this:
James This is not an official diagnosis, however, you appear to have none to low Dyscalculia characteristics (15 of 54)
It is unlikely that you have Dyscalculia, but if you would like to find out more, please visit this website. Please remember that this is only an indication of Dyscalculia (or not) & not a diagnostic assessment.
What I remember is falling behind the class in learning "the tables" of arithmetic, and being deeply ashamed, and thus avoidant of math. Which was a positive feedback loop, of course!
Now I wonder what was actually going on with me then!
Man, when I was a kid, math was such a struggle, especially learning the multiplication tables and stuff – I always felt so behind and deeply ashamed, which of course made me avoid math even more! It was a total negative feedback loop! Now I wonder what was actually going on with me back then!
Recently I took an online "test," and it said I appeared to have none to low characteristics of dyscalculia (like 15 out of 54), so it's unlikely I have it. The test made it clear it wasn't an official diagnosis, just an indication.
But I think for people like me, who struggled with math in the past and still wonder about it, having a place to get a preliminary idea is really helpful. I found the website dyscalculiatest.com seems to offer a similar kind of test. Maybe it could help other folks who had similar experiences or questions about their math difficulties. Just remember, these online tests are just providing an initial indication, not a diagnosis! But if you're also curious about why math was tough, or if you're struggling now, checking it out might give you some insight.
Thanks for the h/t, James! I actually started The Raven with a discourse on the bird’s mythic qualities and how they ramify to the present. https://open.substack.com/pub/theraven/p/introducing-the-raven?r=36q38&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web Butterflies have lots of angles. Emergence from the cocoon where they transform from caterpillars. A lot of mythos in different cultures. https://fairytaleapothecary.com/blogs/fairylore-and-mythical-beings/meaning-of-butterflies Their sad disappearance from many places. https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20210915-butterflies-the-ultimate-icon-of-our-fragility A rich vein to explore.
I'm enjoying your emergent ideas. You seem less trapped in analysis, more into real-time experiences and evolution.
Good luck on your new endeavors!
Hmm. Now I'm wondering whether in fact I did have dyscalculia, per se, as a child. I definitely had difficulties keeping up with other students in elementary school, when it came to memorizing basic arithmetic tables (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. And I certainly had dyslexia early on, which I seem to have overcome or transcended over the years (starting in childhood) --- now being an avid reader and writer. But when I read this formal description I became less sure of my own self-diagnoses, having only learned the word for it very recently.
https://www.amazon.com/Dyscalculia-Science-Education-Brian-Butterworth/dp/1138688614/ref=asc_df_1138688614/
I guess I assumed that everyone who had difficulty learning math as a kid must be diagnosable with dyscalculia, but this may not be the case, so I'll be looking at other possibilities as well.
My difficulty learning math at the rate of the other kids in class resulted in a lot of shame, and then a great avoidance of all things to do with math, which persisted through most of my life. I did learn enough math, however, to pass GED test and become admitted into college. I know almost nothing of algebra, statistics, calculus or trigonometry, which makes becoming a scientist nearly impossible! LOL.
It appears I actually probably don't have dyscalculia, or that if I have it is a very mild form of it.
I took an online "test" and it said this:
James This is not an official diagnosis, however, you appear to have none to low Dyscalculia characteristics (15 of 54)
It is unlikely that you have Dyscalculia, but if you would like to find out more, please visit this website. Please remember that this is only an indication of Dyscalculia (or not) & not a diagnostic assessment.
What I remember is falling behind the class in learning "the tables" of arithmetic, and being deeply ashamed, and thus avoidant of math. Which was a positive feedback loop, of course!
Now I wonder what was actually going on with me then!
Here is that test: https://exceptionalindividuals.com/candidates/neurodiversity-resources/neurodiversity-quizzes/dyscalculia-quiz-test/
I didn't have most of these challenge, per se, but I did have some of them in a relatively mild way.
https://chatgpt.com/share/0a6ed465-90d3-4938-96e4-41243722c2b2
Man, when I was a kid, math was such a struggle, especially learning the multiplication tables and stuff – I always felt so behind and deeply ashamed, which of course made me avoid math even more! It was a total negative feedback loop! Now I wonder what was actually going on with me back then!
Recently I took an online "test," and it said I appeared to have none to low characteristics of dyscalculia (like 15 out of 54), so it's unlikely I have it. The test made it clear it wasn't an official diagnosis, just an indication.
But I think for people like me, who struggled with math in the past and still wonder about it, having a place to get a preliminary idea is really helpful. I found the website dyscalculiatest.com seems to offer a similar kind of test. Maybe it could help other folks who had similar experiences or questions about their math difficulties. Just remember, these online tests are just providing an initial indication, not a diagnosis! But if you're also curious about why math was tough, or if you're struggling now, checking it out might give you some insight.