"You don't have any learning disability!"

[Andara Bledin]

Looking back, it really puzzles me that no one ever suspected that I might have a learning disability, and it's frustrating because I'm not sure what my options are as an adult. (basically, one reason I don't have a college degree is that I can't pass the math requirements)

Talk to a counselor. There's a good chance that if you have a recognized disability, you can get certain requirement waived.

After all, I'm sure they don't require a quadriplegic to complete the physical education requirements.

^-.-^

[AdminAssistant]

After all, I'm sure they don't require a quadriplegic to complete the physical education requirements.

At my undergrad, the phys ed requirement was a lecture class with occasional activities. The requirement probably wouldn't be waived, but concessions would be made. In Kelly's case, remedial math courses would be required to bring her up to the point of being able to take college algebra. All you have to do is register with Student Services (or Disability Services or whatever that department is called at your school) and you can get extra help.

[PepperElf]

partial self-sighting / confession.... with a good dose of karma and poetic justice.


You see i use to be one of those people who thought it wasn't real. I'd heard comments that it was made up and never investigated it past that.

I even had a "version" of it as a child... only it went away when I went on allergy medication.


Or so I thought. My sister is the one who showed me the light. My nephew was having trouble in school with concentration and grades. she was at her wits end i think when she tried taking him to a psychologist... come to find out, not only was he ADD but.. it ran in the family.

She pretty much held up a sign of ADD symptoms and said to me, "Um, that's you!"


Yeah so I pretty much went from a disbeliever to... someone who finally understands why I am the way I am.



If you'd like some more support - and some humor... I'd recommend this site:
http://totallyadd.com/

the face of the company is ADHD and he points out some interesting things... such as the facts that some parts of ADD / ADHD are actually GOOD. (like not holding grudges ... cos you forget about them, lol, or being good at humor etc)

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Yeah, the reason I don't have a college degree is the math requirement.

Things are different now. They should at the very least make some special considerations on how you do math. Back when I was coming up, I was on my own. Now they supposedly do things differently for dyscalculics and dyslexics. One of my younger cousins is dyslexic, and he graduated from college.

Not sure how remedial classes would help. I mean, if someone couldn't learn it when they were supposed to, I don't know how doing it again is going to make some magic happen. I don't know about Kelly...everyone's different...but there's no way in hell I could pass even a basic algebra course, much less a college level one. I had algebra tutors. Good ones. But if your brain can't retain formulas (mine can't) all the tutoring in the world isn't going to help you. It's like trying to hold onto smoke. I mean, I am not sure I'm even on a third grade level. I suspect not.

I know at least two dyscalculics that managed to get themselves through a college math requirement enough to graduate, so it can be done. Personally, I don't get how except to say everyone's brain works differently.

[AdminAssistant]

I'm only speculating based on experiences with my own classes. I haven't stepped foot in a math class since 2002, and math and science folks tend to keep to their own. (Probably eating and hanging out at all the nice places arts and humanities peeps can't afford. *harrumph*) So there may indeed be exceptions made for dyscalculics; I've just never personally seen it happen. I do know that students can get extra time on exams, get to take exams in a quiet room, get notetakers, get more time on written assignments. I've also seen international students get permission to use dictionaries.

[Andara Bledin]

Not sure how remedial classes would help. I mean, if someone couldn't learn it when they were supposed to, I don't know how doing it again is going to make some magic happen.

For some people, teachers matter. My brother had a very hard time with math for years and years. Then some teacher explained something to him in a different way and it was like that was his Rosetta Stone.

I imagine that for pure dyscalculics, having someone available to read out the numbers for them would likely be a great help for those who are otherwise ok with remembering how the formulas work.

