Is there help for me?

. Okay, so it’s not “dyslexia.” It sounds like there is a learning disability there, though. Maybe your son’s teacher was trying to comfort and encourage you, a la “oh, I’m sure there’s nothing *wrong* with you!” — which is nice, I suppose, but doesn’t help. (Or, she just might be clueless.)
Often learning disabilities don’t look the same in women as they do in men — women tend to be stronger in language areas.
Have you looked at Non-verbal learning disabilities or NVLD? Some of the info sounds depressing — but that’s just because the people who have overcome problems like yours or are still struggling usually haven’t gotten a diagnosis.
I would check out the Learning Disabilities Association branch where you are (start with clicking “finding help” at the top of the page here) and see whether they could connect you with help — and are there other teachers at the school who might have a better background than “it’s not dyslexia,” too.

Laurie, let me start by saying that becouse of my LD I spell faneticly and there isen’t a spell chek on this thing; and a diconarry would take me for ever SORRY. (it still inbareses me) Dont let people blow you off,the term LD as well as dyslexica is an anormasly brod term. I know the angziatys as well as the lack of intrest or consern some people diminstrat ,you see finding out what exacly your learning disadilities are can be quite extenseve and some people just dont have the time or resorses to delve in to sush thing espeshaly if they dont have to. How do I know this well, throw my intier elamentry school and high school educashon I have been in rsp (resors speshalist programs)or as you sons school calls learning inpaird class (I dont like that tearm it incorect we just learn difrently I was labeld the same way but that is anothere storry) sorry any ways my point is I have more first hand expeareans than a lott off teachers and I can tell you that you sons teacher may not have been intierly corect .I can read well granted slower than some but with a higher comprehenchon and a higher vocabulary than most, still I have a farly saver typ of dyslexica.How ever there are other LD ‘s as well there is an eye hand cordinashon ahhhh oh I cant remember the proper jargen well you can find it on LD indepth. I would start at your locall comunity colleag most have grate reserch resorsses and people to talk to. I would like to talk more please respond I also have some probloms with the holl mirror thing

Toni,
I live in Japan on a small military post. The internet is the only resource I have. I will never drive here. The streets are very narrow and you use mirrors to see what is coming on the cross streets. I am unable to navigate the trains because of the left-right issue. Which side of the platform takes me to Tokyo? I have no clue. The LI therapist says maybe ADD but I don’t think so. I can practically feel my brain trying to process certain information and not finding a place to do it. I might as well be trying to pick up telepathic messages from space. I will check out the info in the replies. I could really use some more internet sources.
Laurie

OMG……….. i am sorry for the caps. im in tears„„„„ im 38 and i DO know my right from my left but when someone says on the right side ect…. i look left, and visa versa„„„, it makes me fell so stupid, i get letters wrong i have had to retype this 3 times. and it makes me sooooo made cuz i know im NOT a dummy i just cant get it corrrect, i have to think to my self. (ok this is the hand that i wright with so thats my right) i am soooo glad to know (and sorry to hear) that im not alone.

I found out that I had a LD when I was in 7th grade, now i am a junior in college studing to be a special ed teacher. I just want to let you know that the Lord has created you just the way you are and he loves you Dianna. You are not a dummy you are a perfectly gifted woman who I dont even know. Being book smart isn’t the reason why we were created, and it isn’t what is most important. It is living our lives to serve Christ Jesus. Write me back if you want to talk.

Laurie,

Get a referal to a neuro psychologist for an evaluation. Learn about how the brain works. Cognitive therapy should be the next step after the neuro psych evaluation.

