Monday, July 18, 2011

Sheer Determination Part 2

Speaking of sheer determination, I just heard a story that exemplified it.  An old friend (I'll call her Laura) told me this story over dinner recently.

Laura has a a friend (I'll call her Cathy) who knew since high school that she wanted to be a medical doctor.  Cathy's grades were not very good so her friends weren't sure how that was going to happen.  In college, Cathy hired a bunch of tutors to get through school and even so managed to graduate with a C grade point average, hardly suitable to most medical schools.  But Cathy was determined, so she attended a medical school in a foreign country.  After she finished school there, she took the board exams in this country but failed.  When my friend, Laura, went to visit Cathy around this time, she found Cathy's room wallpapered in study notes (ceiling included).  Cathy eventually passed the exam but had missed the residency placement opportunities so she crafted her own rotation at various hospitals and community clinics.  Cathy is now a doctor and has successfully collaborated with my friend Laura on various national research grants. 

I love this story of sheer determination.  Not pretty or perfect but got the job done.

It also reminds me of the struggles of people with learning disabilities.  I don't know if Cathy has a learning disability but what I have learned over the years as a school social worker is that people with learning disabilities have average to above average cognitive ability or intelligence but their academic performance is hindered by learning or processing deficits.  They do have learning or processing strengths and once identified, these can be maximized for success.

I imagine there are many people with learning disabilities out there (15-17% of the general population) who have a sense that they can do something and don't understand why their performance doesn't seem to match up to their perceived ability.  I have known people who spend years in community college, taking up to 10 or 12 years to earn an AA degree.  They know they are in the right place because of their cognitive ability, but don't know why they struggle, especially if they have never been tested for a learning disability.  Some become frustrated and depressed.  Before we understood much about learning disabilities, the general notion was that people were lazy, crazy or stupid.  Now we should know better.

Unfortunately, if you stop an educator on any campus and ask them, "What is a learning disability?" - many would not be able to answer accurately.  There are professionals, in public schools from K to post-secondary, who are trained to assess students with potential learning disabilities.  We, as parents or students, have a right to request these evaluations.  If eligible, due to a learning disability, federal laws can protect students and workers.  Getting accommodations for school or work becomes a civil rights issue.  We know this applies to people with physical disabilities, as we notice wheelchair access ramps installed in most public buildings.  It also applies to people with learning disabilities.

Teaching undergraduate students at a public university, I often met intelligent and dedicated students who disclosed they had learning disabilities.  This is a tough call because you never know how people, including professors, will respond.  Their knowledge about their learning strengths and limitations helped them to ask for and receive accommodations in college.  Some took their mid-term or final exam in a quiet room and had extended time to complete it.  Others had readers or their books paid for.

Sometimes, students and parents reject recommendations for testing to determine eligibility for accommodations due to learning disabilities.  It is still something that is potentially stigmatizing or hard to accept.

Know this:
  • People with learning disabilities are as smart or smarter than the rest of us.
  • People with learning disabilities can succeed, especially with additional resources, accommodations and support, which are entitlements thanks to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
  • There is no shame in being diagnosed with a learning disability, a physical disability or any health condition.
  • All people matter.
  • All people have a right to the pursuit of happiness.  Indeed, the U.S. may have the only Constitution that guarantees this right.  

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