Jacey Wyatt

Instructor Mrs. Fielding

Section 46
9/14/17

A Disability that You Cant See

Have you ever been infuriated with yourself because you are unable to understand a

complex math problem or reading assignment? Of course you have, many kids of all ages get

confused and overwhelmed at times, this is completely normal. But do you experience them

every single day and in every course? Because my third grade self did.

My beloved third grade teacher passed out worksheets and all the students around me

would be apprehensive and excited to start the assignment. This is where I was different, my

palms got sweaty and my cheeks got bright red. It seems silly that a third grader can get so

overwhelmed about something as simple as a reading assignment. These are just a few of the

many qualities that children with learning disabilities possess. Being associated with this group,

at times, would have me on the verge of a mental breakdown. Aside from the confusion and

ongoing tears, one thing that gave me closure was that I was not alone. Whenever I was yanked

out of my normal classroom into a small group setting I was always with the same students who

were suffering just like me. The normal kids who stayed in the classroom teased me and

continued to bug me about how I needed to test in a different room.

A learning disability occurs when a student has chronic difficulties in learning to read,

write, spell, or calculate (Kimpton). The name calling and the constant questions never got any
easier but I wasnt going to allow that to break me. Being challenged socially and academically

at a young age gave me the motivation to excel in my academic career.

Learning disabilities were discovered in 1963 by a group of parents that were present at

a conference in Chicago entitled Exploration into the Problems of the Perceptually Handicapped

Child." (School Committee of the Town of Burlington). It is a common misconception to

believe that individuals with this disadvantage are stupid or unintelligent. But in reality they

have average or even above average intelligence they just suffer from certain barriers. Research

in Europe on acquired brain pathology in adults, gave us a better understating on learning

disabilities (Hellahan). Disabilities vary on the individual; some students may just require a quiet

testing room and others may need a quiet testing area with the test read aloud by a proctor. By

the end of 1968, specific learning disability became a federally designated category of special

education ( Hellahan).

Diagnosing a student with a learning disability is tricky. My disability however was

discovered pretty early on by my third grade teacher. She could tell that I was falling behind the

rest of the class and that I would get anxiety when an assignment was timed. Once a child is

found eligible with a learning disability, a team including the childs parents and representatives

of the public education system develops IEP (Kimpton). An IEP is an individualized education

program, these commendations could range from having a test read out loud to having the use of

a calculator on a math exam. Teachers and parents play a big role in the IEP process, they must

insure the student has the appropriate tools to do well.

Having an IEP as a student made me more confident in my school work but it never

resolved all of my problems. My mom took my disability very seriously and she would work

with me every night for hours on reading and my math skills. Being so young, I never could
grasp the concept of why this was all necessary. Reading different books constantly filled me

with rage and would have me screaming at the top of my lungs at my mom. Why did she push

me so hard? She expected me to overcome something that I could not understand.

As if the struggling at home couldnt be hard enough, I would have to wake up the next

morning and hope that my classmates wouldnt ask me why I was leaving class all the time. In

the middle of a math lesson one afternoon I got a random nosebleed. As everyone else was trying

to focus, I was rapidly grabbing tissues from the back of the room. A boy in my class named

Cody stood up on his chair and screamed only stupid kids get nosebleeds everyone else blasted

out in laughter. I wasnt upset because of my nosebleed, I was mortified because from that day

on I was labeled as stupid. From that day forward I was labeled by all sorts of ignorant names

just because I struggled in school.

My experiences were not all negative. During my fifth grade year I meet my favorite

teacher who changed my world. Mrs. Rosenburg was not your normal classroom teacher, she

was a special education teacher. She took me and a couple other kids out of the classroom to a

smaller room to discuss and break down what we had been learning. The students I was

surrounded with in this setting lacked the motivation that I wanted to thrive on. I knew I had it in

me to overcome this barrier. Mrs. Rosenburg saw that light in me and she knew I was there to

work hard and improve myself. Mrs. Rosenburg helped me after school and constantly

communicated with my mom as to which strategies I should be focusing on. Pushing myself

everyday in school and at home has given me the confidence to perform better with whatever I

may be doing.

Being apart of the Learning Disabled Association allowed me to meet some of the best

teachers and some amazing friends. Knowing that I was not alone pushed me to overcome my
learning disability. This achievement truly would not have been possible if It wasnt for people

like my mom and Mrs. Rosenburg. These two individuals were constantly in my corner giving

me the assistance I needed. I am no longer shy and nervous in a classroom, which relieved my

anxiety that I dealt with previously. Everyday going forward I always find the strength within

myself to overcome any situation I am given because if I can battle a learning disability, I can

take on anything life throws at me. My situation has gave me strong beliefs that nothing in life

should ever be handed to you, it is your job to work hard for what you want.
 Works Cited

Hallahan, Daniel P. Learning Disabilities: Historical Perspective. Ldaofky.org,

www.Idoafky.org/. Accessed 14 Sept. 2017.

Kimpton Heald, Carrie Ann. "Social emotional differences of students who have a nonverbal

learning disability or Dysphasia." PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) thesis, University of Iowa,

2011.h p://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/1238.

"School Committee of the Town of Burlington v. Massachusetts Department of

Education." Britannica Academic, Encyclopeadia Britannica, 14 Aug.

2014. academic.eb.com/levels/collegiate/article/School-Committee-of-the-Town-of-

Burlington-v-Massachusetts-Department-of-Education/610096. Accessed 14 Sep. 2017.

Selfie
This selfie was taken on the Statue of
liberty in my favorite city, New York. The
aesthetic picture relates to my writing
because it represents my journey. The city
in front of me is representing my future and
how much is in store for me. I would have
never gotten to this point if it werent for
my hard work to overcome my disability
and push through my struggles. Pictures
such as this one remind me where I was but
push to me where I am going. Im truly
thankful for my experiences in life.