I believe I've discovered why I've always had so much trouble with Mathematics, but not only that, also why I have trouble reading out a string of numbers without buggering them up, and why I still find analogue clocks difficult to read even though I've had one on my wrist for 10 years.
I think I might have mild Dyscalculia... (Dis-Cal-Coolia)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dyscalculia
Dyscalculia is a specific learning disability where the person is completely normal, except that they have an inability to comprehend mathematical concepts.
I was reading the wikipedia article and several of the symptoms jumped out at me and made me think, YES! Thats ME!
- Difficulty with everyday tasks like checking change and reading analog clocks.
- Inability to estimating the cost of the items in a shopping basket.
- Difficulty with multiplication-tables, and subtraction-tables, addition tables, division tables, mental arithmetic, etc.
- May do fairly well in subjects such as science and geometry, which require logic rather than formulae, until a higher level requiring calculations is obtained. Mild dyscalculia is no obstacle to performance in higher, abstract mathematics that does not involve numerical calculations.
- Many of those who suffer from dyscalculia may have parents who perform well to excellent in Mathematics-related fields (such as architects, engineers, or math teachers), though this connection has yet to be genetically linked.
- Difficulty with conceptualizing time and judging the passing of time. May be chronically late or early.
- Having particular difficulty mentally estimating the measurement of an object or distance (e.g., whether something is 10 or 20 feet (3 or 6 metres) away).
- Often unable to grasp and remember mathematical concepts, rules, formulae, and sequences.
- An inability to read a sequence of numbers, or transposing them when repeated, such as turning 56 into 65.
- Difficulty keeping score during games.
- Difficulty with games such as poker with more flexible rules for scoring.
- Difficulty in activities requiring sequential processing, from the physical (such as dance steps or sports) to the abstract (signaling things in the right order). May have trouble even with a calculator due to difficulties in the process of feeding in variables.
- The condition may lead in extreme cases to a phobia or durable anxiety of mathematics and mathematic-numeric devices/coherences.
- Inability to concentrate on mentally intensive tasks.
- Low latent inhibition, i.e., over-sensitivity to noise, smell, light and the inability to tune out, filtering unwanted information or impressions. Might have a well-developed sense of imagination due to this (possibly as cognitive compensation to mathematical-numeric deficits).
- Mistaken recollection of names. Poor name/face retrieval. May substitute names beginning with same letter.
So...
That might just be my issue, apparently about 5% of the population have it. It's un-treatable, the only thing that can be done is to keep mathematics to real world practical applications.
Understanding of the condition is at it infancy, (About where the understanding of Dyslexia was 30 years ago)
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