Learning Disabilities is Just One Title
by sak22124
Thursday, August 13, 2009
My "learning disabled" sister graduated from high school in 1984 with a "real" diploma and not an attendance diploma. She passed the comptency tests in place at time but with unlimited time to take the tests and parts read to her. At the point she graduated, she was "learning disabled," but during the course of her school career she had so many labels -- retarded, educatably mentally retarded, slow, etc., etc. -- not to mention what the "regular" kids called her. Unfortunately (or fortunately) she was quite physically fit so took part in regular gym classes as well as ran track in 7th grade. I say unfortunately, because 7th graders don't spare anybody's feelings. She came home in tears more days than not.
I have read Quinn's book -- excellent job! Kudos! There were several AHA moments in the book that I found relevant looking back to dealing with my sister. She is 7 years younger than I am and I was a little more patient than our middle sister so I typically did homework with my sister when she was growing up. Quinn described in the book reading aloud and then being asked to summarize what he had just read. He could not do it. I have been there with my sister when she was in school and she had not been able to do. She read the paragrah but could not tell me what she had just read. It just blew me away. I was sure she was just being lazy. Yet another point I was wrong on. Now she is living in a group home for the mentally ill (she is also bipolar) in Arlington, VA. I'm buying her the equivalent of books for 2nd graders and they have started a reading group. Does she understand what she reads? I don't know. I'm just happy she is interested in reading.
Like I said, there were other AHA moments in the book, but senility is setting in right now and I can't think of them this second.
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14 yr old wants to know his future
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