^-.-^

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Yeah, I understand they get calculators, more time on exams, permission to take pages and pages of blank paper to do figuring on and whatnot, and that probably does help some people. But I can't help but think in a lot of cases, the people trying to "help" are completely missing the point. Some of us have trouble, say, entering numbers into calculators (I can do it, but I usually have to resort to working the problem three times and taking best two our of three). And if it's algebra, a lot of us can't remember what to do even do with the problem. We can't break it down and work it because every time we look at a new problem, we can't apply any sort of rule or formula to it. In my case, its completely new and completely different every single time. So I don't see how any of these concessions would work at all, at least for me. A lot of us can't use formulas. We can't remember them.

I understand a lot of folks have success with Kuman.

Again, some dyscalculics can do it, so your milage may vary. I'm just grateful that at least now people know more about LD than they used to and are at least trying to help in some way.

With dyscalculia, though, I've actually spoken to other dyscalculics who were tested by people who had an agenda to push or a bone to pick and were denied help by them. In more than one case by some clinician who actually said "well, you're testing to high in everything else to have a LD." Which blows my mind because these are the very people who ought to know better! One of the red flags is the discrepancy between overall baseline aptitudes and aptitude in numbers and math. So that comment is unforgivably ignorant.

[Skunkle]

Asperger's tends to be higher-functioning. One of its biggest problems is that it is the current popular self-diagnosis of internet dwellers, many of whom then use it as an excuse for anything and everything they do and/or say they can't do. Those who self-diagnose Asperger's and use it as a crutch, it seems, tend to have nothing more in reality than a tendency to be awkward in social situations.

I HAVE Asperger's. Diagnosed at age five or six by a local psychologist who had been studying it for a number of years. And it's thanks to many, many years working with him, figuring out how to work around it, that I function quite well and 99% of people who meet me won't even guess I've got anything at all. No medication involved.

...and then there's the current push by some psychologists to eliminate "Asperger's" as a diagnosis and meld it into a sliding scale or continuum that is the "Autism Spectrum". While I completely agree with the Spectrum concept, I believe Asperger's (and all the other Spectrum diagnoses) have their own specific, unique characteristics that, if handled in the same way as a random other Autism Spectrum diagnosis, can actually make things worse. For example, someone with ADD would not get help if they were treated as though they had Autism per se.

[Lace Neil Singer]

^This. I was late diagnosed; Aspergers didn't even exist as a diagnosis when I was a kid. But over the years, I learned how to act neurotypical. I made myself go out and socialise, rather than just staying in my room all the time. I don't take medication, I don't go to counselling or anything. And I do get annoyed when people self diagnose; especially when it's a mombie diagnosing her little precious as an excuse for bad parenting.

[Rageaholic]

One of the red flags is the discrepancy between overall baseline aptitudes and aptitude in numbers and math. So that comment is unforgivably ignorant.

I've been told that too, which is ironic. Math is my strong suit, but I have always struggled with reading and writting. So I guess I'm one of the oddballs who has the opposite problem.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Well, you know, you might be dyslexic to some degree. It's not really the opposite problem, sort of the "More popular older brother" of dyscalculia.

[Teysa]

Back when I was in High School, near the time dinosaurs roamed the earth, I tutored some friends with learning disabilities. One thing I learned early on was that LD does not mean stupid. They might take a little longer to understand something but once they did, it was theirs. Besides, there are very few people who are good at everything. English was always my strong suit. Math, not so much. I can do the basics but when you start throwing weird symbols in there and letters that don't even belong in the English alphabet, forget it.

[RootedPhoenix]

I have been accused of being lazy so so SO much. "If you just.." If I just....what?

Such a bunch of babies. Can't do the *siiiggghh* horrible labor *wah* of realizing that people are different. Just because something is easy for you, doesn't mean it's easy for me.

It fuels my rage to hear such rubbish from grown people. I learned that in grade school alongside the fact that some people are real jerks.

*offers cookies to all*

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Isn't is beyond ironic that "If we just tried harder" we'd understand it, but it never occurs to them to try any harder to understand us?

[Rageaholic]

The next time someone tells me I'm not trying hard enough, I'm going to tell them to try to focus... while I play Rebecca Black's Friday.