I think I'm going in the wrong direction

Submitted by an LD OnLine user on

I just read a part of a discussion thread talking about not sugar-coating LD issues. I have just begun my own website to help people who deal with LD and have tried to give them hope and encouragement by saying things like “you need to know your strengths and weaknesses” and that people with LD do have gifts! I have a daughter with LD and I strongly believe that this is true - she struggled, but she has many gifts as well. I don’t want to minimize the impact of a learning disability on a person because I saw the pain she went through, but at the same time, I want to help provide hope for them.

Can anyone give me ideas on what things I should be saying better, and how I should be saying them, so I can be of more help?

Thanks,
Sandy
www.ldperspectives.com

Submitted by ellyodd on Tue, 08/31/2004 - 11:23 AM

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Hi Sandy!

Wow, cool that you would want 2 spend time on that. I have a www about dyscalculia in danish myself, and I’m working for the dyscalculia group in Denmark.

Maybe you could write something about, even though it seems that you are not good at anything, have no giftsand stuff like that, there IS always something you are good at - you just have 2 find it. That’s me in a nutshell :)

Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 09/01/2004 - 2:18 AM

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<<I just read a part of a discussion thread talking about not sugar-coating LD issues. I have just begun my own website to help people who deal with LD and have tried to give them hope and encouragement by saying things like “you need to know your strengths and weaknesses” and that people with LD do have gifts! I have a daughter with LD and I strongly believe that this is true - she struggled, but she has many gifts as well. I don’t want to minimize the impact of a learning disability on a person because I saw the pain she went through, but at the same time, I want to help provide hope for them.>>

Hi Sandy,

I just visited your website due to another post so the timing of your post is perfect. As an adult with NLD/ADHD who definitely is not young although I feel that way <g>, I wish you would say adults instead of “young adults”. By using the young adult labeling, you’re unintentionally excluding a part of the LD population who continues to be ignored by alot of professionals and LD organizations.

I also don’t want to be the voice of negativity as I greatly appreciate what you are trying to do. However (you knew that was coming<g>), the statement that people with LD have gifts and that you need to know your strengths and weaknesses falls short for me.

I know my strenghts and weaknesses perfectly but unfortunately, in this rapidly changing economy where the the duties of several jobs have been combined into one position, it is getting harder to find a position that I can be successful in and feel challenged. Ten years ago, I might have been able to compensate for my weaknesses but that is becomming less of a possibility. Yes, I can find a job that takes advantage of my strengths but the problem is the weaknesses out number them considerably. Sorry but employers don’t excuse you from the tasks you can’t do.

For me, I need very specific concrete suggestions and less slogans. Maybe that is because of my NLD and perhaps your other readers wouldn’t need so much.

Just so you know, I have tried every means available to find specific career counseling tailored to what I need and it just doesn’t exist.

Still, compared to other NLDers, I am doing very well and am grateful for that. But when you work in a position that is way below your intellectual capability, it is hard to deal with..

I have probably taken this discussion in a different way than you intended. But I just wanted to explain why I reacted the way I did to your post. Again, I appreciate your good intentions and I wish you nothing but the best.

PT

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