#learning disorder

[mxmorbidmidnight]

You know those teachers who would have posters in their classrooms like “weird is a superpower” and “in a world where you can be anything, be kind” then would proceed to scream at a neurodivergent child until they cried.

[i-may-be-an-emu]

Shout out to people who can not tell the time

Shout out to people who need a little longer to figure out the time

Shout out to people who can't do "quick" maths in their head

Shout out to people who need to use a calculator for even "simple" maths

Shout out to people who need others to read number a for them

Shout out to people who cry over maths and numbers

Shout out to people who say the wrong numbers when reading or talking about prices and the time of day

Shout out to people who can't read charts and graphs

Shout out to people who get confused with mathematical concepts

Shout out to people who can't read music because it seems mathematical to them

Shout out to people who's maths struggles limit them

Shout out to people with dyscalculia or math struggles, basically. I am with you. I am here for you. I see you. It sucks, and most of the world doesn't even know about dyscalculia. But it'll be ok. It won't go away but people will help you, you can adapt. I love you. Screw math ❤

[spale-vosver]

"man I wish I JUST had dyslexia you're less likely to graduate college?? well I'm more likely to DIE bc im PHYSICALLY DISABLED!!!" folks with learning disabilities are also more likely to die young but you wouldn't know that bc you don't want to get off your soapbox and acknowledge that while yes, NDs often talk over physically disabled folks (which is wrong!) that doesn't mean their disabilities are any less...well...disabling. (before you get on my ass I am physically disabled, with conditions that reduce my life expectancy significantly).

"Oh well ADHD-" ADHD doubles the risk of premature death

Here are more sources if you don't believe me

Intellectually disabled people die on average 20 years earlier than those of average intelligence

Autistic people are more vulnerable to premature death across a range of causes

Individuals with tic disorders are more than twice as likely to die young as individuals without

Individuals with Cluster B PDs lose anywhere from 9-13 years of life expectancy due to their disorder, and 1 in 5 kill themselves

So next time you try to pull the "WELL AT LEAST YOU AREN'T AT RISK OF DYING BECAUSE OF YOUR EASY PEASY DISABILITY UNLIKE MINE", actually research whether or not that's true before you show your own ass.

[maths-screaming]

Things That Are and Are Not Changing as a Result of Re-Teaching Myself Basic Math

Things That Are Changing

I am less anxious about basic math.

I have more tools for doing basic arithmetic problems.

I'm better at identifying which will be the fastest or easiest tool for any given problem.

I can more quickly and easily ID when an exact answer is needed or when an estimate will suffice.

I'm marginally better at noticing when an answer can't be correct.

Things That Are Not Changing

I still transpose numbers frequently.

I still transpose operations frequently (adding when I should subtract, dividing when I should multiply, etc.)

I still have initial anxiety when looking at a math problem, before the "oh yeah, I have more tools for addressing this now" kicks in.

I still frequently mix up my right and my left.

My sense of direction is still bad.

I cracked Maths - No Problem! Textbook 4A today, putting me halfway through the series. I'm making this list for future reference, because I suspect the things that aren't changing will continue to not change.

Better math education won't change the fact that I have dyscalculia. I didn't expect it to, but I also didn't know what it would or wouldn't change. When I started this, I didn't know where my dyscalculia ended and my poor math education or math anxiety began.

Still, if we can fix "poor math education" and "math anxiety," I'll be much further ahead than when I started - and more willing to live with the dyscalculia.

[robertseanleonardthinker]

i see actually neurodivergent trending so i just wanna say shoutout to my fellow learning disability ppl bc disorders other than adhd and autism r often left out when talking abt neurodivergency on the internet. we r all so awesome and cool and hot and smart regardless of our learning disabilities and i am kissing u all on the forehead so gently

[topazadine]

A Primer on Dyscalculia: The Learning Disorder You Weren't Told About in School

I rarely see people discussing this learning disability, to the point that many believe it doesn't exist (ie, saying math is the universal language and everyone understands it but just doesn't try) so I thought I'd explain a bit about what it is.

Dyscalculia is a learning disability characterized by difficulty with math, numbers, and some systematic learning that requires the use of memorization and application. Like its relative, dyslexia, it is not that someone is "stupid" or "not trying hard enough" to learn math; our brains are essentially wired not to absorb information in this form.

