Dyscalculia - Numberphile

An expert on on cognitive neuropsychology speaks to us about his research on the seldom-discussed "dyslexia for numbers".
More links & stuff in full description below ↓↓↓

Professor Brian Butterworth is based at University College London.

Dyscalculia is a learning disability involving mathematics and numbers.

NUMBERPHILE

Videos by Brady Haran

[buffypython]

I agree with Brady; when there were 7 dots, I counted the 4 & 3, even though the researcher said people don't do that. 

[AmyGoes]

I got diagnosed when I was 14 years old. Unfortunately, to that point every single math teacher had more or less given me the feeling of being dumb because I could not do lots of stuff. This is as real as dyslexia and people, especially teachers, need to know about it.

[DrBadHorse]

I look at the dots and my brain automatically goes in panic mode. I have to intentionally calm down and focus and then count one by one.

[soyestboi]

I have dyscalculia. Would have been nice to even know that it existed when I was in school lol

[sasharose]

With this you can't pass your math sol in order to graduate. It ends lives before their lives even start. How many generations will go through this before it's taken seriously?!

[Nemetona]

Its a real pain! Especially when you have problems telling the time on a clock. I seem to loose track of time.

[burger_kinghorn]

I'm pretty bad at counting and arithmetic (probably because of too little working memory). However I have degrees in Math and Statistics. I am very dependent on calculators/computers but I can look at equations and mentally do algebraic manipulations. It's a far more important skill to correctly set up a problem and work through the logic. To equate math to rote calculations would be like typing random letters and calling it literature.

There is an old joke:
There are 3 kinds of mathematicians
1. The ones who can count
2. The ones who can't

[upitgal]

I have avoided maths all my life. I was awful I couldn’t even learn the times tables.

[Lord_Skeptic]

The way I would group the dots together would depend on how the dots were laid out

[Pegasus]

Crazy Texan (looking at the night sky): "Look at all them stars--how many do you think there are?"
Homer Simpson: "Two."

[SteveAubrey]

I was diagnosed w/ Discalculia in 2010. The problem was I was then 49. When I was a child in the 60s and 70s, I could not do math. The teachers and my parents didn't know what to do w/ me. If I wasn't stupid, then I was being rebellious, or lazy, a slacker, ect.
I kinda laughed when he was talking about phone #'s and PIN #'s ! I can't remember phone #'s even if you tell me a couple of times- you, or I have to write them down. Ha! I do use the same PIN # for everything! Lol! I gave up trying to count those dots at 3:56 - 4:06, they were going by too fast! MiF

[atomwolf]

Currently studying software development. I don't know if I suffer from Dyscalculia. However, it took me years longer than everyone else in my primary school to learn how to tell the time with an analogue clock and to this day it still takes me a lot longer. I have to sit and count up the intervals and often get the hands mixed up. I'm studying software development so I had to learn all the basic arithmetic calculations for computers such as adding up binary numbers and hexadecimal addition calculations for an example and I just can't wrap my head around the logic. However, I'm very good at the programming and design side of things. When I'm at the shops I can count the money but I generally have to count it more than once because I feel I'll get it wrong. I don't feel comfortable with any basic arithmetic really.  

[pancakewalrus]

He seems like a really nice man. i would love to talk to him

[chipcuzz]

I've never been diagnosed with this but there's no doubt in my mind I have it.

[patriciaschuster]

I am 71 and use a computer to balance my checkbook. But I was 34 till I was diagnosed with dyscalcula. Short term memory with numbers is also a factor. Thank you!

[ryanstarfish]

10:52
"There's two there"
"Yeah...correct"

I like how he confirmed it was correct

[colleenmcbride]

I am 32 and was just diagnosed with Dyscalculia. It would have been so nice to have this diagnosis as a kid

[billiestanfield]

This has impacted my life in every way. It keeps me from doing so many things.

[chibi]

I'm fairly certain I have dyscalculia, probably a bit of dyslexia as well. I count the dots one by one. When I was in school I could understand how say, 2x3=6 but I couldn't understand how 3x2 equalled the same thing. I failed my university maths four times before finally passing. But understanding higher maths is a lot easier (or at least the concepts are).

[CryptoGemIta]

I do have Dyscalculia ad Dyslexia, still did a degree in Data Science and Finance and accounting ...was easy? not at all, but used many trick to learn and find the right way to get around my limitation