Learning Disabilities

Hi, my name is msathish. I'm looking for help regarding how to get into the workplace and find the correct type of roles where the provide support/ accommodations as I have been discriminated against twice .

#MightyTogether #LearningDisabilities #IntellectualDisabilities

I'm in a mental health IOP currently after a hospitalization in December for a bipolar mixed episode.

I'm taking it one day at a time!

also have some new physical health conditions to add to the list that I'm taking care of!

#Bipolar1Disorder #Autism #ObsessiveCompulsiveDisorder #ADHD #ComplexPosttraumaticStressDisorder #Anxiety #TicDisorders #EatingDisorders #Addiction #PolycysticOvarySyndrome #GenderDysphoria #Hypertension #HighCholesterol #LearningDisabilities #Osteoporosis #PersonalityDisorders #SleepDisorders

Hi, my name is Selflovebadass. I've been diagnosed with and am wanting to find the puzzle pieces to help me now, while I’m waiting for my DBT therapy class, which is a two year waiting period. I’m doing the best to understand myself more, so that I can fix my moods.

#MightyTogether #BorderlinePersonalityDisorder #Fibromyalgia #ADHD #Anxiety #Depression #LearningDisabilities

In my experience  overcoming an NVLD and also knowing others who have Learning Disabilities I believe too many IEP teams still  believe the local community college and district summer work programs are our only options. This is far from the truth. I believe it is the lack of awareness of what is available that  limits success for some students. Personally if I didn’t go  away for a summer program and then on to a college with comprehensive support and campus life I wouldn’t have achieved as much as I did academically and socially.

For example when I  applied to summer programs for students with Learning Disabilities  my IEP team was  unaware that these types of programs existed. Thankfully my parents  were knowledgeable of outside programs and that  our summer district program wasn’t appropriate for me as I needed better  opportunities for social and academic growth. Thankfully my parents  knew about Eagle Hill which I attended  and this turned out to be the best decision. For the first time I was surrounded by other academic and socially  engaged individuals like me who had  a Learning Disability  and  I experienced so much personal growth. In fact upon my return my resource room teacher even commented about how this helped me be the  Eileen  she had heard about  and told me to always be thankful for having  parents who were so knowledgeable.

My college planning fell on my parents and the school counselor at Eagle Hill as our district had very limited knowledge about  what was out there for post-secondary options for students with NVLD and similar disabilities . Thankfully my father was a school counselor and  the districts he worked at required him to know post-secondary options for all types of students and the programs our district  offered  wouldn’t have given me the social, academic, and personal growth I needed. After doing some thorough research early I applied and was  accepted to NYIT and Dean College. I ended choosing Dean and then  continued on to Curry College and was successful at both.These are  two fantastic schools for students with learning disabilities and more IEP teams should be aware of them and others like them.  At Dean and Curry I made great friends and got  involved in campus life while also receiving the academic support I needed to be successful. Due to this I believe it’s so important to stay current about all the post-secondary options with great support programs as in my experience it leads to great success.

The wonderful academic and social support I received at Dean college  led me to become a more confident person. The support started the first day of classes  as  I received individual personal learning services twice a week  and went to a math support group once per week. The learning specialist either had a master’s or PH.D in Special Education so they knew how to support students  accurately. Furthermore our first year seminar class was for Arch Program students (the LD Program) so we developed an even greater support system. In addition to the academic support we received in our first semester we also had a variety of weekly social support programs offered. If I had  attended the local community college I wouldn’t have received this level of support and therefore wouldn’t have been as successful.

I also believe that the lack of awareness of these types of programs greatly impacts students who demonstrate fewer academic needs. What I mean by this is that many students with this profile are guided to four year state and private schools that don’t have the structured support programs that these students need and as a result they can fall through the cracks. Instead they should be attending a school like Syracuse or Boston University where inclusion is  valued and  support is given in all areas which allows students to  become successful in all ways. Yes, while these schools come with a higher cost they do provide wonderful support and a great campus life .

I  agree with the current research that shows students with an NVLD or another disability greatly benefit from attending summer programs at colleges or LD boarding schools. Students achieved more academically  and socially  from being with other students like them in such a supportive environment.  The research further concluded that  the reason college graduation is still low for students with an NVLD and other learning disabilities is that they are guided to colleges that do not provide enough support.This needs to change for students with all types of abilities.  As discussed, schools like Dean and Syracuse have impressive graduation rates. Most importantly being aware of  summer programs and colleges with comprehensive support programs for all types of intelligence levels leads to  success stories like mine being more of a common thing.