Common symptoms of dyscalculia include:

Inability to do basic math problems

Struggling to count, often using their fingers to count

Difficulty using multiplication and division

Challenges with visualizing heights, lengths, and widths

Difficulty counting change

Struggling to read a clock or divide time into reasonable measurements

Challenges with memorizing numbers, dates, and sequences

No one is actually sure how many people have dyscalculia because it is rarely diagnosed. Right now, estimates are around 3% to 7% of the population, but this is likely a vast underrepresentation.

Educators still believe the myth that everyone can do math and that those who say they can't are just refusing to apply themselves. This causes lifelong problems for dyscalculiacs because if not treated early enough, it is nigh-on untreatable.

Many people with dyscalculia may complete math problems in unusual and time consuming ways. For example, if you asked me to divide 145 by 5 without a calculator, this is how my brain would have to do it:

100 by 5 (20)

20 by 5 (4), then multiply this by 2 (8), then divide 5 by 5 (1)

And finally, add up all the results (20+8+1) to get 29.

Numbers that are not easily divisible or "chunked" like this would be nigh-on impossible for me to do in my head. I wasn't able to memorize the times tables and in fact needed a laminated times table well into elementary school (think 5th grade).

I distinctly remember feeling like everyone else was on the helm of the USS Enterprise when they could so easily shout out answers to simple multiplication or division problems, and I was always the last person to do those stupid times table sheets. Sometimes I couldn't even complete half of it by the time everyone else was done.

I failed 3rd grade math class and had to be assigned a tutor. This was despite getting all As in every single other class. In fact, I failed multiple math classes during my academic career.

Since my grades were so high in other classes, I had to petition to be put in a remedial math class. Everyone assumed that because I did well in things like English, science, civics, and so on, I must have been able to do what my peers could.

A college-level physics class was the hardest class I have ever done in my life, and I have a Master's degree in International Relations, which requires a lot of very dry and complicated political theory. That is the A I am most proud of because it required far more effort than anything before or since.

No one told me what dyscalculia was or identified a problem throughout my entire time in education. I had to seek out resources myself in adulthood before finally learning what my problem was. This, of course, led to significant "math fear" and self-esteem issues, especially in a society that is obsessed with STEM.

This learning disability can have far-reaching effects and impact things that other people may not even consider. There are many connections between systematized learning and math.

Dyscalculiacs may also have trouble with:

Learning languages

Playing musical instruments (because sheet music and tempos are a form of language + math, though it is possible to learn by ear)

Reading maps, including general world geography

Estimating distances

Navigating a new place because they can't make "mental maps"

Dancing (due to the sequencing)

Reading diagrams

Remembering step-by-step instructions without a cheat sheet

Completing complex tasks that have a lot of steps

Starting a project that necessitates doing things in a certain order, such as building something

Cooking or baking (because it requires measuring and matching measurements to specific ingredients)

Repeating sequences, like a phone number

Remembering numbered streets or highways (like I-480, 5th street, or etc)

Playing games that require counting or keeping score, like Yahtzee, card games, and so on

Completing spreadsheets with numbers

Of course, not every dyscalculiac will struggle with all of these things because there are different degrees of severity. Many also learn tactics to compensate. For example, I never learned sheet music but did well in choir because I memorized all the songs entirely by ear.

I have developed visualizations of common routes I travel and can navigate to them by remembering the landmarks I pass. If you tried to ask me specific step-by-step directions of anywhere, I couldn't tell you, but I can tell you that you'll pass a KFC on your right if you're going east (parallel to Lake Erie), and then you will turn left at the big shopping center.

There are plenty of adaptations that everyday people use which are lifelines to dyscalculiacs in ways that other people may never recognize. Formulas on spreadsheets, conversion websites, built-in calculators, and turn-by-turn navigation apps are all examples of accommodations that appeal to everyone but are especially important to dyscalculiacs.

So, the next time you scoff and say "everyone can do math, they're just being lazy" or "cooking is easy" or "anyone can learn a second language if they want to" or "using a calculator is cheating" and so on:

Recognize that you are ignoring a very real learning disability. These statements are ableist.

Such rhetoric is equally damaging as anti-dyslexic statements like "everyone can learn to read," "open dyslexic fonts are ugly," "audiobooks are cheating," "video lessons are lazy" and things of that ilk.

