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It's both relieving and stunning how accurate this is to my own experience. I did TERRIBLE in high school (and college) math, almost entirely because I would co

It's both relieving and stunning how accurate this is to my own experience. I did TERRIBLE in high school (and college) math, almost entirely because I would constantly make little mistakes in the basic arithmetic. The broader concepts? No problem. But then I'd try to do a problem, slip up a few times on the basic math, and get the wrong answer. And there went the points (and test). I took to calling it "Math Dyslexia," although they're only really similar in that both involved unusual last-mile problems rather than fundamental knowledge or intelligence issues. I suspect you won't reply, this being a throwaway, but was there any ADHD involved? That's what I've gradually settled on for myself, not the "bouncing off the walls" bit, but the bit where you have trouble focusing on anything but the things that are "interesting" to you (and then HYPER focus on those things).

lamontcg 6y ago
Sounds a bit more like you may have dyscalculia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dyscalculia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dyscalculia I think what the prior poster was describing is more what I have which I've taken to calling "having shit memory". Can't remember numbers or names, can't learn foreign languages well at all. Had trouble in elementary school with doing multiplication tables fast because I couldn't memorize 7s and 8s, so I'd solve 8x8 by doing 6x6=36 (easy) and then 36+6+6+8+8 to complete the square. I can teach myself optimal control theory, but my speed and accuracy at arithmetic is just getting worse as i can use google as a calculator. I did fine in physics and math courses in college because you can use calculators, and because I always picked the easy questions first, and then ran the answers back through to prove they were right in order to find sign errors and such.
- cutemonster 6y ago
  What about probability calculations? Like, calculating how likely X is to happen Y times in a row? If you can use calculators Btw from that Wikipedia article, about ADHD: > In 2015, it was established that 11% of children with dyscalculia also have ADHD
  - lamontcg 6y ago
    That's easy because its just P(x)^Y. So with a fair coin its just powers of two so 4 in a row is 1/16, which is... 0.125/2 or 0.050 + 0.025/2 or 0.0625... That's fairly easy because those kinds of numbers are very recognizable. 1/16th is also between 1/10th and 1/20th so the answer better be between 0.05 and .10 as well. Kind of simple but 125/2 I have to break up a bit to do it, I don't know it lightning fast, although I very much recognize it after I'm done. And yeah, I don't really have ADHD and don't have dyscalculia. You said you have ADHD and sounded like you were describing dyscalculia.
    - cutemonster 6y ago
      Ok :-) Seems you a bit like probability calculations, can be a bit fun I think too. (Actually I also don't have ADHD -- I'm something else than the other ones who replied earlier in this thread.)
- ergot_vacation 6y ago
  I've considered dyscalculia in the past, but it seems to be more a fundamental inability to understand numbers at all. That article even directly lists having trouble with math CONCEPTS, and basic things like which of two numbers is bigger, rather that constantly making small errors in arithmetic.

lamontcg 6y ago

Sounds a bit more like you may have dyscalculia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dyscalculia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dyscalculia I think what the prior poster was describing is more what I have which I've taken to calling "having shit memory". Can't remember numbers or names, can't learn foreign languages well at all. Had trouble in elementary school with doing multiplication tables fast because I couldn't memorize 7s and 8s, so I'd solve 8x8 by doing 6x6=36 (easy) and then 36+6+6+8+8 to complete the square. I can teach myself optimal control theory, but my speed and accuracy at arithmetic is just getting worse as i can use google as a calculator. I did fine in physics and math courses in college because you can use calculators, and because I always picked the easy questions first, and then ran the answers back through to prove they were right in order to find sign errors and such.

cutemonster 6y ago
What about probability calculations? Like, calculating how likely X is to happen Y times in a row? If you can use calculators Btw from that Wikipedia article, about ADHD: > In 2015, it was established that 11% of children with dyscalculia also have ADHD
- lamontcg 6y ago
  That's easy because its just P(x)^Y. So with a fair coin its just powers of two so 4 in a row is 1/16, which is... 0.125/2 or 0.050 + 0.025/2 or 0.0625... That's fairly easy because those kinds of numbers are very recognizable. 1/16th is also between 1/10th and 1/20th so the answer better be between 0.05 and .10 as well. Kind of simple but 125/2 I have to break up a bit to do it, I don't know it lightning fast, although I very much recognize it after I'm done. And yeah, I don't really have ADHD and don't have dyscalculia. You said you have ADHD and sounded like you were describing dyscalculia.
  - cutemonster 6y ago
    Ok :-) Seems you a bit like probability calculations, can be a bit fun I think too. (Actually I also don't have ADHD -- I'm something else than the other ones who replied earlier in this thread.)
ergot_vacation 6y ago
I've considered dyscalculia in the past, but it seems to be more a fundamental inability to understand numbers at all. That article even directly lists having trouble with math CONCEPTS, and basic things like which of two numbers is bigger, rather that constantly making small errors in arithmetic.