Just because I can memorize "X"

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Just because I can memorize "X" doesn't mean I can memorize your "X".

Anyhow, I have dyscalculia, or "math disability" or whatever the heck they call it these days. I've had it all my life but it was only diagnosed a few years ago. My tutor doesn't think I do, or at least questions it. She thinks I have brain damage due to ADHD meds as a kid (which I probably do). Anyhow, she's not mean or internationally disrespectful like my teachers at school were. I had another tutor who was more wanting to become my new BFF than to teach me. I fired her on the spot because tutoring wise, we were getting nowhere. Anyway, my current tutor I've been working with for almost three years now. I've REALLY improved working with her. I don't know if it's her or the fact, I'm older and can concentrate on things better than I could as a kid and comprehend. She used my special interests to help me. (for instance having me imagine having to construct a temporary holding pen for a sick or injured animal to teach the concept of perimeter and area). Something that probably did help the gears in my mind get moving. My mom home-schooled me since the fifth grade and was against incorporating my special interests into it...supposedly because in the real world the world wouldn't revolve around my special interests. My mom's way of incorporating my special interests was to threaten to take away access to them if I "didn't cooperate". Anyhow, I got better in math after working with someone who knew how to incorporate my special interests. Now, she wants me to memorize things like algebraic formulas and other mathematical concepts. I know she means well and I don't mind trying to memorize them, it's how she tells me to memorize them how ever I memorized all I know about meerkats and animals. I kinda find that offensive, but I don't think she means it to be though. I don't know how I memorized everything I know (or at least what laypeople think I know) and I defiantly didn't learn it overnight. I feel like I should be offended.

That's great you are doing good in maths and memorising well. The meerkats made me chuckle as here back in the U.K we have these annoying meerkats ads that drive me up the wall. So you feel offended because she uses the meerkat? If that so you can talk to her about it. Explain to her which really bugs you. She probably doesn't know it, and maybe both of you can come up with a better alternative. Keep up the good work.

Yeah, I don't think NTs understand how we can memorize loads of facts related to our special interests but can't seem to remember other things. I don't think we really understand why that is either. I have dyscalculia too (never diagnosed, but I was diagnosed with NVLD, which causes it), and I can't memorize how to do equations or any sort of math formula despite being able to remember every Simpsons episode; capitals, other cities, flags, and facts of every country; and every rule relating to grammar I've ever read. It's so weird how effortlessly we can memorize those things and they seem superhuman to NTs (but their social skills seem superhuman to me). I wish I could just choose to memorize whatever I want, but NVLD makes stuff actually worth memorizing fall out of my brain.

I wouldn't be able to memorize that stuff either because it always changes. It's easier to memorize addition and subtraction because it's counting and it's easier to remember division and multiplication because it never changes and algebra does. It was just too abstract. But yet I was able to memorize lines from my favorite movies and remember trivia I was interested in and remember video games well I play.

I think this is an instance of someone thinking that there's only one way to learn something. Maybe her reasoning is that you can only understand the formula if you have them memorised.

I've had people tell me "If you can't say it, then you can't do it." Like, if I can't verbally describe what it is I'm supposed to do, then I supposedly don't understand what it is I'm supposed to do.

Also, I have trouble memorising Spanish for my Spanish class at school, but I have memorised a bit of the German from the Hitler Rants parodies on my own accord. I speak neither language.

Different issues here. Personal, interpersonal, and cognitive.

You tudor should be commended for "thinking out of the box" and for using your animal obsession to teach you math.

But its sounds like she has gotten stuck in her own "box" by sticking with this novel technique she hit upon when it no longer works. You seem to have a hit a brick wall. And maybe its good for you to leave the "safety blanket" of a special interest, and maybe its good for you to try to just do rote memorization anyway.

But I relate. Though good at arithmatic I get suck at remembering highschool algebra. But sometimes I can call it up if I am fooling around with some subject I am interested in. Like I designed my own board game simulating naval warfare in world war two with battleships and cruisers and destroyers. Naval archetecture involves more math than does the study of the behavior of meerkats. So I got inspired to get my math on (so to speak) playing around with battleship design (if stick bigger guns on the same ship how many fewer guns would I be able I have? Or much speed would I loose if stuck thicker armor on the ship).

I'm like that but it's with a lot of random stuff. I'll be able to mesmerize something random from maybe a week or 2 ago, or something that I have an interest it. But even then I will have problems remembering things from like from a minute ago when I am doing something and then try to remember what it is I wanted to do.

I don't even have to be busy doing something to forget. I can be told to go do something, get half way through then forget or not know what to really do next and have to ask again what it is that needed to be done.