Ableism takes many forms, many of which people refuse to recognize. Difficulty with math is a widespread problem, and it often has nothing to do with trying hard enough or refusing to learn. I remember breaking down in tears trying to do my times table; I would spend hours trying to understand them.

These issues are NOT a lack of willpower or application. They have to do with real neurological deficits. Please be kind to those who can't do math, and stop assuming we're lazy.

[its-murderous-business]

An Introduction to Nonverbal Learning Disorder

Happy disability pride month! I am celebrating by trying to educate people about my learning disorder, because it is one of the least known learning disabilities and deserves more recognition.

What is Nonverbal Learning Disorder?

Nonverbal Learning Disorder (also called Non-Verbal Learning Disability and other variations on the same name), often shortened to NLD or NVLD, is not a new concept, but the idea of it as its own diagnosis is relatively recent. A common misconception upon hearing the name is that people with NVLD are non-verbal, but this is not the case. The name essentially refers to the fact that people with this disability are affected in almost every area except verbal and language skills, where they often excel.

What areas can NVLD effect?

NVLD can take a lot of forms, and not everyone with it will be affected in every area, and other areas are also able to be affected this is just a general list:

- exceptional skills in the areas of comprehension (understanding) and production (ability to utilize) of verbal language. Basically, we are really good at reading, writing, speech, spelling, and have large vocabularies.

- difficulties with visual spatial processing skills. Fun fact, NVLD was briefly called Visual Spatial Processing Disorder! Visual spatial processing is a term that describes the process of seeing things and then understanding how they relate to one another in space.

- difficulties with understanding non-verbal forms of communication such as tone, facial expressions, gestures, metaphors and exaggerations, and (sometimes) context.

- difficulties with math, including arithmetic, fractions, geometry, telling time, pattern recognition, and much more. This can be very similar to dyscalculia.

- difficulties socializing (often presents similar to the social difficulties faced by autistic people)

- other miscellaneous neurodivergent traits such as hyperfixations, difficulty regulating emotions, distress when faced with change, sensory overload, motor skill and coordination deficits, attention deficits, and executive dysfunction

How does that affect people with NVLD on the day to day?

Let’s use me as the example. I love to talk to people but I often run into issues because I take things very literally, struggle to read social cues, and can have trouble connecting with others. Growing up I was always in advanced English and literature classes, but was in special education for math due to my extreme difficulties with it. I have a lot of trouble dealing with last minute changes in my plans and loud noises bother me A Lot.

I struggle greatly with visual spatial processing skills, specifically for me that can manifest as not knowing where my body is in space (causing me to bump into things a lot), difficulty navigating maps, struggles with knowing left from right, a complete inability to use the knowledge of how an object looks from one angle to visualize how it would look from another angle, and many other things.

NVLD can present in a number of different ways and affect different parts of peoples lives. I have multiple neurodivergent comorbidities which can make it difficult to tease the exact symptoms apart from one another, but there are plenty of articles online where people discuss their own experiences if you look for them.

Is NVLD in the DSM/an official diagnosis?

ehhhhh it’s complicated. NVLD is not currently it’s own differentiated diagnosis within the DSM-5, however it can be diagnosed (as it is with me) under the DSM-5 as Specific Learning Disorder with Impairment in Mathematics which serves as a sort of catch all for any learning disability that affects math or areas other than reading/writing.

NVLD as its own diagnosis is a relatively new idea, as historically it’s been lumped within other diagnoses (typically autism, adhd, or specific learning disability). However over the last 15 years and especially the last 5 years, there has been a significant increase in academic literature and acknowledgement of NVLD as its own distinct diagnosis. Columbia University has been conducting research on the disorder alongside the NVLD Project, which is the only organization that exclusively does advocacy, education, and research around NVLD. These groups are doing a lot of work to attempt to get NVLD classified as its own diagnosis in future editions of the DSM.

How common is NVLD? What causes it?

NVLD is uncommonly diagnosed due to lack of official DSM recognition, misidentification as other neurodiverse conditions, and lack of awareness of NVLD from neuropsych evaluators. However one study from earlier this year estimated that between 1-8% of children have NVLD depending on what diagnostic criteria is used.

There has been some early evidence that NVLD is the result of dysfunction in the right hemisphere of the brain or more specifically the inability of the right hemisphere of the brain to effectively communicate to the left hemisphere.

Why are you telling me all of this?

