Math has always felt personal and not in a good way. Numbers blur, flip, vanish, or refuse to behave the way everyone promised they would. Estimating time, money, or distance can feel
like guessing in a game where everyone else got the rules in advance. You may understand big ideas perfectly and still struggle to add quickly or remember basic math facts. This is not because you are careless or not trying hard enough. Your brain just does not process numbers automatically. You may compensate by double checking everything, avoiding math
when possible, or feeling a quiet sense of dread when someone says “it’s simple.” It is simple for them. It is work for you.

This diagnosis refers to persistent difficulties in learning and using mathematical skills that are
not explained by overall intellectual ability or lack of instruction. It supports the use of
accommodations such as calculators, extra time, and alternative teaching strategies. A good
clinician will emphasize that this is a learning difference, not a limitation, and will agree that
mental math under pressure is an extremely unnecessary sport.