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math waiver/ law or myth??

Submitted by an LD OnLine user on

Oh hello,

My name is merlinjones and I have the most mad wicked of all math lds. I also have an ld not otherwise specified which is basically just having no real visual spatial motor skills and being unable to read map and walk and chew gum at the same time type of thing. Maybe my inability to type is of the not otherwise specified thing? Obviously so. Well, I go through all this heck with my math ld get re evaluated and all of that jazz. I do all this to appease the powers that be where I go to Uni. Now, what I have given a lot of time thinking of is that if I have no sense for math at all, why not get a waiver? I have a good will and a good work ethic, but I have not all too very much for math in my brain at all. I work and work and just sing a chorus of …and I know not what it means…over and over. I have done everything humanly possible to learn this elementary algebra and have no brain for it at all. I am fortunate enough to have finally gotten math tutoring for an hour a day three days a week. I have gone down two grade levels as a result of this, went from making 70’s by myself to making a 40% on my last test, oh how lovely. I asked my math tutor point blank about math waivers and she said that in the 13 years she has taught at the Uni she has only seen one person get a math waiver and that person had a car accident resulting in brain damage. Holly cow on that, eh?! I had hydrocephilis when I was an infant and I bet money that my brain has no math part to it. Would this help me get a waiver? She I go to a neuropsychologist and fight for a math waiver? I am very interested ion learning of this math waiver ting because I have gotten bad advice from the lady who runs disability services. She says take basic math to learn of the 5% of prealgebra it covers, then take elementary and intermediate algebra for however long I have to (maybe till I am menopausal, I guess) I asked her of how this is logical, really. And she said, oh hey I have only had one person as far gone in math as you are ever in all of my years at this Uni and they had to take basic math a couple of times. What of this person, I asked her, oh he never got to graduate, she said. Now if I am fair for my major (I do not type like I am but I am a lit major) then I ask you, how long must I have to fail anf barely learn of math before getting a wiaver? I would rather get a waiver than drop out of UNI. However, is the waiver thing a real law or just a myth? I haven’t the money or iq to go to a better school becuase I am in Memphis, Tn. It is either the Uni of memphis or three really high priced schools for really rich smart folks for me, man. I just wonder how this could be sound advice, go down a whole level in math, take basic math…learn of the 5% of pre algebra they teach the last moth of school…sit through all of the basic math I actually do know to learn of this five percent of the pre algebra, then take elementary algebra, then take intermediate algebra till I am menopausal, then take College Algebra, Elementary logic and Elementary calulus over and over till I am near death. Fail and repeat, fail and repeat is the mantra of the lady who runs student disability services where I go to school. Like lather, rinse, repeat, you know? I do not view the disability services of my school like they are holy sacred figures with a preordianed mastery of how to make you learn of your stuff, but I think they could throw a gal a bone on this waiver thing. Anyone have any advice, because I just cannot take this. I do math tutoring with people wanked out of their minds on ritalin who talk non stop, people wanked out of their mainds on meds for math anxiety…dude, I feel for these folks, I swear to god I do, but really. I just have nothing for math and feel like a second class citizen becaues I am not treated like the folks with the add and math anxiety are at all. Why is this? I am not trying to start ww3 with that, but really. I am sorry I do not have Add or anxiety, but my goodness!? At my uni, they more meds you are opn for an ld you may or may not have, the more they roll out the red carpet to you. I am just plainly slow and barely get any help at all, really. Is this lawsuit worthy? Is this talk to the dean worthy? I just do not know what to do here. I have to take elementary algebra again in the spring, I more or less know I do. I do not mind that, but I do mind just having no one to really hear me out like an adult, you know? I know where I stand in math for sure, I am like an eight grader with the math, and I am just being told to go down a level and nothing more. What is ironic is that on my most current ld testing it says I have the basic math down, man. I just have nothing for the abstract. The psych who tested me said I do not know how you do it, but you know of your basic math in the way that works best for you and you alone. Anyone know of this math awiver rule or law? If you do, wite me or something. :cry:

Submitted by LDintheOC on Mon, 09/18/2006 - 1:35 AM

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I know that this is an older post but did you ever check with your undergraduate university to see if they offered substitutions? Did you ever check with your disabled student services department to see if they could assist you with getting a substitution for the math requirement? Ask for a [b]SUBSTITUTION[/b] not a waiver because to most university administrators with PhDs a waiver means that you do not want to do what they had to do when they were students.

Also if you are still on the forums you may want to cut down on the length of your posting. Do not mean to sound rude but you could have stated everything in under 500 words.

Submitted by stressed on Fri, 10/20/2006 - 2:25 AM

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I got a math substition in my aas dagree all i did was go to t neurologist and she said I had ADD and that was all it took to get the substition

Submitted by maryk on Mon, 11/27/2006 - 10:33 PM

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I was able to obtain a subsitution also. But, I had to transfer Universities in order to do it.

The op wrote that post a heck of a long time ago! And, please remember that certain areas of the country do not bother with subsitutions and all of that. I know they do not go for that where I live in Tennessee at all. But, I shall not expound on that further, for it would make my post be too long for osme of you folks, I guess.

Submitted by geodob on Sat, 01/27/2007 - 5:40 AM

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Hi Parent1011,
What grade are you concerned with? As substitutions only seem to be possible in senior high school.
Perhaps you might like to visit my Dyscalculia Forum [maths disorder], where we have discussed substitutions.
www.dyscalculiaforum.com/
Geoff,

Submitted by LDintheOC on Mon, 12/10/2007 - 11:24 AM

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Hello Parent101:

Sorry, I have not visited this site in quite some time, I thought that I had subscribed to this posting but apparently I did not.

I do not know what state you are in but one way to get around the SAT is to attend community college first where your child can get [u][b]through the first two years of undergraduate work[/b][/u] and then apply to a transfer university. In California, once you have completed the necessary requirements you can then transfer to the [b]University of California [/b]or [b]California State University [/b]systems without having to take the SAT. If you are interested in specific schools you would have to contact them separately to ask about their transfer policies

The UC and CSU systems do require mathematics to get in but you would then have to deal with them to see if they have a special admissions policy, which would allow your child to take a substitution course in mathematics such as a critical thinking course. Cal State University Long Beach has a great disabled student services program.
[url]http://www.csulb.edu/divisions/students2/dss/programs/Stephen_Benson_Program/special_admission/[/url]

In order to obtain the associates in arts degree at the community college level I had to take a critical thinking course for the mathematics substitution and I also had to take another critical thinking course before CSULB would grant me the special admit. Once I was accepted to CSULB I had to take yet another critical thinking course while a student at CSULB.

The most that you will get for the SAT with a documented LD is extended time and the use of a calculator.

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