Summary
Hi, my name is Victoria. I’m 15 years old, and I have dyscalculia. To most people, it might sound like a made-up word or just an excuse to be bad at math, but to me, it’s something I live with every day.
’ve been diagnosed with a mild form of dyscalculia, but even the mild version can impact my daily life. The biggest challenge has been school. I was diagnosed during my freshman year, which meant I didn’t have to wait until adulthood to understand why math had always felt impossible. But by then, I had already gone through years of school without support and that took a toll on both my grades and my self-esteem.
In subjects like English and history, I thrived. But in math, I was always at the bottom, struggling just to pass. I didn’t know what dyscalculia was, so I blamed myself. I studied longer than most of my peers, yet I still felt lost. I started to believe I was just dumb which it is feeling I wouldn’t wish on anyone.
Outside of school, the struggles continued. I couldn’t figure out sale prices while shopping and I often lost track of time and missed deadlines, also, reading analog clocks was almost impossible. These challenges added up and made everyday life harder than it needed to be.
Getting diagnosed felt like a weight lifted from my shoulders. I wasn’t lazy or incapable, my brain just worked differently. That realization gave me clarity, and that clarity inspired me to help others. I began writing a children’s book to raise awareness and provide comfort to kids like me.
In February 2025, I published My Math Mess. I gave it that name because that’s exactly what math felt like: a messy, frustrating experience. In the book, I explain dyscalculia like this: imagine a group of kids all kicking a soccer ball the same distance. My soccer ball is deflated. It’s not broken, it just needs a little extra air. That’s all I need too: a bit of extra support to succeed.
Buy My Maths Mess here – https://amzn.to/486pnda
I hope my book helps kids understand that struggling with math doesn’t make them any less smart or capable. I’m excited to keep sharing my journey and to show others that there’s power in understanding how your brain works.
Read more blogs here – https://dyscalculianetwork.com/insights-events/
