Help With My Book

4-26-02

Hi Rob,
I am relieved to have finally found a website such as this one to address these issues that I too have been struggling with. My name is Sian. I just posted my story a minute ago on the board and I do need help. What I went through a year ago has been very painful and discouraging but I’m not giving up. To know the situation please read my post. I have LD. which affects my spatial and organizational skills. It’s known as a non-verbal L.D. This affects me both academically and socially. I sometimes misread social cues and others in turn misread my nonverbal expressions, body language and my own facial expressions. I’d been told when I was diagnosed that this went right along with the diagnosis. However, noone has suggested ways to cope with this. Got any ideas?
Sian P.

Hi Rob,
I am relieved to have finally found a website such as this one to address these issues that I too have been struggling with. My name is Chad. I have been diagnosed with A.D.D. without hyperactivity since my junior year in college. Ritalin became my saving grace as I attended Messiah College. My organizational skills and increased attention allowed me change several D’s and F’s to A’s and B’s. In addition to my accademics, socially, I sometimes misread social cues and others in turn misread my nonverbal expressions, body language and my own facial expressions. I was never told when I was diagnosed that this went right along with the diagnosis. My degree is in Sport and Exercise Science, and although I’m biased…Sports, leisure, fitness activities have really been a remedy to control my level of arousal when approaching others, improved self esteem etc. Naturally, I seek out a healthy balance of activities that support growth in emotional, cognitive, and spiritual dimensions as well. I pleased to say that with a change in medication (Concerta), stable career as a Recreation/Leisure Therapist working with the Mentally ill, an incredible girlfriend that is not ADD, and a close family, life is challenging and often successful. I’ve always learned the most by surrounding myself with other successful positive students of life. My life is an open book, so ask away (my response may take a week). I will look forward to some responses from you or any other persons who would like to compare life experiences. c-ya, Chad

Hello Rob,

My name is Maria and I also have an LD and ADD. I find it reassuring that you are so willing to help others and write a book as well. I am also writing a book about my life experiences as well since I had a rough time throughout my educatrional career from H.S. to Grad. School. Two yrs. ago I graduated with a M.S. degree in Recreation with an emphasis in Therapeutic Recreation. I currently work w/ adolescents with developmental disabilities at a hospital.
I hope I can be of some aissistance.

Good Luck,
Maria

Rob,

I would be happy to be of assistance if I can.

I am a 33 year old female that for years have known that something is not right but could not explain it. Only to be accused of being lazy, inattentive and stupid as a child, but refusing to believe it. I have struggled for years and years to get to be where I am today I do well for myself but what a journey I have been through.

I am currently getting tested to see if I have a Central Auditory Processing Disorder. I am having quite the emotional rollacoaster. It is turning out that I wasn’t lazy, inattentive, and stupid afterall. I am soo beaten down emotionally though.

I could probaly provide you alot of insight.

Hi Jolene:

I too am being tested, but for more general LD. I know what you mean, but I think you will feel relieved to get some concrete answers to some of your experiences and help that “something is wrong, but I don’t know what” feeling. I’ll be getting my results next Monday. I have been diagnosed before, but was never explained what my problems are and how I can cope with them in work and daily life. I did well academically because that was, to me, the only thing that was compensated well. All of the services I received after college were more geared towards my slight sensory impairments and psychological problems. I don’t really feel the actual learning/process aspect of things were truly addressed.

So, good luck with your testing.

Rob, good luck with your book!

Christine

Hi Rob,

I’d be pleased to help as well. I was diagnosed formally with LD in 1985 at 13 years old. There was a suspicion by teachers as a young child due to me writing my letters backwards, having a very poor attention span, being very disorganised, not doing well in school and in one teachers words infront of my class that I was “stupid”.

I now work in a Neurobehavioral Program as a Rehabilitation Therapist and at a childrens treatment center, graduated from College, and am married with 2 great kids. My LD don’t have as significant of an inpact on my life anymore, I think due to me finally throwing away the diagnosis and looking for the actual deficits.

My deficits were that I couldn’t and still can’t block out background noise. I remember as a child going to the mall and thinking the air must be stale because I would be exhausted. It took a while before I realised it was the noise bombarding my head and the difficulty it caused in my ability to pay attention.I now learned to overfocus when I need to (I.e. during rounds) to ensure I don’t miss anything and learned to identify when I became distracted, what did it feel like and stop it before it happened.

I had very little ability to organise my thoughts therefore anything I learned was difficult to access and even encode. My communication as well was very disorganised and often I didn’t even fully understand what I was saying. I had to develop an organisational system in my head that I have to maintain and learned to stop, think and “script out” what I say before I respond when I’m having an off day.

Concept formation was a real difficult one and still can be. An example would be about 4 months ago we changed our individual plan forms, it took me 2 weeks to understand it again.

Despite all this I’m pretty well respected at what I do. I think because growing up with LD helped me to gain unique perspective and insight that other people without some type of challenge don’t have the opportunity to gain.

I definitely liked what you said about symptomology instaed of diagnosis. The whole label of LD is simply packaging often covering what really lurks inside someone’s mind with a LD. The shame is few people bother to open the package to help the person discover what is really inside. If you think of it the whole notion is ridiculous - You have trouble learning, to help you I’m going to call you oh lets say ADD/visual spatial LD and that will help because now people will know how to help you. How? Does it explain why someone has difficulty with attention, in which ways their visual spatial difficulties express themselves and how to compensate for them. No, it gives people something to react to and pat themselves on the back for because in the end of the day they helped the ADD/visual spatial LD kid, not the kid with difficulties stuck in the package that he can’t see.

I would love to help. My son inherited LD from me as well. I’m sure he’ll face all the challenges I did but he’ll never be the ADD/visual spatial LD kid. Anyway that I can help, let me know.

Thanks Brad

I too will be glad to help.
Hello,my name is socks,I am dyslexic. Feel kind of like I am in a 12 step program for lder’s! Yes,I admit my life is out of control,and I need help! Okay maybe I don’t,hmm,maybe I do. Maybe I don’t know how to help myself.Maybe I think way too much!

I was diagnosed in kindergarten,I know hard to believe. I am 37 years old. I learned to read at age 12. My years in elementary and middle school was spent in a self contained classroom. One that would be labeled vary exceptionalities today.

Had many visual spatial problems,still do. Definite handwriting deficits.Will still transpose letters,and sometimes reverse,if I am tired.

Anyway,feel free to email.

I would love to answer any question you have. I am a college student who was stuggled in school my whole life! I will try and email you my story.
Good luck with your book,
God Bless
Wendy