some quetions for adults with a LD

Lyn

Hi im ld 29 going to school to be a teacher ad with kids that have special needs
Right now i worke at a day programme for brain injuries

About working with any kind of kid if you love what your doing then it come a cross to them
paper work drive me crazy

good luke

I am 48 and was diagnosed at age 39 with ADHD and also have LD. I did obtain a Masters in Education of LD and ED, although it was very difficult at times. The http://www.protectionandadvocacy.com/ advocate in my area was indispensible!!
I currently teach LD/ED and have done so for 15 years. Yes, the paperwork can be overwhelming. So can dealing with non-ADD/LD professionals. THAT is tyhe biggest obstacle in my career.
You can write me at my home email for more info if you wish.

Hello

I answered yes to the qustion’s I read you wrote. I am 25 yrs old and I have two job’s. At one I am a Housekeeper. The other job I am a Teacher’s Aid. I feel like my LD hurt’s my life in many way’s at time’s I ask why me? It’s hard but I try to live my life the best way I know how. I have no one to talk to and the one’s I try to talk to don’t understand. Do you know if there is a place to be re- tested for LD? Please write back Deana

My good ness to have ADHD and LD you sure have come a longggggggg why in my eye’s. You seem to be very smart. I wish you the best. Would you like to talk some time? I have a 7 yr old sister with ADD and I have went to every web site and got book’s and even ask question’s about ADD to all most every one but I have not been able to find what I FEEL i need to know.

Wow, sounds so familiar. When I was 32 I had to make a very difficult decision stay in a very stressful corporate job (human resources management) or leave and start my own business working with individuals helping them to be better prepared to enter the world of work. I honestly think I would have done better having several disabilities LD (sequening, reading comprehension, auditory processing, math sequencing, formal written expression, and so on). Though at 32 I had done some work with others who had LD and knew the laws due to the work I was doing I had some skills, still it was a risk. Bottom line I did it. I left the job, and I made it. I think if you look at each task associated with the job, messure it up to each of your strenghts and disabilties, see if you can either with or without an accomodation do the task will give you an answer. Don’t forget the environment, teaching is stressful too, you may do better in a private school where there are small class sizes. It is obvious you compassion will do well for others. Look in you heart and use your head. I wrote a book “Embracing the Monster” where I talk about this, perhaps it will help you. Good luck and e-mail me if you need anything. Take care.

Veronica

Deanna I am suspect of diagnosis LD ADHD ADD. It is really a nasty lable. Hard science does not back up the assertios that people have these “Disorders” How many people in Japan have these conditions? Damn few. Look for solutions to correct the cause and not that poison Ritalin it may mask the sympton but at what cost? See what neuro - scientists are saying not the LD ADD “experts” You could have something as simple as a food allergy or lackig a nutrient. You may havd had a birth complication. There’s nothing wrong with doing physical labor. After all Jesus was a carpenter. The people who are in the profession of “helping” often do more harm than good so keep that in mind. I think they are often well meaning but there basic premise is wrong. No offense to those in that line of work but they are not neuro-scientists nor could they be.

Hi Deana:

In answer to your question about re-testing, I’m in a middle of getting retested at my community college. I was able to do it because I took one class there this semester (I ended up dropping it because I couldn’t keep up without support). Are you in school now? If so, many college have LD services and they could retest you if you ask. Sorry, I’m not sure what you could do if you’re not in school. I think there are private places that do testing, but I hear it’s VERY costly and I don’t know how much insurance would cover. Keep positive about everything, that the best I can say.

Good luck!

Christine

Hey Deana,

The one good thing about Voc. Rehab. is that they test you for free and then if you qualify, they will help pay for part of your college tuition, tutoring, books, or whatever you need to succeed in school. After you get tested and qualify for their services, then you can request to see a Neuropsychologist so that you can get a thorough evaluation for LD’s and ADHD, etc. The Neuropsychologist (Dr. Bracy) who did my testing even mapped out the areas of activity, increased, or decreased levels of activity in brain. I then was in Cognitive therapy with Dr. Bracy for about 2 yrs. (I didn’t go during school much since I couldn’t handle all the work load for both). Dr. Bracy and all the great tutors and professors and college helped more than anything - not to mention my family’s help all along the way. Voc. Rehab. paid for Dr. Bracy and for tutoring so at least they did something.

