Dear Helen and others fellows of the cross wired fellowship... I have a learning disability which is almost a mirror image of dyslexia. It is a problem with sequencing simple sets, a common disability among LD law students, as Dyslexia is common among LD math and science students. We have problems with math, and get into the habit of making language problems out of math problems. We generally read well, but spell, well... the way it is obvious I do in this spell checkless forum. I appreciate you raising this question, and hope it is well read, espcially by parents on this forum. I was considered to be, not the bright one, in the family, because of my grades, where my brother, who is now a Phd. thoeretical mathamatician was concidered to be the intelect. In fact, because of the way LD students compensate, I had very high spikes in some skills, and after being encouraged to go into manual trades, I became good and angry about the state of human rights in this country, and in my thrities, went back to school, got a 4.0 in political science, and went on to a top ten law school, (NYU - then between 4 and 5 #3 about the time of my graduation). Im telling you this, not to say there is anything wonderful about my dubious accomplishments, Ive always concidered a law degree the good housekeeping seal of conformity, but just to say that no learning disability should hold anyone back. Part of that is being open about our disabilities, at least some vocal few of us, so that we can break down the missinformation about them. I cant tell you how many people I met, who think of LDs as cognitive. As a result, I was the out of the closet one, of maybe half a dozen LD students at NYU. I got into law school before the Americans with Disabilities Act, passed while I was still in school, and got in without special accomodation. However, I did need to use a lap top, I found, as my spelling was so bad I lost points on exams. After being alowed to use spell check my grades went from the bottom of the pack to a respectable middle. Bad spelling is like a strong regional accent in an inforced curve, someone has to culled out of a group with similar tallents, so subconsciously the spelling counts. We were not allowed to bring our computors into the library, and one of us had to fight the ban, as many of us learned to organize our studding around the lap top - in the days when the Grid (military ten pounder) was the first real move past the lugable. I had to get a general OK for everyone, so the presence of a lap top did not disclose a disability. I\
I completely agree with Helen. I knew most of the LD students at law school. Those with learning challenges brought different experiential pluses to their education, and more, real tallents that grew out of learning to find ways around the mountains and molehills of their disabilities.
Dyslexics Untie! (Sorry for the old tired joke)
All the best
Larry Otway