Do you think some kids with Learning disabilities should give up on themselves?

Question

This question is going to P some people off,I do not blame you.I am LD and was born in 1959 and there was no decent help in my time.I was told by psychiatrists,teachers,
reading specialists and career counslors that I should
throw in the towel on my education.When I was 7 years old
in 1967 I was told I will never have a real job.I was in special ed and never masterd my reading and math skills.
I got my GED in 1989 at 29 years old,I do not see how I
did it.I never went to college,I was told I will never be able to do it.
I was told I had no one to blame but myself for my lack of success in school(I do not agree).
I was born 10(maybe 20) years too early for any decent
help.

Answer 1

You will never know unless you try.

Answer 2

i know where you are coming from. I have dyspraxia and some ADD traits but had no idea until after my son was diagnosed then it all suddenly made sense. I had always struggled at school and grew up with a sense that i was different but didnt know why.

Realising that i had a LD and that i was wasn't just stupid /lazy disorganized and should try harder (as i had been told all my school life) was a real turning point.

Yes i will always wonder what would have happened if i had access to the help and support that my son now has but i you cant change the past so sitting there and wondering "what if" is fairly pointless.

Like you my self esteem is pretty low and i think to much damage has been done over too many years for that to really change but i now have a very good and supportive husband who accepts me for who i am and what i am so i try not to dwell too much on the past because it is just self defeatist.

You cant change what has happened in your past but you can change what happens in your future. Try to forget about all those ignorant people who say it is all your fault because if you have a Ld then it isnt all your fault learn to love your self and get out there and prove them wrong.

Answer 3

I don't feel that anyone should give up on themselves. Learning disability or not. If anything, kids with LD actually have to try harder. I'm sorry you didn't get the help that you needed as a child. I hope that you are successful now as an adult. I think the school systems didn't know how to deal with LD 20 years ago. They didn't understand as much as they do now. A lot of kids suffered for it. Maybe you should write a letter to your old school telling about your experience as a LD child. You could become and advocate for other children and parents who are going through this. Just a thought.

Answer 4

No don't give up. Sure people with learning disabilities are going to have obstacles that others may not understand, but having a learning disability does not mean you cannot learn. The accepted definition of a learning disability indicates that the person has at least an average IQ but performs below their ability. So, why would someone like this give up?

You are proof that people should not give up. You got your GED! YOU did this even when people told you it was your fault you did not succeed in school. YOU worked hard to do this-You should be proud of what you have achieved. (I do agree that if you were in school now things would be a lot different for you)

Answer 5

Never give up. My middle child is LD and he went to special classes at a local grade school. There are alot of good programs today. I went though the whole system thing ,some even told me he was slightly retarded. Ld children work very well with their hands, Vocational training is best for most LD kids. He did well in LD grade school but hated high school. He is now 34 and has a very high union paying job... By the way he got his GED at age 24 after trying for 3 years. Don't give up .You will find a way to learn and earn your keep, it just takes a little longer....

Answer 6

You mentioned that you received your GED. It took you a while, but hey, that is okay.
You studied harder and were more focused on getting a diploma and you did it.

People that tells you that your the blame for your lack of success are very self-centered a$$holes, which means, they only see the world through their eyes. They have very few hardships or they try to cover them up by making it look like that they can do anything. They then start ridiculing everyone that says that they are having difficulties achieving at something. They are just jerks and they exist all throughout the world. Jerks are the ones that should give up and die off, so only helpful good people exist in the world.

Don't give up, keep hanging in there. Here is a good quote that is re-written by me. "You only get one chance at life, so do the best you can, and remember always, be happy!"

Answer 7

No, Helen Keller is one testament to my answer and her disabilities went beyond the ordinary challenges of LD students. And, there are many more. Sometimes it is the people who have been labeled as LD who can teach the rest of us about relating to other people on a level other than our own. I am not a bleeding heart, but I don't want anyone giving up on themselves. Learning math and reading isn't the only value a person has anyway. A person with these challenges should be encouraged to focus on the more positive contributions they are making in life.

Answer 8

You've already answered your question - No, never! However, that's a problem for some because they a huge case of 'Learned Helplessness' after failing so many times they feel why even try, I'll only fail again. As educators, it is our job to find what works and get our students to realize that everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses. Each of us learn a little differently. There is no one way that is best to learn. Teachers must differentiate their instruction to accommodate the varied learners in their classes.
You and my brother grew up during the same time period. He went through similar problems but has found his spot in life as a manager of a business. He has found aides for his weak areas and built on his strengths (people skills)
Good luck!

Answer 9

No one with the intellectual ability to understand the concept should ever"give up on themselves." You are correct in that you were borne a few years too early to have the benefit of more advanced teaching methods--not to mention understanding of learning disabilities.

An equal--but less forgiveable tragedy--is that many young people today are still given the same negative messages (and lack of support) that you were victimized by. Unfortunately, although there are many good teachers out there, the system is still riddled by stereotypes, lack of knowledge by many educators--and outright bigotry in some cases.

Answer 10

Kids with LD should never give up. There are ways to overcompensate for what you lack in any area of your life. For instance, I have short fingers and I've been playing the piano and organ since I was a very young girl. I've even taught piano and played for churches and conducted choirs. Once, someone said to me she doesn't see how I could play the piano since I had "stubby" fingers. Well, I was in my 20's before someone had the "audacity" to say that to me. I was quite surprised to here that about myself since I had never even considered that I wasn't equipped to play the piano. Thank goodness I did not hear this until after I had mastered the instrument.

Answer 11

I am from an age where the help was accessible but was still told on countless occassions by people who were supposed to help people with learning disabilities that I was too far behind to be helped. The sad thing is there are a lot of people out there that do not want to give extra help to those that really need it. But if you possess enough self motivation, noone is too far behind to be helped so noone with a learning disability should ever give up on themselves.