Part 1 of 2 One of the most frustrating parts of having a Learning Disability isn’t the disability itself, but the atmosphere that society creates. Having one is no longer an issue for me, for I have found ways to cope. A great deal of the problem is how others view it and the toxic atmosphere that society creates.

I was first introduced to this environment when I was diagnosed in Kindergarten. I struggled to count, write my name and tie my shoes. Right from the start people began to judge me. I had people who thought that if I really wanted to learn, that I could. Little did they know that I truly wanted to be a good student and be accepted. I had other people who thought because of the severity of the disability that I wouldn’t be successful. Neither extreme has been helpful to me.

The early years of school created a storm academically and socially. I had to repeat Kindergarten in a different school.  I began to receive specialty instruction, and accommodations. My teachers taught me how to read, write, and attempted to teach me math. My parents never gave up on me and told me that I learned differently. They held out an umbrella and shielded me from the storm. Eventually the rain did slow down. I was able to attend regular ed science and social studies, with accommodations. I had the test read aloud to me and extended test time to help my brain process the information. Eventually I was in all regular ed classes, with supports except for math and resource. Most importantly I learned to dance in the rain a splash in the puddles.

The social climate was cold and harsh in school. I couldn’t hide my disability in the small school district. Diversity wasn’t celebrated or accepted; it was feared. It was regarded as a close-knit community that was accepting if you were one of them. My disability caused me to be different.  Everyone I knew that I went to Learning Support for classes and accommodations. The regular ed peers thought I was getting the answers or doing easy work. I was also lumped in with my learning support peers who struggled more with reading and behavior issues. They also viewed me as not smart because I couldn’t do math. The conditions got colder as school went on. Peer groups became more defined. I didn’t feel as I fit in with any of them and I was bullied by both the popular groups and other peers’ groups as well. What helped to warm me was to hang out with peers in a neighboring town, that were part of an arts group. I found acceptance and other who shared my interests. I finally didn’t have the reputation of the outcast and the screw up that followed me all throughout my school years. I was also able to reach out and form relationships with others in the community, that didn’t go to my school. Some of those relationships are still happening 20 years later.

During my post-secondary years, I have also found that the atmosphere of how society views disabilities isn’t always ideal. I have had people who have tried to limit what I can do with having a disability. I had a Physiatrists write that I would never go beyond a community college. I also had instructors who told me that my job and educational choices would be limited. Once again I had peers who thought that accommodations were the easy way out and declined to use them because of the stigma. Not using disability services caused my grades to drop. When I went back to university I didn’t care what other people thought and used the services. My grades improved and I made Deans list one semester. I was able to graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree.

I have also encountered people who dismissed my disability. Part of the reason for the disbelief is that they can’t see it. I will have people tell me that I don’t look disabled. Just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t exist. I’ve also had people who wanted to cure my disability through adult education programs, and positive thinking. None of those have worked for me. I have also had people who have shoved toxic positivity at me, when I shared about the difficulties having one has created. I have been told to stop complaining and that other people are more disabled that I am. Everyone with a disability will experience it differently, even if they have the same diagnosis.

I’ve also experienced a troubled climate at work with having one. Many former employers didn’t understand that my disability was affecting my job performance. Some of them thought that I was screwing up on purpose.  I wanted to do a good job and be a productive employee, but some things I simply couldn’t do, even with accommodations. I can remember working for an agency that helped people with disabilities, but made too many clerical mistakes and was fired. The agency tried to deny my unemployment claiming willful misconduct, saying that I made the mistakes on purpose and t

Part 2 of 2 ried to collect unemployment. Thankfully I have found an understanding employer, at a job that I love.

The atmosphere for people with disabilities is something that I have no power over. I can’t change another person’s thoughts or actions. I’m responsible for my own actions and reactions. Sometimes the gloom in the atmosphere can create great beauty. When it rains while the sun is out it creates a rainbow of color that streaks over the sky. Legend has it that there is a pot of gold over the rainbow. I have not found my pot of gold yet, but I have found many treasures. I have had success in school, employment, and in my relationships. I couldn’t have done with without the support from God, family, friends, and accommodations. Using my support system and finding new ways to do things helps me to survive in an inhospitable atmosphere for people with disabilities.

#LearningDisabilities