choosing an appropriate college major.

I think you should go for it. There are lots of examples of people who overcome their obstacles with the help of academic and personal support and succeed in life.

And you seem very intelligent from your posts. You write SO clearly and eloquently. (I know I can’t express myself so well). I find it impossible to believe that you lack intellect. The test score is only a reflection of the test itself and the circumstances of the testing on that day and with that tester. Having taken a WAIS III myself, I believe that it is completely possible to improve one’s IQ score. Don’t let a mere 60-90 minutes of your life define who you are. This is absolutely ridiculous.
[Modified by: itsmethere (itsmethere) on May 28, 2006 05:42 PM]

I would agree that you don’t lack intellect; as has also been expressed many times on this board, the IQ test does not measure the same things that we actually use in life & jobs. Speed is *not* all that critical in social work (usually) - but being able to creatively consider many options is. So, if I were in your position I woudl be asking whether I could creatively take a situation and apply the knowledge I had (which I coudl have taken any amount of time to acquire) in a way to meet the needs of my client. (I’d worry about keeping track of faces and places and paperwork, too, but that’s me… it’s not a job *I* could do and I woudl do peachily on a test.)
Figuring out the right major *is* a serious issue especially where LDs are involved, because often the “typical” ways of doing it are missing LD issues that can make or break a person. Following regular advice could rule out the right career, or make the wrong one look good until you go there. A friend who seemed to have the right stuff in the academic part of his career choice turned out to be really floundering *after* graduation… because there were too many changes and adaptations required of the job, constantly, and it was stressful enough that he would end up getting angry and not doing a particularly good job, and not being a “team person.” The college part wasn’t “Team Person” stuff… now he’s headed in a different direction and things are looking better.
Whatever you pick, you are going to have second thoughts. If you have sought good advice, thought things through adn then made your decision, then stomp down the second thoughts until you’ve got to make another decision. Go for success at whatever you’re doing now instead of wasting a moment thinking about whether it’s the right thing. Be in your moment and participate; don’t pull back!
And even if you *haven’t* sought advice, etc… once you’re in classes, postpone other decisions and do what you need to do to learn the stuff you’re supposed to learn. Even if you decide to change your major at the end of a term, you want to have done as well as possible in what you did sign up for.
Yes, we are slaves to a point to our limitations. Everybody is. Figuring out whether we are *more* enslaved than the next guy… I think I’ll get some work done instead…
[Modified by: Sue (Sue) on June 01, 2006 03:01 PM]

[Modified by: Sue (Sue) on June 01, 2006 03:03 PM]

Another thing to consider is that as a counselling psychologist, you’ll have plenty of time at home in between appointments to put your notes together on particular patients and to better understand their problems and come up with possible solutions. From my experience, psychologists do a lot of listening for the first few appointments and then later on they’ll start to address some of the patient’s issues. So I don’t think you’ll feel that pressure to think on your feet too much, just make sure you do your homework for each patient. In fact, you may even become an exceptional counselor, as people with LDs are probably more likely to be good introspectors and to have a better understanding of how people work in general. Anyway, good luck. :)