Today, I did some research on the net to understand the results of an IQ-test I took a long time ago. My point was to understand how the doctor came to the conclusion that I have an operational dyscalulia. Maybe it would help me to make progress in the way I deal with it.
These WAIS-III (see wikipedia for basics) test results mention a V-IQ and a P-IQ and there is an important different between both on my sheet. The numbers stuff were all under V-IQ, where I scored lower. ??

Here are some of the sites I read:
- http://pareonline.net/getvn.asp?v=7&n=22
- www.radford.edu/~bhiltons/IQ%20Test%20InterpretationWAIS.ppt
- Wikipedia of course

What I found out was that the report was unclear because it showed my results in this grouping (VIQ-PIQ). It was impossible to deduce anything this way.


When I grouped my results under the four categories VCI, WMI, POI & PSI, the interpretation jumped out: the problem was all under WMI (Working memory Index).
"Working Memory Index:
Number ability and sequential processing. Responding to oral stimuli that involve the handling of numbers and/or letters in a step-by-step, sequential fashion and require a good, nondistractible attention span for success"
My scores were lower on Digit Span and much lower on Arithmetic: A poor short-term memory makes it hard for me to do arithmetics, calculus and remember procedures easily.
In practice, I've learned that simply using pen & paper or a calculator or an Exel worksheet is all I need to be operational with numbers. Where things can go wrong is when the subject of the discussion is numbers. Unless I get enough time to visualise, to give the numbers a framework, they quickly end being a part of my reality. Or worse, I misunderstand their value (Million? Billion? Zillion? whatever!).
A funny one is when I tell a whole story about something and after a while I'm asked if I don't mean the opposite. It turns out I've been using the opposite term all the time (i.e. dyslexia instead of dyscalculia)
Now, what I have is only a light form of dyscalculia. It's no fun but it's manageable. I can learn to get around it.
Learning disabilities can also have advantages. Some people mention a sort of "gift" they have. I think - not sure- that mine make me better at grasping the big picture, visualising, seeing patterns.

Check out the links I mention or Google for more. Brains are interesting subjects
Brucelle