HELP!!!

It sounds like you’re able to do college work. What about your disability would keep you from doing graduate work? Can you find out the school requirements and compare your strengths and weaknesses to what would be required? In areas of difficulty, can you get help?

What is a written expression learning disability? Is it a problem with organization? Do you write college papers? What kinds of problems do you have with writing?

What kinds of writing does an occupational therapist do? Can you do, or can you learn to do, what would be required? If not, could you do the work if you were provided with accomodations?

Predictions are not always correct. Look at your past performance, your skills, and the skills you will need to develop.

I have multiple problems, but many of them were assets in work I did with people with problems, as my own struggles helped me to understand them better. My field was social work. I have a neice with learning disabilities who is an occupational therapist. I don’t know her well, so I don’t know her exact diagnosis, but I do know that she needed remedial help in school.

What was different about you the day after you found out about your ADD/LD than the day before?

NOTHING!

If grad school looked like an avenue before it still is! It may even be easier now because now that you know your weaknesses you can get help in finding ways around, or though, them!

I can not help with suggestions for books or websites but I can tell you that I have a professional job and have held it for twenty years. Play to your strenghts!

I do suggest you look though old thread for posts from Bonnie. Her job is aiding adult LD’er in Canada and she may know of more resourses. She includes her e-mail address with all posts and from what she has posted she seems really nice and approchable.

Take care,
Barb Bloom

I found out in college that I too was ADD. I also have trouble with organizing my writing. I am now just finishing up my Masters degree, and it has been a long haul. The one thing that helped me was the students with disabilities office, and understanding that I had to work twice as hard as anyone else to get an A or a B. I did much better in grad school than I did as an undergrad if that helps encourage you. Have you contacted the students with Disabilities office on your campus? They can provide you with the help you need to be successful.

There are some empircal research articles that you can access through your college on ADD. I found one interesting study from Canada that talked about female College students who found out they were ADD when they were in college.

After I finally discovered I was ADD everything fell into place. I could see that my Mom, Dad and brothers were also ADD and this explained the way I grew up.. Another thing which may help you focus in class is to use an Assistive listening Device. I used one and it helped me focus and retain the information presented in lectures, I also taped the lectures as well.

Written expression LD is like wanting to say everything and not finding the words. I cannot organize my thoughts to write the paper. My major is relatively easy on writing becuase the papers are usually scientificly oriented. which means i can do bullets etc to organize my papers. I recently started taking strattera which is working wonders. I am just not sure where to start on trying to organize my life, learning better study skills, and how to start a decent paper. also the GRE exam for grad school is another issue. I get extra time and a room by myself. problem is i rush through things because of impulsiveness. medication controls it some but now its also sort of habit……any advice from those who have been through this?

Pace yourself. My biggest problem is organization when writing my papers is I can write a ton but can be willy nilly all over the map if I am not careful about an outline. During timed short essay answer exams I have word retrieval problems, and I can’t tell you the number of times I have short circuited and as one professor says, “you are so close, you circumlocuted all around it but you didn’t give me the word I was looking for!” Word retrieval problems is not a good thing for a speech pathologist…

On papers I have someone whose strong suite is organization help me with my outline and then I spend literally weeks on revisions. I also have another friend look at my papers to check the grammar, it makes sense to them and organized in a cohesive manner.

I hear you on the impulsivity. I underline all the tricky important words during tests and if I don’t do that I guarantee I will miss them and get a poor grade. Also I have been known to skip a bubble on a scantron and screw up the whole test…So now I have a system where I triple check the answer and the scantron before I move on to the next question. It is mortifying because I am gifted but I am also my own worst enemy. It has taken me 4 years to get a handle on my study strateigies and ADD and like I said, I am finally getting my masters!

You go girl…you can do it!!

Dear Ashleigh,

It is interesting how some professionals give people like us such poor information when it comes to deciding what is best for us! I was diagnosed with ld in when I was 30. Told by a supervisor of mine, that I should go out and have a baby because that would mature me. I was unable to write reports, had difficulty with sequenincing information, organization and some other things. I also, was told that I should have a labatomy when I was working as a social worker, because I disclosed I had LD. Well you know what, there are many people with ld who have graduated from university. Myself and others and I have a friend of mine who is now going to graduate school and is illeriate.

It is important that you receive the appropriate assessment in your community, make sure the psychologist has expertise in LD and knowledge of all the tests needed to diagnose. It is a two day process… You have the right to have an education, choose the job and life that you want. Just to share this with you, I started my own non-profit agency to assist people like us, make different choices.

We currentloy have a psychologist who is working wth the ALDERCentre who provides clear diagnosis, and we work with people to help them understand that they are experts in their own lives, how to find jobs, keep them and work on advocacy skills….

Please email if you would like to respond. Thank goodness for a venue like this so that people can chat and be supported!

Sheri

I just want to say that all of you are very inspiring to me. I am about to start with an MSW program. Seeing you guys do it helps me know it’s possible. Arlene, I’d love to talk to you!! Do you have an MSW? Any advice as to how to work around the disabilities would be very helpful.

Ashleigh, as for your original question, I agree the literature isn’t always correct. You know you’ve done well and surpassed expectations. I’m wondering if perhaps your office for students with disabilities can point you towards any literature. Give that a try. Good luck in your future endeavors!

Christine

KODOS Barb, thanck you!
Everyone knows I was diagnost realy early.I must confes I just dont get it.Your still the same person u where before u found out.I thinck u should be pufed up like a peacock.I mean heck u made it this far without any real help.
Im iveas I wish I had the same bragging rights.
Good on ya girl. Tell all the negativety to stick it and go on with your goles. Your almost there dont let this get u down you have alresdy exeded what all the “egicated” mineds put out there.
Toni in Cal.