Hope this helps. I would take anything that you could get from Voc. Rehab. and then look elsewhere for eveything else. Don’t forget your support system which is very important. The most important thing is to believe in yourself, no matter how old you are! Look at me, I just graduated from graduate school at the age of 34 and yes I went to college straight out of HS, but I my story has many ups and downs, flunked out, took a few classes at a time for 5 yrs. and then when i got accepted to the University of Indianapolis everything seemed to click even though I didn’t believe it … you know it’s hard to believe that others can be so nice and genuinely want to help you succeed but there are actually many people out there if you want to take the leap of faith and look - You deserve it!
Hopefully my book will help you when I get it finished in a couple of yrs.
Don’t give up!!!

All the best,
Maria

Hi. This is the first time I have looked at this site and I love it. My husband and I are also 30. He has a learning disability and I am a school psychologist who “diagnosis” learning disabilities. He is just finishing up his last year of college. As you can probably relate, it has been a long, yet rewarding road for him. I think that he, too, has concerns about entering the business world (he is in marketing). He will definitely need to have someone proofread his things (secretary hopefully) but he has wonderful ideas and is very intelligent (as I’m sure you have the same qualities) which will get him far.

If you have any questions about working with kids with LD, please feel free to write. I am fascinated witih the area of LD and love working with the kids at school.

Sincerely,

Cheryl

Lyn,

To answer your question about careers … I have a B.S. degree in Social Work and Psychology with a minor in Sociology. I then earned a M.S. degree in Recreation with an emphasis in Therapeutic Recreation (2. yrs. ago); I then passed the national certification exam so that I can work in hospitals as a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS); I am also an EMT volunteer, and I’m in the process of writing an autobiography about the trials and tribulations growing up with an LD and ADHD - I”ve met MANY wonderful people in my life and, I’ve met quite a few EVIL people as well. The many great people I have met, are an inspiration to me and a driving force into how I came tobe able to write this book. For me, I have to do something I love or else I won’t be able to get interested in it and stay with the task at hand for long periods of time.

I think being a Rec. Therapist suits me well since I am in the community, and all over the place helping others, which is my strong suit, and not working in a huge hospital that has a million forms to fill out in a timely fashion, since it’s one of my weaknesses.

Hope this helps,
Maria

I am in a masters program for Specail Education and also a special education teacher. I also have dyslexia. I say go for it! Only 4% of all students with LD make it to post college work. I want to get that percent higher. If you have any questions let me know.

Hi,

I just wanted to let Deana, April, AA, and everyone else know that I agree that everyone deserves a chance of college and beyond despite any LD, and or ADHD. I have both LD and ADHD and completed my Masters Degree in Recreation with an emphasis in Therapeutic Recreation and passed the certification exam. I agree that we need to raise the bar and have more people complete a graduate degree. I can tell you that it wasn’t easy at all since I always was faced with the ignorance of others (a few prof’s and many other university staff) that it was so rare to see a person with an “LD” in grad. school. I always was teaching others that just because I have an LD doesn’t mean that I’m dumb, stupid and/or lazy … I just learn differently and, I am just as able to complete the work like any other student, with some accomodations … I do the exact same work but I don’t have as much of a social life as my friends did. I do agree with Georgia, I think, who said that she wouldn’t change a thing about her personality … I whole heartedly agree because even though I have many struggles, I love being the person I am. I am so different than others and I do things that some of my friends ask me “how do you do that…” I really don’t think of what I do as anything special since I think everyone else does what I do - only better. I mostly get noticed for my care and concern for others and my social ability - it helps that my parents own a restaurant and they are from Italy so I had structure and learned a lot about social skills. The structure and the harping about being nice and polite was a pain growing up, along with going to church all the time but now I really value what I have learned and appreciate all of my strengths as well.

Everyone keep up the good work and lets all raise the 4%.
Maria

I am on SSI my LD affected me so much I can not work