Hey guys, a intro about me

[GenuineAndJosh]

Hi everybody

My name is Josh and I'm 21 years of age. Despite I haven't been diagnosed but I know I have Dyspraxia which I've had ever since I was born.

While I was at school and college, I was always seen as the outsider and the odd one out. During my childhood, my mum tried getting me all kinds of help so I can get assessed but no one gave a straight answer so it was just done to my family helping me out as much as they could as my learning difficulty was very serious when I was a child. Despite having some learning support while I was at secondary school, no one picked up my learning difficulty. It was when I started college, I could see it for myself how different I was to everyone else around my age and that's where the bullying got worse and no matter how hard I tried, nothing really worked out for me. However despite the bullying I managed to still focus on my work and leave with the highest grade you could get which I'm so very proud off as it showed who the stronger person was in the end which helped with my self esstem. It was just after I finished my college course, I found out my tutor had a gut feeling of my learning diffciulties and yet, she never properly spoke to me about it and knew why all the other students and a few of the tutors were treating me so badly and just sat by and let them make my life hell while I was studying a very big college course.

It was also around that time so it would've been a few years ago now, that someone mentioned the word Dyspraxia and after doing lots of reserach into it, it ticked a lot of boxes and was making a lot more sense, also my parents started to believe this is what I have when looking at the symptoms when having it as a child. I was hoping to go onto uni but was declined at the last minute for not having the right maths grade so for the past couple years I've been doing a part time maths course and a few months ago I passed my Level 2 Maths, which is what the uni wanted me to achieve but I've recently had different career plans as I've bene trying to work out what could be the ideal job for me in the near future. I spoke to my GP last year about my learning difficulty and he refered to a specific service but they didnt get hold of me till this past June and after explaining my situation to them on the phone, they couldnt give me the assesment I needed. I spoke to my GP again a month ago and he didnt know any other service that provides the assessment I'm looking for, as I'm a adult and it doesnt affect my adult life too much and I know how to live with it and know my coping stragies that I've figured out for myself. He suggested about contacting the Dyspraxia Association which I did, they said I found the right service but the cost of the assessment was 650 quid which I so couldnt believe so I've decided to give up trying as I've done everything I could and I know for a 100% fact I have Dyspraxia and I'm not ashamed to admit and I dont see it as a learning difficulty, it's just a big part of my life that has made me become the person I am today as I have a genuine, empathy, down to earth, non judgemental and cheerful person.

I've been working as a kitchen assistant for the past couple years since I was declined at uni, I do enjoy my job but I know that sort of career path is not meant for me as I know how tough it will be for me if I was able to work my way up and work with the food, being on that tight schedule and all those orders, it wouldn't do me any good. However, lately I've bene thinking about becoming a teaching assistant to children who have special needs as I can easily relate to them and understand how they're feeling, and want to give them all the support and help they need as I never got that and dont want those children to go through what I had to go through during my childhood studying at school.

I came across this intersesting forum and found it so useful as all the posts on here about a range of things that affect people like us, I could easily relate too, which is why I wanted to join up on here and share my story with you guys.

[screengreen]

Welcome! Just to say you should look into some of the health care professions, I think you would probably make a great Occupational Therapist but as an OT I can't say it would be easy as they cut back on admin and so on, if you do decide to do that being a teaching assistant or any other job with people will be an asset anyway do enjoy.

[GenuineAndJosh]

Thank you so very much for the welcome Screengreen and for your advice about me looking into health care professions and your opinion about how great I would be becoming a Occupational Therapist, I really appreciate it. I looked more into the job, despite the work does involve helping a variety of people out a very great deal and how rewarding the job itself can be, I'm going to stick to my decision of hopefully becoming a teaching assistant for the time being as I'm so positive about this and would like to give it a go.

[Moot]

Welcome to the forum, Josh!