Hi Laurie,

I agree with the person who suggested you do a little research on nonverbal learning disabilities. Put “nld” in the search engine here on this website, and then be sure to read the articles written by Sue Thompson. What have you tried, to help yourself remember left, right, etc? In school how did you cope with finding classrooms, etc? JJ

Having raised for the last 6 years a step-daughter with NLD (she is almost 11 now), I would absolutely agree that checking out those websites would be a good first move. Some I am aware of are NLD line and NLD on the web. And though I seldom (sorry) agree with Ball’s opinions (though defend his right to have them and share them), I would say that a NeuroPsych evaluation is defintely in order. I know that PACE (Processing and Cognitive Enhancement) works well for children with NLD, but I am unsure of the success rate in adults or if it is even used for adults.

Before you disregard dyslic there are many types. Perhaps go to a Neouorlogist. I was diagnosed when I was 4 with LD and Now in my 30’s trying to find myself. I have a degree in Special Ed,but no teaching certificate.
Stormie

Dear Lizze,
I am not good at spelling, I am almost 30. I was diagnosed early at the age of 4. I went to school to become a special ed teacher. I have B.S. in Special Ed. I do not have a teaching cerficate. I got burned out and I struggle with math especially the teachers math. Good luck. I am not sure it is what I want to do when my two chhildren are older. I am a stay at home mom Grace is 2 and a half and Josh 7 months.
Stormie

Have you been tested? That would be a good place to start.
I have ADD, and learning disabilities related to Math and reading comphrension. Just take it one day at a time. Try to find support too.

:how do I find out what my particular learning problems are and learn how to solve these problems? I am just returning to college after being out for approximately 15 years. The computer situation(s) are driving me crazy! I just don’t seem to be able to get it! Math has been a problem since my second grade year and I need three hours of math to graduate. My learning problems seem to be exacerbated since I am older. I think I have sequencing problems as well, but I don’t really know what the definition of sequencing is, but for me, it sounds appropriate i think. I usually have no problems spelling, but it seems to be the only thing I do well. I am recently divorced and need to finish my degree so that I can support myself. Any information about the above would be greatly appreciated.
I also have problems driving with directions, going into a building and into a office for instance and not being able to reverse the order. I always get turned around. Directions are a nightmare. I have gone into a restaurant, sat down, gotten up to use the restroom and ended up in the kitchen, help

Hi Carol„

If you can afford it, I would try to obtain an evaluation by a neuropsychologist. However, make sure you proceed very carefully in picking someone. I would consult your local CHADD group, LDA branch, and perhaps the disability office at the school you are going to attend.

When you ask who is good in your area, make sure you stress you want this person to provide recommendations in addition to testing.

If you can’t afford this option, perhaps going through voc rehab or seeing someone at a discount at a college is a possibility. But my experiences with voc rehab were not good so I am not highly endorsing that. However, if that’s your only option„ then of course, you have no choice.

I’ll wait for you to make the appointment and find someone before I provide advice on actually, getting the most out of your session.

PT

I totaly understand what you are saying. I’m 53 and I experiance everything you have mentioned. The other day I was in walmart and after I checked out I couldn’t remember which way to go to get out even though i have been there several times before. I couldn,t see the exit doors from there. I know with out a doubt that i have an LD because I have 4 children who have LD’s 3 dx with APD. For me the difficulty seems to be with both auditory and visual processing. I have all the simptoms of APD. This forum and others like it are probably the best place to start. If you can it would probably be a good idea ti get tested if you can so you know what you are dealing with.

I’m one of those weird people who is good at academic stuff but I still can’t tell my left from my right. I lose my car every single time I go to Walmart, I often take the exit in the wrong direction, I have no sense of time …
Some of this I deal with and some I just put up with.

A lot of people here keep asking for reading and math help. I keep offering help. and I’m starting to get burned out, especially on the math issue.
It goes like this:

poster: I’m desperate! I need help! I’m going to flunk out! Anything!

me: change your methods, try another approach, throw out the ways you’ve been repeating failure; here are some specific, clear, easy things to do; just try them for a while and it can’t get worse, can it?

poster: NO! I can never, never do that! That’s not how I work!

