Asperger's and the math stereotype

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I'm good at math, but I dont really like it (Although, I don't mind it as much anymore) . I also know a friend who may or may not be an aspie ( She has a couple of traits of AS) who would happily burn math alive.

I am completely useless at maths. I fail even the most basic of tests as the numbers simply make no sense to me at all. I have never managed to 'get' maths and it has caused my problems I must admit. Ask me to write a report and I will blow your socks off, but ask me to do accounts and, well...... hmm.

I am the only person in my Works history to have their access to the e-financial system revoked as I caused so much chaos

I'm predicted an A for my GCSE maths results. -shrugs- But I used to be very bad at maths and receive very low grades until I was tutored. Maths is one of my favourite subjects and always has been. I would like to become a mathematician for my future career.

I fit the stereotype. I even graduated with a degree in math.

I have problems with basic arithmetic but find calculus and geometry easier.

I like math and love learning it, but haven't done so since I was in High School. I just find it interesting how you can use an equation to predict all sorts of things - it's a fascinating idea and concept. However, I don't think I'm a math wiz, and I need to be reminded how to do things all the time. What I didn't like about high school was that they gave you the knowledge, but no idea on application, which I complained about a lot (they probably thought I was stirring though). I did win the math award for my year in grade 9, but after that, my time and energy went into more creative pursuits, so my mathematical abilities lagged behind.

Tony Attwood says that Aspies can certainly be more creatively or linguistically orientated in their skills and interests, which is definitely true for me. I think the math thing is definitely a myth.

Aspies seem to be good with patterns, logic and looking outside the box, which can be applied in a range of fields, not just math.

I'm good with basic math -- can quickly add and subtract in my head and so forth. Algebra didn't get me any problems in high school or college. I could do plane geometry, but there my skills end. I couldn't get analytical geometry at all and calculus -- hell, not even calculus but just a really basic intro -- kicked my ass.

I definitely fit the Aspie math stereotype (other than how much I suck at arithmetic).

I'm terrible at math. In fact I was told I have Dyscalculia (dyslexia for math).

I had terrible trouble learning the multiplication tables. I hated rote learning and that stage of math was nothing but. So I started out feeling like I was just stupid and no good in math. Then I had a teacher who paid attention to something odd: I was exceptionally good at logic and used algebraic thinking in many class activities without having been taught algebra. This was around the same time they had given me a ton of tests to try and figure out why I was off in various ways and I was seeing the counselor who taught me to look at faces.

After all the testing, I was skipped a year ahead in math and then in everything, but I still had trouble with multiplication and division, because I didn't have a ready memory of the tables. I also could not remember the alphabet and had to go through the song to in order to alphabetize. But I was very good at algebra and geometry and was thereafter in advanced classes up to high school. Unfortunately, we stopped at probability and statistics and did not move from functions to calculus, so I never got calculus.

I had a friend in my physics class and one evening studying together I realized that he was just flat out better than me and I decided there was no point in continuing with math and physics at that point. It seemed logical at the time (limited grant money should go to guys like him, rather than the merely very good) so I gave up what was the central passion and interest in my life. In retrospect, this may have been an example of inapporpriate black & white thinking.

Recently in my role as a parent, I have discovered how much I enjoy and how the obstacles that once plagued me in school have mostly melted away and I am really enjoying math again. I am going through everything I know, shoring up any weaknesses in order to continue and learn calculus and the rich ideas beyond both to satisfy my craving for math-dependant knowledge and for the sheer pleasure of working with the equations. I was very pleased to discover how much is available through Khan Academy and Coursera...

I really do enjoy the patterns in harmonies in math, but that early trouble with the multiplication tables is part of the differences in my brain that are the basis for my autism, I think.

In terms of aspie stereotype, I do love math, science and programming . I always had a large vocabulary and verbal expression was never a problem, except for handwriting and social contextual issues.

When I was in high school, our semester was broken into three six week periods with a test at the end of each period and a grade on the report card for that period and then a final exam for the semester.

In freshman algebra, I made a C the first six weeks, an F for the second and third six weeks, and a 100 on the final exam for the semester.

What happened was that Upchurch, the teacher, was trying to flunk me out of his class. He hated my entire family. When my next to the oldest brother was in his class ten years earlier, Upchurch regularly poked fun at my brother in front of the entire class and flunked him in spite of the fact that he helped out many of the other students in the class on the homework.

