Am I stupid for being in a lower class?

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user1001
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11 Feb 2011, 8:44 pm

I am male and 17 and I think I have autism or aspurgers and I would like to know am I dumb for being put back in a special math class? I was in special modified math classes for two years and then I finaly moved into my algerbra 1 class during when I was a junior and I tried it for one semester and I failed it but I feel so stupid because now I am going back into a remidial math class. I think I may be more autistic because I think people with aspurgers would be to smart to be put back in a special class. So now I think I am more autistic than aspurgers. I also feel really stupid now and I wonder if I have something wrong with me becasue I failed a low class. Am I the only one?



simon_says
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11 Feb 2011, 8:52 pm

I remember reading an account somewhere that said that people with AS can have remarkably uneven IQs. You might be above average in some areas and less able in others. I think I also remember a comment that slightly lower math ability was not unusual. But they also might be extremely gifted.

I assume anyone can have a range as well. But it sounds like there is something specifically observed with AS cases that they commonly have IQs that are uneven. I wasnt good with math and had to repeat courses in college.

But since I can't remember my source and neither of us are diagnosed, there is a lot of uncertainty in there.



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11 Feb 2011, 9:19 pm

I am smart and I failed algebra in high school. It could be any number of things, but many people who are good at one kind of math struggle with another. My son is smart, diagnosed AS and also struggles with math.

There are a lot of people with comorbid learning disabilities, and unfortunately there isn't as much research on how to help people with math as there is on how to help people who need to learn to read - but there is extra support out there.

If you need the extra help to learn algebra, by all means take it - I've always regretted just giving up on it (believe it or not, there's a lot of algebra in surprising places - cooking and photography, for instance.) It doesn't say anything about you as a person, or even as a student - and it doesn't say anything about where you are on the spectrum, either.



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11 Feb 2011, 9:28 pm

I was in remedial math with a special education teacher at my side the entire time. But I have an above average IQ. My strength is definately not math. I did used to be good at it and then that light went out. But I was in advanced English. Different people have different strengths and weaknesses. Including aspies. We're people too ;)


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draelynn
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11 Feb 2011, 11:20 pm

I have always sucked at math but was considered 'gifted' in several other classes. I am also left handed thus right brained. I SHOULD be good in math but I'm not. No one is good at everything. Try to be the best at what you are good at and just try your best at the rest. No one is good at everything.



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12 Feb 2011, 12:29 am

I'm 25 and I still think I should be in remedial mathematics. By the way I was in remedial mathematics at school.

No on SHOULD be good at maths if countless times they have tried it and failed. If they struggle with it they might have a learning disorder. That's not your fault. There's a learning disorder called discalculia that varies from mild symptoms of being bad at math to the severe symptoms of not being able to do it at all.
I'm only good at math when I'm on Ritalin. Maybe it's all the steps involved and if you really can't be bothered with carrying them out you'll do the problems quickly and make a few mistakes.

Also, aren't those people that are right brained more creative than logical? Those that are mostly left brained would be good at math. But it really doesn't matter. My sister is left handed and she's always hated maths.


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AS_mom
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12 Feb 2011, 1:07 am

I saw a video on YouTube with Temple Grandin, I can't remember the exact quote, but she stated that a lot of people on the Autism spectrum struggle with algebra or just can't do it at all so don't be overly hard on yourself and take what help you can to get through.



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12 Feb 2011, 1:12 am

I'm an aspie and I was horrible at math. I was in a remedial math programme as well. All that it meant is that math wasn't my forte.


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nostromo
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12 Feb 2011, 2:47 am

user1001 wrote:
I am male and 17 and I think I have autism or aspurgers and I would like to know am I dumb for being put back in a special math class? I was in special modified math classes for two years and then I finaly moved into my algerbra 1 class during when I was a junior and I tried it for one semester and I failed it but I feel so stupid because now I am going back into a remidial math class. I think I may be more autistic because I think people with aspurgers would be to smart to be put back in a special class. So now I think I am more autistic than aspurgers. I also feel really stupid now and I wonder if I have something wrong with me becasue I failed a low class. Am I the only one?

No. It doesn't mean you are dumb at all. E.g. My daughter has a learning disability, is almost a year behind in maths, yet is in the gifted program at her school (schools ideas not ours) because she is quite clever in many other areas.



