Dyscalculia assessment; Is it worth it?

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Tomorrow, I should be going for an assessment for Dyscalculia as I have alot of struggles with maths.

Thing is, it's costing me money I really don't have as I'm going private with it. I won't go to my GP about it as the last time I approached a doctor with Asperger's, not only was I basically laughed at, but I also ended up not getting any help anyway.

I want to be a Meteorologist, which requires alot of mathematical ability. If I'm going to achieve my goal, I'll need all the maths help I can get. I'm currently trying to earn a level 2 qualification in maths to go on to college, after failing the maths part of the college exam a few weeks ago.

But, I'm wondering if it's really worth it.

I'm not extremely bad at maths, but, I do tend to trip up over things, especially in exams, that, when I look back on severak hours later, I know the answer so easily.
At the time of the exams, I really struggle, but, if I'm left to review the exam a few hours later (without the answers), I get so mad at myself because the answers come to me so easily then. I'm not actually bad at maths, when I think about it, I just can't seem to think in an exam setting.

I know I could get extra help in college with a diagnosis, but, will the help actually help? The help I got for Asperger's wasn't actually that helpful, to be honest. I don't want to waste money on a diagnosis that isn't going to help.

When I had my assessment for Asperger's syndrome, I was also diagnosed with Hyperlexia based on the reading/spelling score. With the quantitative reasoning section, I scored VERY low; 4th percentile. This is also making me wonder whether I should go for the diagnosis. If I was Dyscalculic, then why wasn't it diagnosed at the same time as my Hyperlexia was?

Like I said, I need all the help I can get when it comes to maths, and a college tutor told me he could mark my exam differently with a diagnosis, but the diagnosis is costly.

So basically guys, what do you think? Worth the money, or not? I know this is my decision to make, but I'd appreciate everyones' thoughs on the matter.

Frankly, it sounds like you get nervous/distracted. I doubt you have dyscalculia, though the outcome IS the same. Even if you did have dyscalculia though, how would an assessment help you?

Frankly, I don't think it is worth it.

As for being laughed at? I once wanted a test for Lyme disease. I had symptoms that COULD have been lyme disease. The doctor laughed at me. Interestingly, his belief, that it was SO unlikely, was 100% false.

I do have other problems, such as switching numbers like 37/73 around, and failure to learn "simple" maths problems like the multiplication table, when everyone else could.

It could very well be nerves or distractability, though.

An assessment could potentially help as my tutor told me that they have certain ways to mark exams for Dyscalculic students. They don't mark it the same way they would an ordinary paper. I don't know if this would be a good thing or a bad thing though. I guess this means they aren't as strict with the marking, and perhaps allow for a few errors. I've also heard, though this may not be true, that you can get someone to sit with you during your exams to make sure you understand the questions correctly, which is one of my problems. This is why I'm confused. I don't really know what help is available. I've heard a few contradicting statements.

My career choice relies heavily on maths, but I don't know how much a diagnosis of Dyscalculia would help. I don't want to waste all that money for nothing.

Right now, I'm thinking the same as you; I don't think it's worth it, but then I think of my struggles and think "do I really want to skip the assessment, and then fail university and worry that a simple assessment of Dyscalculia could have completely changed the outcome".... hmm.

If the diagnosis allows you to take extra time for exams, it may well be worth it, as that may allay your anxiety and improve your performance. Take care that you aren't setting yourself up for failure by having unrealistic expectations of what you can do in real life.

Meteorology is extremely math dependent, so make sure that nerves are the root cause of your difficulties, and not something neurological. When you're actually working in the field, you'll need to think in math terms without looking things up all the time. It is like a language, and you need to be able to have a good deal of proficiency in it.

If you see the errors easily after you've got the test back, then my guess is that is mostly nerves from worry. Perhaps you had a small amount of dyscalculia in early life - sometimes this eases up with age, but the frustration and bad associations last, even though you are really no longer primarily affected. In that case, extra time on exams and some repeated good experiences will eventually erase your lack of confidence, and you'll be OK.

For the 37/73 a LOT of people transpose numbers. Do you do it VERY consistantly?

As for the times tables, I don't recall how long THEY took me. I DO remember feeling stupid about it. My great grandmother taught me a trick, that should have been obvious, etc... but wasn't at the time:

9*7=63

7-1=6

9-6=3

9*9=81

9-1=8
9-8=1

HECK, want to see something neat? QUICK, what is 95 squared? 9025!

The last numbers add up to or less 10 so...

9+1=10
9*10=90

75 squared is 5625!

It ends in 5, so tack 25 onto the end!

If you can use a standard base.... Here I use 10

12*18=216

10+2=12
10+8=18

12+8=20
2*8=16

19*17=323

10+9=19
10+7=17

19+7=26
7*9=63

To make this more obvious, 26*10(our base)=260+63(the ones)=323

It CAN work with 100 also...

99*97=9603

100-1=99
100-3=97

99-3=96
-1*-3=03


This IS crazy, but simpler than memorizing some things, and easier to do in your head.



It is SURPRISING what some schools allow. In the US, many allow calculators now!! !! ALSO, even a simple calculator may limit your work, and increase comfort, so you can do the more mundane stuff which is what they SHOULD be testing anyway. I mean why would anyone depend on doing such things 100% in your head? Paper is as much of a crutch as calculators are.

