Extremely interesting article from The Red Tape Chronicles on MSNBC.com….just click the above title, “Math Disorder Makes Consumers Easy Prey.”
Having dyscalculia, financial situations are definitely where I find most of my problems. As they mention, it can be anything from memorizing my PIN numbers to calculating tips or totaling the cost of items I want to purchase. And I do HATE HATE HATE that I have to rely on people to help me out…but that’s what I have to do. I hate the fear of losing that help. But it’s something I just have to live with and make the best of.
My apologies for not writing lately. My family just moved into a new house at the end of May and things have been crazy. Between painting and learning how to hang curtain rods and patching holes and killing weeds, I haven’t had time for much else aside from playing with my two-and-a-half year old…
…and learning my new home address. Most people may not find this a big deal, but when you have dyscalculia, it can be interesting.
At first, I was doing pretty well and remembering what it was but the past two times I’ve had to write it down, I’ve been drawing a blank. And today I figured out why.
At our old apartment, our address was 714. To me, this wasn’t hard to memorize. I like three digit numbers because they aren’t too hard to remember and it’s a little easier with the ‘1’ in there. Who knows why…it’s just easier for me to visualize in my mind maybe.
Our new address is 817. Should be easy to remember for the same reasons…but this time I keep stumbling. And here’s why.
Both numbers have a 1 in them. And both numbers also have a 7 in them. Then the ‘8’ in the new address keeps throwing me off because if you double the ‘4’ in the old address you have an ‘8’.
All the numbers get jumbled in my head and all I know is that the ‘1’ is in the middle of the number. So these are the possible combinations I have to go through every time I want to write down my address…
817
718
418
814
417
714
Six possible combinations. Not too bad until you have to mentally go through them and the dyscalculia trips you up and your not sure which number you’ve already thought of before and which number you are overlooking: “714? 417? 814? 714? 418? 714?”
I’m not entirely sure how I can work this out in my head so when I’m asked my address or have to write it down, it comes out smoothly. I’ve never really had a problem with knowing my addresses in the past because I’ve always been able to break it down somehow and visualize it. But the big hangup I have with my dyscalculia is when I’m asked to give a number on the spot whether it is my zip code, my area code, my phone number, what time it is, etc. It just takes me several seconds too long to answer and whether I give the correct number or not, at that point I feel like everyone is looking at me oddly.
I suppose that I’ll just have to keep working on remembering that number and maybe carry it in my pocket too as a cheat sheet in case I really get stuck. Embarrassing, but I guess I’ll do what I have to do.