The majority of people do not know that NVLD exists, and as such those of us with this condition often get left out of neurodivergent and disability communities. I would like to be included in advocacy and understood by the community since we all face very similar challenges! I really encourage y’all to learn more about Non-Verbal Learning Disability

Here are some links to learn more!

From the Child Mind Institute

Psychology Today article

From ADDitude Magazine

Article from Very Well Mind

Medical News Today article

Learning Disorder Association of America article

From Learning Disability Association of Ontario

And of course the aforementioned NVLD Project website!

[raivo-hunt]

Hey y'all I was just wondering, is it ok for me to self diagnose myself with AuDHD and Dyscalculia?

I've done lots of research on it and I check off a lot of boxes and I relate to a lot of the neurodivergent memes and characters

I noticed that I get along better with neurodivergent people and a few people in my life have mentioned that I might have AuDHD+Dyscalculia

I really want to get an official diagnosis but my mom could care less about helping me and I think it requires money (I'm poor ASF)

I did go to a place awhile back that said I was "mentally disabled" but they didn't say with what unfortunately....

[tinydancerfreelancersblog]

I love it! 🤣🤣🤣🤣

P.S. Fuck ableists!

[inhumanliquid]

Happy learning disorder awareness month to folks with ones that aren't dyslexia, btw. I'm sorry nobody's aware of us. We should be allowed to kill with our teeth about it.

[themogaidragon]

Neurodevelopmental Disability Pride Flag

PT: Neurodevelopmental Disability Pride Flag /end PT

ID: a five striped flag oriented diagonally from the top left corner to the bottom right corner over a yellowish black background. The colors of the stripes are, from top to bottom, yellow, grey, white, grey, and yellow. End ID

TW eyestrain, bright colours, flashing! Original neurodevelopmental disorder flag here (link).

[nld-as-insights]

What is Set Shifting?

Set shifting, or shifting, is the skill of moving one’s attention from thinking about one topic to thinking about another. It is often harder for autistic people and people with non-verbal learning disorder (NLD or NVLD)/developmental visual spatial disorder (DVSD).

If a child has difficulty shifting, they might become more upset than most children would when their caregivers tell them to stop playing to get ready to go somewhere. Their teacher might comment that they have trouble with transitions.

If you have trouble shifting, it might be harder to time the cooking of meals with multiple dishes where you have to pull your attention away from the greenbeans to check on the potatoes. It might be hard to follow unstructured group conversations where you have to move your attention quickly from one speaker to another. It might be hard to chat with co-workers while getting work done even if it is the kind of work that most people can do while chatting.

If it takes you longer than it takes most people to refocus on your work after getting interrupted, you may feel extra annoyed when people interrupt you. You might have a habit of getting in the middle of a project, realizing you need to do something else more important on your to do list, but finishing the project anyway so that you do not have to switch tasks so often.

If you take care of a child who has difficulty set shifting, one strategy that can help is giving the child warnings for when it is almost time to switch activities. If you are a teenager or an adult, you can give yourself warnings with watch and phone timers and alarms. You can also educate people about your difficulty set shifting so they can understand you better.

Set shifting is a skill in a group of skills called executive functioning skills.

Julia

[undiagnosed-autistic]

Question for neurodivergent people?

Is focusing too much a thing? Sometimes I have the feeling that I can't control my ability to focus and that I can only choose between don't doing the thing and doing the thing but with so much focus that afterwards I feel sick (I usually am nauseous, lightheaded, exhausted).

It's like my brain thinks that I have to do the thing fast and at the best of my abilities, like it's a matter of life and death. I don't know how to explain it better, has anybody experienced something similar?

[maths-screaming]

In which I do some coloring

Discovering that numbers have patterns and relationships is absurdly exciting to me. If someone had told me this at any time in my childhood, I might not have feared and hated math so much.

So I printed this 1-100 number chart I found online and colored it. Numbers 2-9 are each assigned a color, in rainbow-esque order (pink, red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, indigo, violet). Each square has a stripe representing each color it is a multiple of/can be evenly divided by. When I ran out of stripes, I finished filling in the square with the final stripe to indicate "that's as far as this number goes."

Is it useful? idk. Was it fun? Very much so.

Numbers are friends. Friends have relationships. Now I know who not to seat next to each other at my (imaginary) wedding. Whee.

[disabledsysboxes]

Learning disabilities - 1

Dyslexia requested anonymously