Assessment results / mixed feeling

[Jen]

Hi,

Yestered I had my assessment, I'm dylexic, dyspric and have attension difficulties. He also said I'm bright and intellent which is nice because most people in education in the past have said I was stupid. I will get the report in a couple of weeks but basicling I'm short on working memory. Intial I was happy but then I spoke to a couple of friends and today I feel very down. Told the first friend, she how severe is the dyspraxia? I said I don't know and aked her if she thought it was quite mild and she said yes I just think you I a bit clumsy. This has really upset me because I don't understand why she thinkjs this and also cause it feels like she doesn't believe me. The other friend wanted to know how the assessment could help so explained about thinks like getting notes from lectures so I don't miss any thing. he said you can write your own notes, I said I can't, I have tried and I can't. He says no such word as can't.
Both thinks have upset me alot , look forward to getting the report.

[Liz944]

Other people have problems with understanding what dyspraxia is... don't let it get you down .

[Lithium_joe]

A few thoughts:

Mild is code for middle. above mild is I think severe and extreme, beneath mild are, I think, moderate and few.

So to be described with mild dyspraxia is no slight to your difficulties but a recognition that our impairments could be worse.

I too am 'mild' and I've known people with dyspraxia, who couldn't sharpen pencils because this required articulating their wrists in opposite directions. (his mum is actually one of the founders of The Dyspraxia Foundation - we went to school together), but I digress - what I mean is 'mild' amongst learning disorders is a recognition of genuine impairment even if it doesn't sound like it. If people question that you can put them straight on it.

As for taking notes. With due respect to your friend, some people don't know what they are talking about. I'm all for having a positive mental attitude, so no such thing as can't is generally good advice, but it's also naive, you wouldn't expect someone with muscular dystrophy to spring up and run the London marathon and for people with learning disorders comprehensive (not to mention legible) note-taking can be a burden. Intellectually we are quite able to deal with complex ideas, indeed sometimes more adept than most, but - and this is why it's a *learning disorder* - our ability to demonstrate out understanding in our work is impaired because of the physical and cognitive impairments of dyspraxia.

That your diagnosis encompasses dyslexia and attention deficiencies as well, must make that all the harder.

I wish you well, and rest assured, a sympathetic disability assessor at a university or college will take your concerns very seriously.
I was given a grant and a digital recorder for my lecturers, which could be downloaded to my computer, listened to and transcribed. If that sounds like too much to wish for, trust me with your diagnosis this can be made to happen for you.

You have every reason to feel happy again.

LJ.

[Jen]

Hi Lithium Joe,

How did the job interview go?
Thank you, good advice. Determined to do my cert Ed now, as hard as it is studying does make me happy and hopefuly with extra help will have a posative result.