Well, I try to be supportive, kind, helpful, and all that, and it won’t do any good to make the poor person feel even worse, but let me tell you folks, if you have been failing for ten years and you absolutely insist that this is the only way you work, I can guarantee you are going to fail for the eleventh year too.
If someone asks for help, it really wears the helper down to find out people really don’t want their questions answered.

One definition of learning is Learning = Change in Behaviour
Before you learn to read, you just look at the pictures; after you learn to read you say the words. Before you learn to dance you just sit on the side; afterwards you’re out on the floor moving with the music. And so on. Well, if you want to improve your reading, improve your spelling, or pass a math class, you’re going to have to change some behaviour, do something different, try something new. It’s frightening but at the same time exhilerating.

I feel you, Laurie. I have dyscalculia and a learning disability “not otherwise specified” and I share some of the same issues you have. But, do not let anything stop you. If you are at the grocery store and it takes you forever in a day to figure out where the meat case is, just shcedule time to spend forever in day shopping. If you are fortunate enough to drive, just drive safely and slowly (but not to a big degreee, with the slowly part) and use he computer to get directions (to and from) where you have to go. Who minds it? If you have to use online banking and whatnot, then that is just something you have to use. Do not get frustrated or any such thing as that. When you start to feel the frustration and feelings of being unable to cope start to come…just use them to fuel you to be that much stronger and focused. Who cares, right?! As long as you are being honest and true to yourself, just do not mind anything else that might come your way that is harder for you to do than most.

We are all made differently, the world would be a very boring place if we all had the same i.q’s and could all do the same exact things fairly and exactly…the world we live in is not made of robots, eh? If you have been walking around without going to a doctor then maybe you should go to one to find out what it is that is ailing you, no shame in that. I concur that you need a neuropsych consult.

And, I must say that we all have learning disabilities here, you know? If one asks for advice, I doubt it is to get out of learning something properly. Some of us are different than others. I have been trying to run a thread on this site for the math teachers, like just one post I did…pertaining to what to learn for Intermediate Algebra II; I am going to have a tutor help me with it before I take the class and I figured if anyone would know it would be some of those teachers, never did I want to not learn of something, and I bet you are the same way too. Heck, I am thirty years old with a sixth grade level of abstract thought trying to learn math at University…

Stay in touch with all of us. We are here to lend support. I love this site, I can type freely and everything and share. Good luck to you.

I have no solution nor answer, but maybe other people will recall a letter to “Dear Abby” many years ago. A woman wrote to describe similar conditions - she struggled with numbers, needed a friend to tape a mark on the spedometer to indicate the 55 mph speed limit and so on. She also had to take her GED repeatedly before she passed.

On the flip side, she went to the library as a kid and read foreign language texts “for fun” (a direct quote). As an adult she could speak, read, and write several languages.

When you move the cursor on your computer a lot of complex stuff is going on behind the scene. If that cursor starts acting wierd and doing stuff it isn’t supposed to do the rest of your computer may be OK.

If you take your computer to the local computer guy he probably can tell you what the problem is and fix it.

The people who diagnose computers and fix them are a lot more current, competent and knowledgable than the charletons who diagnose brains that they will tell you it can’t really be fixed so don’t bother trying.

DON”T BELIEVE IT!

What is happening is doctors are in some areas about 30 years behind what medical and neuroscience is doing. Because the evil drug companies can’t see a way to profit from LD the research that exists never gets taken to the next level.

There are ways to make your brain function better. If some douche bag neurologist tells you there isn’t pray he dies of a sunburn because he shouldn’t be allowed to treat patients.

The only person who can help you is you. There are smart drugs and other ways to improve brain function.

Also if anyone poo poos a nutritional approach you can bet that person is similar to an anal fissure.

Start an LD group in your area and instead of having meetings whining about how much it sucks having LD educate yourselves and experiment with treatments. Don’t hold your breath waiting for traditional medicine to help you because it is beyond their scope on compassion.