Alone in the World

Before I was diagnosed with A.D.H.D. in second grade, life was a challenge. I struggled to understand and complete homework assignments. When I came home, sat down to do homework, I grew frustrated. Most of the time I struggled to write a story. It was impossible to sit and stare at a blank piece of paper and write.

I later learned strategies from my mother, webbing and mapping was a good way to get my ideas down on paper. Although I had strengths in verbal oriented things such as reading and spelling, I had a weakness in math. I lacked good organizational skills. My desk was a mess, I couldn’t find a thing.

When I learned this was due to a learning disability, I was upset. I felt that no one in the world was like me; I was the only one who had a disability. Having a learning disability made me feel like I didn’t belong, stupid and humiliated. I was scared to tell my friends for fear that they would not like me anymore. All through third to fifth grade, I kept my disability a secret.

Thankfully, in sixth grade I found my best friend. I told her a few months later and she, three years later, thankfully, is still my best friend to this day. She has put up with my random ideas that don’t make sense, forgetting to take my medication, and lack of organization.