BTW Some claimed math was needed for MY job ALSO! In the 80s, when people heard I was a programmer, they were like "WOW, you must be GREAT with math!" Really, it only requires the most basic of math skills.

The 37/73 was one example. I transpose numbers often.

I feel like a complete idiot for saying this, but I found almost all of the maths part of your reply completely confusing. I really have no idea how you work your answers out. It makes no sense to me.

If you were trying to figure out 9*7, how would you know to say "7-1=6/9-6=3? Wouldn't you have to realise before hand that 9*7 = 63, before you could do that trick? Or am I missing something? I've read it at least 5 times over and I still don't get it.

The things like 19 + 7 = 26 would take me ages to figure out. I know how simple it looks, but if you were to say to me "19 + 7, what is it?" I'd need to use my fingers... I know, I know "you say 20, plus 7, take one", or that's what I was taught, but I can't get my mind to work that way, it takes me even longer than just counting on my fingers. My mother isn't very good at maths either, but ask her to answer "19 + 7" and immediately she'd say 26.

When I failed my maths exam for college, the tutor asked me "5x5" and, I was so embarrassed that, at 19, I had to use my fingers and go "5, 10, 15, 20, 25". It should be easy, even if you're not brilliant at maths, you should know that. I've known plenty of people who were bad at maths but they could answer that question before me. I even get confused on my ones. Is 1 x 3 one, or three? I figure it out after about 10 seconds, but a 19 year old struggling with her one times table?

Unfortunately, you really do need alot of maths for Meteorology. They won't even consider me if I don't make an A grade in maths on my final college exam.

Also, I live in the UK, and they're alot tougher with maths. Only on certain questions are you allowed to use calculators, and in class, unless specifically told, calculators aren't allowed. Most of the time, you're not allowed a calculator.

NOPE, it is simple basic math, with NO multiplications.

7(the number to multiply by nine)-1(ALWAYS one)=6!
9(ALWAYS 9)-6(from above statement)=3!

63(first digit and second digit together)

BTW I should have mentioned this only works up to 10.

For 10, it COULD be
10-9=9
9-9=0
90

ALSO, all digits should add up to 9!

63=6+3=9
72=7+2=9
90=9+0=9

Of course, with 10*9, it is just easier to reverse it and say 10 times 9, where the rule is the number with a following 0. I am SURPRISED how many don't know that, but I'm sure YOU see the pattern:

10
20
30
40
50
...



I always figure:

19+7=17+9

If I add 9 to a number, just subtract one from the ones digit, and add one to the tens:


1+1=2
7-1=6

19+7=26
17+9=26




Yeah, I'm not great at math either, but can do that. I guess the educational system is even worse than I thought. If it is any consolation to you, I know people I work with are often worse than I am.



Are you kidding? I'm serious, I don't mean to be insulting. With ones, it is always what you started with. Oh well, I guess it must be difficult for SOMEONE! They made up a rule for it. It is known as the IDENTITY property. THAT states that any number divided by or multiplied by one is equal to itself and any number which has zero added to or subtracted from it is equal to itself.



I hate to say it, but you REALLY need to study this stuff. You don't have a chance of getting very far without it.

How did they let you pass without having some of this stuff down BY HEART?

BTW FORGET about the dyscalculia. It is NOT a factor in the X*1=X(?) question. And I wouldn't trust any diagnosis, if I were you, without knowing some stuff like that.

Not to be harsh but you keep asking this, do you what you think is best.

No one can say over the internet whether you should or shouldn't because we don't know you so how can we tell you what is best?

Universities in the UK allow calculators in exams, so this should alleviate some anxiety. You could also get a maths tutor to help you through university.

I have dyscalculia (as I have mentioned in previous posts regarding your queries) and receive extra time for statistics exams and a tutor. However, in terms of papers being marked differently because of difficulty with maths, this doesn't happen at university, all exams are marked anonymously and the marker is not privy to individual students needs.

Personally, I think that it is your nerves because you state that you're not that bad at maths and can do the problems after the exam, something I can't!

It's up to you, do what you think is best.

2ukenkerl; Thanks for the explanation, it makes much more sense now. Very helpful. Yes, I do, embarrasingly have trouble with my ones. More on the level of the words confusing me, perhaps . I knew I shouldn't have mentioned it.

I realise I need to study. I'm not trying to get this assessment as an excuse to be lazy. Even with a diagnosis, I'll need to study like HELL just to get an A. I need all the help I can get with maths. If I do have Dyscalculia, I don't want to ignore it, and find that extra time on an exam could have been helpful. I know my difficulties better than I can explain here, and both my mum and Asperger's support worker agree I could have it, and both agree I will need the help.

You mean high school? I left at 14 due to severe bullying, so I never sat my exams. The teachers didn't care about me anyway. I went straight to a community college at 15.

Pixie-Bell; I only asked again because I didn't really get enough information the last time I asked. I know this is my decision, I wrote that at the bottom, I was just looking for a little more information...



Thanks, that was the kind of information I was looking for . I have asked around here but no one seems to know and I keep getting different people telling me different things. Some say I will get help, some say I won't. Who knows. I thought the people on WrongPlanet might help to make things a bit more clear...