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12 Feb 2011, 3:10 am

To the OP.
I find math difficult because of the way it is being taught in school. For me it is simply the way the teacher talks about math. It does not click with my way of thinking. Then if I want help... there are 30 other students and the teacher doesn't have time. Makes me wish the government spent more money on kids instead of cutting back spending and cutting taxes on companies. stupid government.

I believe that finding a private tutor will help you. It may be difficult to start off with him/her and he/she may not be intelligent enough to communicate properly (I find some people are too close minded) once you find a good tutor and have good communication you will be able to learn math very well.

I myself have trouble in math. I just dropped out actually. Grade 12 math. Not a graduation requirement.



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12 Feb 2011, 3:27 am

user1001 wrote:
I am male and 17 and I think I have autism or aspurgers and I would like to know am I dumb for being put back in a special math class? I was in special modified math classes for two years and then I finaly moved into my algerbra 1 class during when I was a junior and I tried it for one semester and I failed it but I feel so stupid because now I am going back into a remidial math class. I think I may be more autistic because I think people with aspurgers would be to smart to be put back in a special class. So now I think I am more autistic than aspurgers. I also feel really stupid now and I wonder if I have something wrong with me becasue I failed a low class. Am I the only one?



I haven't done grade level math since middle school because the teachers found out I was not learning and I wasn't grasping it. It was too abstract. Temple Grandin can't do algebra either due to how her mind works. But I think the problem was we moved and the kids in 7th grade were ahead of me where I was from 6th grade and each school district teaches math at a different pace. So I think I missed a huge step in between and my school didn't even bother to do catch up with me so I can be at the same level in math they are at. When I finished 6th grade, we were doing fractions and then finally learning square roots. Then we move to Montana and there is already algebra and pie stuff and all this other stuff I never heard about. But my brothers didn't seem behind in math. Mmmm. In fact my brother was ahead in math and did 5th grade math while he was in the 4th grade. Every year he did above grade level math.

I was also in special ed and had my work modified and it wasn't just math. It was for English and other classes that required work sheets or assignments. Only classes I didn't need help in was PE, art, and Choir.


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12 Feb 2011, 4:28 am

user1001 wrote:
I am male and 17 and I think I have autism or aspurgers and I would like to know am I dumb for being put back in a special math class? I was in special modified math classes for two years and then I finaly moved into my algerbra 1 class during when I was a junior and I tried it for one semester and I failed it but I feel so stupid because now I am going back into a remidial math class. I think I may be more autistic because I think people with aspurgers would be to smart to be put back in a special class. So now I think I am more autistic than aspurgers. I also feel really stupid now and I wonder if I have something wrong with me becasue I failed a low class. Am I the only one?


When I was in nursery school, teachers wanted me to retake the year because they thought I would never be able to do anything, I spent most of my primary school being considered stupid and hopeless (exceptfor one year) and ended up to be the best student in my third year of university.
They said I was going to be successful this year for my job and one of my friends who had to retake his 6 semester was supposed to be hopeless. I've just got fired, everyone likes him.

What I want to say is that you can be successful or fail academically depending on your interests, understanding and abilites but it will never mean anything about your intelligence and does not determine your future.

Intelligence is a complex thing, you cannot say that it's really linked with academical results, IQ, maths or something else. And most people tend to be stupid in an area because they don't have this ability.
I am pretty sure you are not stupid and I do not think IQ can determine your intelligence or your ability to succeed in school, from what I have read, lots of AS people fail while other succeed and not all of them are math geniuses or geniuses you see on telly.

By the way, I never really understood maths and I still do not consider myself to be stupid (except that I feel socially stupid), I know that I can analyse the world around me and have other skills, I am sure you have other skills too.



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12 Feb 2011, 5:55 am

I've always been crap with maths, but I'm much better at other things. If you have your strengths in other areas, I wouldn't worry at all. It's a myth that we're all really good at maths.



Pokelover14
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20 Feb 2012, 1:52 pm

I have always been in higher math classes but then I would be in lower than my grade level English classes so I can see why you would think that



Ellendra
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20 Feb 2012, 2:53 pm

I excelled in math and science, but failed high school because I couldn't write an essay to save my life. Some people learn certain things faster or slower than others. Nothing to be ashamed of.



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20 Feb 2012, 2:56 pm

As I am an evil nazi witch who happens to be exceptionally good at math I consider everyone who is bad ( bad meaning "can't even do calculus in the 10th grade!") at math to be stupid, and therefor I have concluded that the vast majority of the Earths population are idiots.

To be honest, I really don't think OPoster is that good at English either...


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