I was diagnosed as LD when I was a pre-teen. I had never like school and had a great deal of trouble paying attention. That being said, I read at three and always was hungry for knowledge. Once I was diagnosed I was immediately placed into a classroom filled with drug addicts, and people with major mental problems. There was also a young man in my class with Downs. I don't look down on these people, but failed and still failed to see where I fit in. I was branded with a label of intellectual inadequacy that has haunted me my entire life. In so many words, our teachers told us to be prepared for working poor type jobs. I'm all for supporting the working poor, but I found it hurtful being told I was too dumb to do anything that required schooling. I remember at one point being shuttled somewhere on the good old "short bus." I finally said to my teacher," this is humiliating." I refused to get on the bus again.

Because my parents saw I was artistic and supported that,I ended up with a scholarship to a conservatory. I didn't last however because I walked into class every day believing I was the dumbest person there. I left class and cried in my bed nearly every day if I made the smallest mistake. Perhaps I could have reacted differently, but at 18 I only knew what I had been shown by my school and that was this: out of 700 kids in my class, I was one of the least capable 10.

I think the worst moment though was after my college try. I decided to attend trade school and the school required a Test of adult basic education. For the first time, I learned how to use certain punctuation that I should've been taught years and years back. There was a math section and I've always been horrible at math, so my parents hired a tutor. After, she taught me for six months,( and I was actually ABLE to learn), she shared with me that I had learned 8 years of math in six months. "What do you mean?" I replied. To which she responded by telling me that I had graduated high school on a fourth grade-A FOURTH GRADE math level.

I supposed the moral of my story is please be an advocate for your child by not trusting the school system so easily. Being "classified" can be damaging.

Missy, I am so sorry that you had that lousy experience. It was wrong of your teachers to make you think that your future was limited because you had a learning disability.

Sometimes classification helps a child get needed accommodations or modifications to help them be successful in the classroom. It is up to teachers and parents to carefully monitor what is going on for that individual student, so that she gets the best possible education to help her succeed in life.

I'm glad that you found your path and your strong voice.

A bit of background:
I had a fair amount of trouble in school. After becoming a teacher, and then a special ed teacher, I figured out that I have a couple of learning differences. Also, my children have learning differences. That being said, we had high expectations of them, and they have both successfully attended college. I am glad that your parents hired a tutor for you and that you became aware that you can learn. Hold on tight to your dreams.

Missy, I hope that your experience with the tutor showed you that you do have the potential to accomplish anything that you set out to do. It is sad to say that you are not alone in being misplaced in school...Lack of knowledge on the teachers. It will take a lot of hard work on your part, but set goals for yourself and accomplish them. You can do it.

Thank you for the supportive words

You are soooo welcome. Good luck to you!

Missy,
You are right. It is so important for parents to be advocates and ask questions about what is going on in their child's special education program. I emphasize that point with parents at every IEP meeting, and make sure they know they can stop by and ask me questions whenever they have concerns. That said, I also think it is critical for anyone teaching in special education to be an advocate for their students, teach them well, and encourage them to focus on their strengths and abilities. I taught several students at a community college who had similar experiences to yours, and they were quite hopeful that they would overcome the negative messages they'd been given when they were younger. Good luck - it sounds like your tutoring has helped quite a bit.

Thank you for you words of knowledge and encouragement!