Fired because of LD

Sorry for lose of job. Hopefully you will be able to collect unemployement while you are search for a new job.

I am sorry to hear about your negative experience. I certainly know what it feels like to exist outside of the world's conventional domains - including that of known LDs. Many of us don't fit into neat little categories.

However, as said by Dr. Tom Shakespeare, “People are disabled not by their bodies but by society. Society needs to understand disability and react to disabled people.”

Don't be too hard on yourself. I know it is difficult, though. I do not know in what line of work you were operating, but perhaps it has happened this way for the best. I hope that things work out positively for you. Keep us updated about your experience.

Best wishes,

-SJ

P.S.

Here is an article written by Dr. Tom Shakespeare that I found inspiring:

Understanding Disability

[Modified by: Sacred Journey on December 14, 2006 12:46 AM]

"We don't see things as they are; we see things as we are." --Unknown

"People seldom see the haulting and painful steps by which the most insignificant success is acheived." --Anne Sullivan

"In the midst of winter, I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer." --Albert Camus

Sorry for you misfortune. It's rough I've been probably been through about 14- 15 jobs. I just got let go about a month ago. I couldn't believe, it's happening again. It makes feel like not wanting to work at all.
But you have too.

Here's what I have done. I learned this from one of my career consultants. She said to take what you learn with you because it adds to your skill level. She also said, you will use that at another employer, and another employer is looking for that skill.

I would also try to work with an organization which works with employers that employ workers with disabilities. It makes a world of a difference.
I didn't understand that for a long time.

Employers actually recieve tax benefits for employing the disabled, so it makes good business sense for them.
Check it out.

Geoff

I have LD also and two summers ago I finally got up the courage to apply for a job at a craft store since I can make anything and I figured I'd be able to help customers and give demonstrations. Unfortunatley they put me at the cash register, an old, outdated cash register that requires the cashier to fix mistakes manually. In other words, there was no way to cancel a mistake with the push of a button. I tried it with the encouragement of my family but I did terribly. Customers were upset and the mannagers were always angry. Cashiers were expected to memorize daily specials and discount percentages. It was a bright, noisy, place where customers would bring armfulls of tiny beads, paper swatches, and little paint bottles. I had to type the prices in Manually. They finally cut my hours back so much that I got the message. I think what made it so hard for me was not feeling that I failed at a job but being publically humilliated everyday. I had to stand at my register with a forced heir of confidence knowing that I was equally as smart as my coworkers yet so unable to show it. I had just turned 19 and I still have anxiety about working now that I'm 21. I'm sure you must feel some of that too...just that pure embarassment.

Since then I have worked as a nanny and this summer I started my own small business, selling the things that I make along with other treasures that I've found. I have my store online via eBay. eBay does all of the math and when customers ask questions, they do it in an email. I have more time to process their questions and answer them intelligently. But none of this would have been possible without God. I hope you have a relationship with God. If not, I'm going to pray for you anyway, God knows jobs are important and I'm confident that theres something out there for you.

~*totallygenius

yes I think you should find a job that will match your disability (im not saying that it will be easy though) but also keep in mind when your employer is still in line for deciding to "let you go" because of your disability. is it because your work is affected by it or is it simply because your employer is not comfortable with you having such disability? there's actually a big difference there... and legal remedy at hand if you know what i mean

-An act in law shall prejudice no one [url=http://www.mesrianilaw.com]Los Angeles Lawyers[/url] Providing superb solutions to your legal concerns

