So I have this crippling problem with learning.

[Wolfnox]

It mainly involves math. I cannot seem to make lessons stick in my head. Could not recall them at all for tests. It is like all of it evaporated as I was learning it. Tests are like reading Greek to me. Impossible to understand or comprehend. Mostly I draw blanks and fall back to basic math. Which really doesn't do well in algebra or geometry. Or science when math is involved.
My mind takes the data and it disappears. The impression I get mostly is a recombination. Taking the numbers twisting them and adding it to other information. None of which I see.
Does anyone have this issue or know what it is?

 

[Gerontius]

Dyscalculia? A possibility.

You may have a better time with classical mathematics--the stuff behind things like the Golden Ratio, etc.,--than with arithmetic. At least you might be able to enjoy it for it is very beautiful--no need to be a mathematician to enjoy the Fibonacci sequence or the psychedelic beauty of a Mandelbrot set.

 

[Luca]

I have dyscalculia. This is exactly what I experience.

 

[Raggamuffin]

Are you interested in said subjects?
Is the teacher engaging or boring?

These are 2 hurdles which are critical for me to learn properly. If the subject didn't spark any interest, or the teacher's personality wasn't appealing - nothing would sink in.

I remember in school our history teacher was one of the best teachers in the whole school. So I went on to study history in college and had 2 of the most boring teachers I've ever met. They somehow managed to make WW2 boring - not sure how that's humanly possible.

Ed

 

[Darkkin]

Yup, dyscalculia. That and I decided novels were more interesting than algerbra. I do all right with geometry and statistics because I can actually see those numbers making sense. They are not an excerise in futility.

 

[Gerald Wilgus]

I had a horrible time remembering what I needed to do to set up calculations. This was very bad for me when I got into Physical Chemistry. But after I graduated I found that I had a proficiency with applied statistics and statistical design of experiments.

 

[Streetwise]

It mainly involves math. I cannot seem to make lessons stick in my head. Could not recall them at all for tests. It is like all of it evaporated as I was learning it. Tests are like reading Greek to me. Impossible to understand or comprehend. Mostly I draw blanks and fall back to basic math. Which really doesn't do well in algebra or geometry. Or science when math is involved.
My mind takes the data and it disappears. The impression I get mostly is a recombination. Taking the numbers twisting them and adding it to other information. None of which I see.
Does anyone have this issue or know what it is?

Tell your tutor now they may know autism resources for mathematics i learn with colour pictures and memory palaces make a ridiculous picture and put it in the room assigned for mathematics get young childrens books for mathematics

 

[Wolfnox]

Are you interested in said subjects?
Is the teacher engaging or boring?

These are 2 hurdles which are critical for me to learn properly. If the subject didn't spark any interest, or the teacher's personality wasn't appealing - nothing would sink in.

I remember in school our history teacher was one of the best teachers in the whole school. So I went on to study history in college and had 2 of the most boring teachers I've ever met. They somehow managed to make WW2 boring - not sure how that's humanly possible.

Ed

Not really interesting. But, I understand the importance. So trying to learn. It seems to help brain. Noticed a difference. So I consider it training.

As for teachers. They destroyed any will I had for learning math. That was a long battle to graduation from High School. Nearly broke me.
Anyway. I have been trying to fix this inability. But, with little luck other then identifing it.
Have mentioned to counselor. Not much help.

History was and is a favorite subject of mine. Though teachers made it less so. They destroyed any love I had for learning or to learn anything. Which was not how I started out. I haven't recovered much from it.

Anyway. History. May I recommend Jeff Sharra. He does historical fiction. But, in a set you in the chair next to them way.

 

[Judge]

I tended to shy away from math beyond basic arithmetic. Tough at times in keeping up my GPA between math and most sciences. Things I simply did not excel at.

Yet upon graduation and entering the work force, most of my years of employment left me with jobs requiring endless calculations. Such irony! But I survived.

Though to this day I never really understood whether I had some kind of neurological deficit or simply a poor attitude when it came to math in particular. I do recall how one particular teacher in the sixth grade totally turned me off on science. And taking chemistry just to fulfill a collegiate requirement turned out to be a huge mistake.

Still, had I known as a child just how important math skills can be as an adult, I might have applied myself much more than I did.

 

[Hypnalis]

@Wolfy Smurf

Can you provide some examples of:

• Things you can do with numbers/math
  • Start from e.g. basic arithmetic - even this is hard for some people; understand betting odds and/or other simple probability; ... Keep going until it's easier to move to the next point
• Some specific examples of things you can't do with math.
  • "Can't do geometry" or "can't do algebra" aren't specific enough. But e.g. "can't do calculus" or "can't calculate the odds for standard poker hands even if there's plenty of time (i.e. not during a game)" are useful though - lots of people can't do either of those.

And a general comment: math is progressive - if you miss the basics at one level, it can be extremely difficult to understand the next level. If you missed some early steps, you might be able to start again (assuming you want to).

 

[Wolfnox]

@Wolfy Smurf

Can you provide some examples of:

• Things you can do with numbers/math
  • Start from e.g. basic arithmetic - even this is hard for some people; understand betting odds and/or other simple probability; ... Keep going until it's easier to move to the next point
• Some specific examples of things you can't do with math.
  • "Can't do geometry" or "can't do algebra" aren't specific enough. But e.g. "can't do calculus" or "can't calculate the odds for standard poker hands even if there's plenty of time (i.e. not during a game)" are useful though - lots of people can't do either of those.

And a general comment: math is progressive - if you miss the basics at one level, it can be extremely difficult to understand the next level. If you missed some early steps, you might be able to start again (assuming you want to).

I'll put it this way. Adding, subtracting, multiplication, and money math I understand. Everything else no.

 

[Gerontius]

Yup, dyscalculia. That and I decided novels were more interesting than algerbra. I do all right with geometry and statistics because I can actually see those numbers making sense. They are not an excerise in futility.

Same. English & literature & storytelling is basically my No. 1 special interest.

What's crazy is, I've been slogging it out with some philosophy classes lately & those are having the same soporific effect as the math classes which I had in school as a kid. I finished all my high school math by 9th grade, remembered enough to get the SAT done, and have been mathematically ignorant since. It's almost like I associate math with everything going poorly, and told my brain "You don't have to do that any more; go read a book."

Philosophy I used to like very much but now that I have had very negative experiences working with philosophy, I have a harder time with it--much harder time.

Makes me think that autistic people are driven to learn via special interests mainly. There's got to be a better way to word that, but hey.

 

[Markness]

I have it but my parents refused to get me help for it and even college disability services didn’t do anything positive for me in that regard.

 

[paloftoon]

There are visual and kinesthetic ways to learn math. Sometimes, it can take longer to get to an answer that way, but it can be possible with at least some things. It's hard to even expect a veteran teacher to know all the different possible visual and kinesthetic tricks. Try looking up these kind of methods online - and maybe you can copy/paste website and ask a teacher/tutor to help you understand what you don't from something online that shows something visual and/or kinesthetic.