Overcoming Dyscalculia by Peyton

Overcoming Dyscalculia by Peyton - February 2026 Scholarship Essay

For years, I had been struggling with math, science, and anything involving numbers because my mind couldn’t remember or process them.
It was a random Thursday in my math class, and we were going over algebraic expressions. I had always felt like I would never fully understand the material because we would spend only a few days on a topic before testing. The week prior, we had taken a test, and after our lesson, my teacher handed it back with our scores. As I looked at my score, it was a C once again. I was already overwhelmed with other classes, so seeing this score was crushing. My teacher pointed out that only two people in the class did not pass, even though she did not name names. I felt so ashamed that, in a class of 20 students, I was one of the two who had not passed. My friends tried comforting me, but all I could see was another failed score. My teacher said I just needed to study more. Something inside me snapped. She didn't understand how many nights I'd stay up late studying. I printed out worksheets to help me, and I even watched 30-minute videos to better understand. I felt so hopeless.
The worst part about feeling this way was that I actually really enjoyed math. Before the shapes and different expressions, math was the one subject I looked forward to. Learning about money and real-world problem-solving was so refreshing. Being able to genuinely apply my learning to my life made me hopeful for my future.
After my junior year in high school, my parents and I realized that my struggles with learning weren't limited to my in-class performance; they were an overall problem. During the summer of 2025, my parents signed me up for an in-person learning disability test with a specialist who would determine what exactly I struggled with. I remember being really nervous because I thought it was a test, which is something I hated. Whenever I take a test, I get very sweaty and anxious, which makes it hard for me to think clearly. So when I was told about a test where people would be monitoring me and just me, I panicked. However, I was reassured plenty of times that I would be okay and that the test was just to see where I was academically. The person monitoring the test was patient, kind, and encouraging.
About two weeks later, we received my scores. The specialist informed me that I performed exceptionally well on the writing portion, but my mathematical skills were still quite lacking. The testing results confirmed a diagnosis of dyscalculia. I was told that, as far as mathematics, I was behind, not due to my effort or intelligence, but because of my diagnosis. I was pretty much self-taught from 7th to 9th since I was doing online school, so in my mind, being behind made sense, but it still didn't feel good to hear, and it was hard to process.
Prior to finding out this information, I had been diagnosed with severe depression and anxiety that I had been managing really well through therapy, so while taking this test, that was also something that was pointed out in my results. This information was overwhelming, but I was reassured repeatedly that it wasn't my fault and that I simply needed some accommodations to help me. These accommodations included access to a quiet room during tests, permission to refer to notes, support from the nurse, and several other resources.
The diagnosis gave me clarity, but it was the habits I started afterward that changed everything. I started writing down every single instruction, every formula, and every step, even when others did not need to. I boldly met with teachers before exams to advocate for my 504 accommodations, rather than silently hoping they would remember. I stopped hiding in the back of the classroom and started asking questions, even when my voice shook. I held my head high because I didn’t want dyscalculia to steal my voice. These routines may seem small, but they transformed how I approached learning. In a way, the diagnosis taught me to advocate for myself, and that advocacy has been a success.
Entering a new school in my senior year, I wasn't sure my school would respect these accommodations, but they did. It was called the 504 plan. Although it was new to me, I embraced it as part of my journey. Understanding my dyscalculia has helped me grow and express myself creatively. I have to be creative in how I see, learn, and process numbers. I have to be creative about making math fun for me, so numbers make sense. I have to be creative when negotiating with teachers to ensure my 504 plan is honored. It’s been a journey, but an interesting one nonetheless.
Part of my success in navigating this diagnosis is setting goals. I've set a goal to always write down my notes and speak up about my 504 plan. Another goal is to continue therapy, and I have seen positive results. I’ve learned that I am not stupid, as I felt for so long before the diagnosis; I just process information differently. It makes me unique.