My sister was a year younger than my next to the oldest brother and was in the same class when he retook the class, again with Upchurch as the teacher. As a little kid, the only high school teacher I knew the name of was Upchurch because she was constantly furious at him for how he treated my older brother.

So when I was taking freshman algebra, Upchurch flat told me that he wanted me out of his class and into the "related math" class for those who weren't able to do algebra.

After making a 100 on the final exam that first semester, I made A's the rest of the time in his class. I always thought that it was me making a 100 on the exam that turned him around and convinced him that I could do the work.

I ended up with a BS and MS in Math.

A few years ago after my father died, my mother told me what really happened. When my father saw my grades, he was pissed off because he knew I could do the math. He went and had a talk with Upchurch and threatened him in some way. It may have been a physical threat, but I think it was more likely a legal threat. That's what turned him around, not anything I did.

When my younger brother was in Upchurch's class, Upchurch reverted to his old ways, but not quite as blatant about it. My younger brother and a friend of his were both doing quite well in the class but Upchurch flunked them anyway. The father of the friend was on the school board and used his influence to kick Upchurch out of the school. That was the last time Upchurch ever taught a high school class.

Prior to entering high school, I had an encounter with Upchurch that was odd. He was also a school bus driver and his school bus was usually considered the neatest and most orderly in the entire school system. Once when my parents were out of town for two weeks, my younger brother and I stayed with our cousins who rode Upchurch's bus. In that two weeks, we wrecked mayhem on that bus. Every day at lunch time, we would run downtown and buy all the candy we could with the money in our pockets. Then we would sell it on Upchurch's bus for two to five times what we paid for the candy. We'd basically start each afternoon ride home with a candy auction. For that two weeks, that bus was a mess with all the candy wrappers and Upchurch was mad as hell at us for disrupting his school bus.

Upchurch died a couple of months ago, but I didn't see any point in going to his funeral.

I did pretty good at the multiplication tables. However, I was sick the day we did 7x8 and 6x9 and it took me a while to learn to get those two correct.

Your story upset me and I was very happy to read this line.

I am glad you got your degrees in math.

Ditto. There are some people who are just douchebags and have no business teaching children. I had a couple of teachers (and the class counselor) who made a point of mocking me or my work in front of the class. Another 11th grade history teacher was fired after cornering various female students and trying to fondle them. And my brother's 4th grade teacher used to use threats of physical violence to control the class. I'm not talking about sending them to the office for a spanking. She told one student that she was going to tear off his arm and beat him with the bloody end.

I agree -- there was no point in you attending the funeral. Although, it might have been interesting to see if any other students showed up. Maybe you and your family weren't the only ones he gave a hard time to -- there may have been several.

I'm terrible at math I've said this before but it frustrates me, I believe I have some kind of math learning disability that hinders me but also when I was younger I was harassed for it in some bad ways that left me with an actual fear of math that gives me a decent amount of anxiety, I had trouble flipping numbers around when I was younger and a poor short term memory, but nobody ever figured this out and assumed I was lazy or mentally disabled, I actually managed a double A in one high school math class so I had no trouble understanding it once it was explained to me in a straightforward way, yes now that I think about it a less detailed way then had been taught to me before.

I enjoy learning about math and numbers themselves have always fascinated me, but I can't even do a lot of basic math to be honest, I don't know if I'll ever get any better, I'd like to though.

I've always been bad at maths. I used to dread it when I was at primary school because it always seemed so hard to me. I just could never keep up and spent maths sessions being really lost and confused. I remember often my mind used to drift off during maths sessions, and the teachers would get angry at me like I was doing something bad, and would make me miss tomorrow's playtime because of it. I wasn't intending not to get my work done. I just used to get stuck, and put up my hand to ask for help but the teacher was too busy doing something else, and suddenly I would look out of the window and get lost in a daydream.

I didn't mind maths so much at secondary school, because we were put in classes based on our intelligence on the subject, and of course I was put in the lowest class with kids who had learning difficulties. I could relax more though, because we were all taught on the same level and so I got the helped I needed, plus there was only about 9 of us in the group so everybody received the help they needed.