What next Mom & Dad?

Ball,

As an LD adult, I faced those issues right out of school and I face them now, many years later.

Perhaps career counseling to identify his strengths? I’m sure you and he know his weaknesses real well, but maybe a career counselor (who is sensitive to the needs and struggles of LD people) might be able to help him recognize the strengths. And, once he’s identified them maybe the counselor can help with resume and cover letter writing. I hated them when I was just starting out. Once I got the hang of how to write them, though, I wasn’t intimidated by them and I started to actually like them. So, now I’ve discovered I’m a good cover letter writer—still trying to figure out how to parlay looking for a job into a job though .

Is there a career counseling department at his school or at a nearby community college that might help? Hope I’ve offered some useful suggestions.

Good luck.

Thanks for the advice but these questions are rhetorical. Good advice though. I ask these questions so people will start thinking about their LD future. Unfortunately until proper action is taken on behalf of LD adults their futures will continue to be bleak.

Ball,

I hope that our futures won’t be bleak. I’m trying so hard to make mine better.

Don’t quit!

Thanks Ball,

I won’t. I’m trying real hard to feel better about stuff but it’s soooo hard!

I’ve noticed that some employers are more eager to hire LD adults than others. Genardi’s Supermarkets and local YMCAs pride themselves on their willingness to hire adults with LD. You might have your son check out those places.

Have you done a web search? These days that can be helpful. See if you can find other corporate entities that make hiring LD adults a part of their mission.

Greater sensitivty and understanding is needed from employers and I think employers are more willing to cooperate in this area than other entities such as schools and state Voc Rehab as employers in the private sector live in the real world. They face real world problems and have to come up with real world solutions unlike schools and VRs who are in a perpetual Never Never Land. Your expectations with employers need to be realistic. If you can pull your weight you’ll probably get and keep your job and if that’s the case as far as the employer is concerned for all practical purposes you are not disabled if you are able to successfully perform your duties. However where the government could help is to compensate employers for hiring less abled people who can’t pull all their own weight. I fear however the gvoernment is too corrupt and obtuse to impliment such a simple and elegant solution. They could just excuse the employer from with holding income tax FICA and social security on those employees that are less than 100% productive. Wouldn’t that be a wiser and more frugal solution than giving people SSI & SSDI? It would also improve quality of life and increase understand. Further I think the disabled jobs should be protected as it is more difficult for a disabled person to find employment. But in reality this “kinder and gentler America is more concerned about bombing for oil than helping its own. You can throw money at a problem from now until the cows come home but until there are realistic enforcable laws it wil remain the status quo.

Greater sensitivty and understanding is needed from employers and I think employers are more willing to cooperate in this area than other entities such as schools and state Voc Rehab as employers in the private sector live in the real world. They face real world problems and have to come up with real world solutions unlike schools and VRs who are in a perpetual Never Never Land. Your expectations with employers need to be realistic. If you can pull your weight you’ll probably get and keep your job and if that’s the case as far as the employer is concerned for all practical purposes you are not disabled if you are able to successfully perform your duties. However where the government could help is to compensate employers for hiring less abled people who can’t pull all their own weight. I fear however the gvoernment is too corrupt and obtuse to impliment such a simple and elegant solution. They could just excuse the employer from with holding income tax FICA and social security on those employees that are less than 100% productive. Wouldn’t that be a wiser and more frugal solution than giving people SSI & SSDI? It would also improve quality of life and increase understand. Further I think the disabled jobs should be protected as it is more difficult for a disabled person to find employment. But in reality this “kinder and gentler America is more concerned about bombing for oil than helping its own. You can throw money at a problem from now until the cows come home but until there are realistic enforcable laws it wil remain the status quo.

I had alot of difficulty deciding upon a career. My LD closed a lot of doors for me or so I was taught to believe. Some of this is true though, I can’t do anything with my hands well unless I take 2-3x’s longer than most to learn it and spend more time quality checking and developing compensatory strategies. I was going to be a police officer but didn’t think that would agree with me.

Once I began to work with people with disabilities I found my calling. All of my experiences, discrimination and anger I had I could channel into my field. I don’t think working with people with disabilities is the only thing someone with LD can do but something people orientated I think is a good direction.

After experiencing having some type of challenge in your life I think most people become more intuitive to others and learn to view people as an individual instead of a label. Report writing can be a pain in the ass but with practice and using whatever helps you get by, it gets pretty easy.