Blackcat - Thank you for your response. I had many strange issues other than multiplication tables--learning to tie my shoes and ride a bike two examples. Both of these activities also ended in repeated, crying temper-tantrums very frequently. I'm not sure if it was redundancy in the actual practicing coupled with a lack of interest on my part or other, possibly cognitive, issues causing these quirks. It took me a ridiculous amount of time to do both these things.
Phonetics-wise, I've realized if I mispronounce a word to myself only once it has imprinted in my mind incorrectly for eternity. It takes focus and vigilance on my part to correct pronunciation I've already botched in the past. Are all of these problems related? My issue with phonics, especially vowels, is the most debilitating issue to deal with everyday. I'm very smart, but I mispronounce "easy" words and have no idea I'm saying them wrong. It's very embarrassing in academia.
My writing score on the ACT as a 15 year old was a 10 out of 12, 99th percentile, and considered an excellent/very top/rare score for this section of the test. I believe this somehow has a connection with my sudden success in college. Once school became abstract, and depth of thought versus the regurgitation of facts became the ability being assessed, I flourished. It's as if I really stink at seeing the minute details of anything in particular but the vastness of the whole I see is astounding?