I've had about 300 jobs since I started working (I'm 60 now and living on a federal disability grant for a psych. disorder...I never got tested/certified for LD, therefore I officially don't have it!!!) and I lost most of those jobs due to my LD...and yet after all this time I still don't know exactly what's wrong with my "wiring" (I'm really beginning to HATE that expression!!).
It just seems I can't do anything right on the job, anything from adding up figures on an adding machne, to catching the product in a small bag on a conveyer belt, to "remembering" to latch all the cat cages at the shelter so they don't get out at night. When studying medical coding I made more "glitch" type mistakes than logical mistakes, yet I got an A the first time around (online)and a B the second time around (regular class). When I tried to work as a coder (after the first class) I got fired before the end of the first day...for not being able to code. I also have a BA and a college level IQ. (So much for what IQ tests test for.....)
All my life I've been called lazy, unmotivated, degenerate, crazy, developmentally-delayed, and worse...even by my own parents. Also by co-workers. Teachers pretty much never gave a damm, and I slid through school because it's relatively easy to "fake it" in school (at least for me) compared to on the job.
Needless to say I've been endlessly traumatized by this disability, totally marginalized in my social-economic life, have been homeless many times, and forced to live in extremely compromised situations all of my life. My dreams became mud. And my self-esteem...well, one can only try to imagine, but you have to have been there!!
Most things I won't even try anymore, and the very worst thing about all this...is that THE BOSS and/or COWORKERS NEVER UNDERSTAND(S)..especially on the easy jobs that anyone should be able to do. And it's a vicious cycle...no job equals no money therefore no money to invest in a home business through which I could hide my disability a lot more, and thereby experience more success and self respect.
There's still no way I can get a good grasp on exactly what's wrong, although I went for testing once (but never got certified and never followed through with the biofeedback which I considered useless for me) and my short term memory is about zero, although I got much better scores on language things (but I'm not that great that I could be a reporter or a therapist, cause I am not good at following people's line of thinking when it achieves any level (or no level) of complexity. I even washed out as a dry cleaner clerk and as a cashier on a couple of occasions...too many things to do and remember. It's all quite appalling. From the time I was 16 there was nothing in the newspaper want-ads that I thought I could do, and if I did, then I didn't have the credentials. My BA is in psych, (ha ha) but I never worked one day in a professionalor semi-professional capacity because I never got that ground-level experience in...to quality (not to mention other formal qualifications). And for every job that I ever landed, I probably applied for 10 or 20 more.
Well, I have a chance to interview for another kennel job. And after a lifetime of failure and defeat and unspeakable humiliation, I have to decide how to go about telling (or not telling) them about this. I don't want them to decide I'm too damaged, but I don't really want them to know...if there was the slightest chance I can pull it off. All I can remember is when I volunteered at the shelter before, I ended up getting fired for "forgetting" to close about 10 cat cages....impossible I thought....they must have wanted to dump me for some other reason and made up that story....it can make a person so paranoid on top of everything else. I probably won't sleep tonight for worry about this. And all for $7.00 an hour, 30 hours a week. It's tempting to say no. An old friend takes care of me now, and I'd never have to try to work again if I didn't want to. And it's a terrible thing to have to worry about something like this. I'm seeing all these other posts about how people are finding some kind of niche in spite of their problems, and at age 60 I still haven't found mine. Any sincere words would be greatly appreciated!!
[Modified by: stillhere on August 27, 2007 08:54 PM]

[Modified by: stillhere on August 27, 2007 08:56 PM]

Dear Goeff,

Thanks for the advice. The problem is never that cut and dried, and this is why it's so hard to "reach" out. No life is so simple that one only needs a list of what to do. Of course EVERYBODY starting out somewhere has their initial list...but it wasn't cause everyone else was also LD. I have just as must problem getting the "list of what to do" down straight. And you can get so specific that the list can be literally ten thousand items long, know what I mean. The human mind does not work that way, and ultimately, every mini detail of ones life is not meant to be itemized..... anyway, things come up during the day, and no job is so simple that everything can be known in advance. Just the idea that I have to say this seriously...means I'm in too deep....I mean I know you were really trying to offer something helpful...but if something so obvious as writing stuff down REALLY made that much difference...I think I would have known it ages ago. I'll never forget my hideous experience at a burger flipper joint. I was relying on the "cheat sheets" for so long, that I got in everybody's way, and a couple of hours later, THAT job was gone too.... HEAVY SIGH!!! The phone is still flashing for a call I should've picked up 8 hours ago, probably calling me in for an interview, and I'm losing sleep worrying about it, but if I don't pick up by morning, ane more will have slipped through my fingers. Another one slipped through this morning when I couldn't find the road sign for how to get into the bloody place, and so I came home with the little resume (packed with lies) still in my hot little hand.
Thanks for the words though. It's good to feel that somebody cares. Best...... Stillhere

Hi Stillhere:
Your story reminds me of an article I read about a woman who had memory loss because of a car accident. Though it may seem unrelated, it appears that memory issues are one of the key things that have held you back in life--along with perhaps a concern that you are just going to fail no matter what so why try anymore! Anyway, you can read the article here: http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/9094237.html.
I think most people find their niche by taking a very honest and hard look at their life. You may not be able to do a job that requires quick service to the public or attention to detail but if a seriously brain injured woman who lost her daughter can hold down a job (granted with much help), then there is hope!
[Modified by: rogomom2 on October 29, 2007 12:03 PM]

Dear upsetwithmyld and stillhere and kind responders, I realize this is a late post, but would still like to make a suggestion. Have you considered doing some later-in-life therapy to help you improve memory and organization skills? It seems that these skills can be helped with work in visual imagery.

At this point in my career I work only with adult learners and have heard so many stories that are heartbreaking. Yet, some improvement can usually be made with the kind of determination I see in many of the responses.

Take a look at our website http://www.understandMORE.com and click where it says, Why People Have Problems With Comprehension. It may help you see why it is difficult to remember and organize things. We put this little presentation on the web to help other family members understand what some of the issues are, so you may want to ask spouses, parents, siblings or even an understanding employer (Yes, there are a couple) to take a look.

[Modified by: Jane Wilkinson on March 12, 2008 12:04 PM]

Jane Wilkinson understandMORE.com

Quote Mandi:

I will second that. Honestly, I think society is impaired.