My entire life I have been struggling with a learning disability but have never been diagnosed. When I read the childhood symptoms I see that I have had them growing up and even though I am an adult now who finally completed my B.S. at age 44 and doing it with excellent GPA. It has been a struggle. Beginning a new job is even more difficult. I have difficulty remembering things and need to write everything down. I can only learn something if it is repetitive and if the job doesn’t have a structured plan, I tend to not learn as well as I could. I have no idea what is out there for someone like me because I have never researched any of this as I believe I have been in denial. What should my first step be? I don’t want to be on any medications but I would like to find out what can help make my life easier. Any suggestions where to look for help will be appreciated. Thanks! D
Re: Adults with Learning Disabilities Undiagnosed
A couple of things come to mind. If USA2005 were bouncing of the walls and swinging from the chandeliers he would have gotten an ADHD dx but because he was struggling and their was no profit in getting him diagnosed we was left by his school to struggle with NO accomodation. The reason for this is that the school would have to allocate resources to USA 2005.
The term reasonable accomodation as it applies to an employer bothers me. Employers should not be required to accomodate disabled people. It is an unfair burden and they have no uniform standard in which to go by.
I too applaud USA 2005 for his courage and perseverence. I don’t think it is fair or nessecary that he has to face the burden of having to work harder than everyone else everyday of his life. In a humane society he would not be made to shoulder all the burden alone.
As USA2005 ages his mental faculties will decline at a faster rate than non LDers and that will make his mountain even steeper and his load heavier.
Re: Adults with Learning Disabilities Undiagnosed
Welcome to LDonline, USA.
I am 45 years old. I have the same issues with work. I’ve been at the same job for 18 years but I really had trouble two years ago when we changed computer softward. The training just went to fast for me…luckily, because of the history I had at the company, I’m still there. : )
As you said, I write EVERYTHING done. And add a sturcture to the work if there isn’t naturally one.
There are a couple of ways you *could* go…one is to have indepentant testing by a nueropsycholist. Its very costly but the report you recieve afterwards will list your strenghts and weaknesses and suggestions for minumizing your weaknesses. My older son just had the whole gambit of testing done. It cost $1,400 and insurance covered half.
Sometimes local dyslexia assoc will do the tests for less but I’m not sure how complete they are.
Some people swear by (and others at) state vocational offices. In thery, they would do some of the tests as it is effecting your work perforance. One of the other posters here, John, works for a vacational office, I believe. Perhaps he can tell you more.
As for meds, one doesn’t take meds for a learning disability but we often have anxiety or depression and the meds can help with that. ADD or ADHD is often co-morbid with LD and if that is true in your case, you may wish to look at meds for that.
There really is, unfortunitly, little out there for LD adults.
Barb
PS…edited to add this: I don’t do chat but if you do, you might be intereseted in www.nethaven.net
They have weekly hosted chats for adult LDers. I’ve heard that hosts and other members are very well informed.
Re: Adults with Learning Disabilities Undiagnosed
There are some meds that help with cognition. One is called Selgiline. There alos is something called Huperzine Athat is available at GNC. It makes me a little sharper and it seem to make my memory better.
http://www.wholehealthmd.com/print/view/1,1560,SU_10038,00.html
BGB you are so right about help not being available.
I think LD and cognition problems need to be taken seriously from a vocational point of view.
Think about it. Would you want an LDer flying the plane to are on or fixing the brake on your car?
I am an advocate of compensating employers who hire vocationally challenged individuals so that they can put forth the same effort and the average employee but the employer gets monetary compensation for the LDer’s lower productivity. I also advocate that LDer’s ect.. get extended unemployment benefits if the get laid off because it is more difficult for an LDer to get hired.
Re: Adults with Learning Disabilities Undiagnosed
[quote]Think about it. Would you want an LDer flying the plane to are on or fixing the brake on your car? [/quote]
Flying a plan requires a great deal of technical training and knowledge and there are a ton of goverment regulations to become a pilot. I’m sure there pleanty of people who don’t have an LD who couldn’t fly a plan.
But fixing brake’s is actually really easy to do, and to get certified you only have to have one year of vocational training. If the right person is teaching someone who has an LD and has patience, then the person who has an LD most often turns out to be excellent at what their being trained to do. So that’s really an extreme comparison.
Re: Adults with Learning Disabilities Undiagnosed
[quote:dc7226c71e=”nobodyimportant”][quote]Think about it. Would you want an LDer flying the plane to are on or fixing the brake on your car? [/quote]
Flying a plan requires a great deal of technical training and knowledge and there are a ton of goverment regulations to become a pilot. I’m sure there pleanty of people who don’t have an LD who couldn’t fly a plan.
But fixing brake’s is actually really easy to do, and to get certified you only have to have one year of vocational training. If the right person is teaching someone who has an LD and has patience, then the person who has an LD most often turns out to be excellent at what their being trained to do. So that’s really an extreme comparison.[/quote]
Some people’s ignorance is astounding. I am not saying that someone with LD could not learn to fly a commercial airliner by passing all the tests required and I am not saying an LDer can’t fix car brakes.
All I am saying is this. People with certain forms of LD should not be flying aircraft or fixing safety systems on auto mobiles. I have flown an airplane but it was a 2 seat Cessna and compared to a 767 it’s a tinker toy even still I believe I could master flying an airliner. I also have fixed the brakes on my own vehicle in my driveway. I would not in good conscience given my disabilty do that for a living. Many of us LDers are dyslexic, absent minded, easily distracted and often forgetful. I have made the mistake of forgetting to put the safety clips that hold the pads on. I am lucky that my son pointed that out.
It really irks me when the Mary Sunshine’s of the world start running their mouths about stuff they that they are clueless about.
Let’s see if we can get Midas Muffler to hire LDers to replace exhaust system. Won’t it be a scream when cognitive overload takes over and the live cutting torch they are holding hit’s the fuel line and everybody in the garage gets killed? Wouldn’t that be a hoot?
Nobodyimportant, wishful thinking and all the poliana BS in the world will not change reality. Get used to it!
If a person with LD did work in a potentially dangerous enviroment they would need constant supervision. Anyone who thinks otherwise is smoking something illegal.
Well first off I would like to congratulate you for completing your Bachelors of Science degree at that age. As far as medication goes I can’t give you any advice in that area because I don’t know much about it. If anyone does give you advice make sure you research the product that they suggest you take.
If your employer hired you they obviously thought you were able to perform the tasks that they give to you, now it’s your responsibility to make sure that they are accommodating you with your LD. The law is called “IDEA” i guess and from my understanding it states that an employer must provide reasonable accommodations to people with LD.