My Ability !!!

At the age of 6 I was diagnosed with having a learning disability. When I look back on my IEP, Spacific Learning Disability was checked off. It was interesting to review my last IEP now a professional eye. Looking at the notes and test scores from my last Trienalal in High School had wonder did I receive the best support I could have had, and I can honestly say yes! I think the school provided me all they could with what they had. I really think this is true because I had the best advocate possible !!! My Mama!!!

She did not allow a stone to be unturned! She pushed for me to have every support I needed and she taught me how to advocate for myself. She taught me that the squeaky wheel gets the oil ! And that I can not get help if I don’t ask for it. She made me understand at a young age that if I advocated for myself and asked for help I had no choice but to succeed because I gave my all!!Honestly that is how I made it to where I am today.

Now you may be wondering what my disability is called and honestly I was never told a diagnostic name for it. I was told it was a perception issue. I didn’t see things the way other kids did. They told me I had a processing delay, it took me longer to filter and retrieve information. They used the analogy, “think of your brain as a file cabinet. You sort files differently then others and sometimes your cabinet gets stuck when you try to retentive information.” So as a teenager this was just great for my self esteem. On top of not fitting in, being the minority in school, And constantly having someone over my shoulder giving me support during language arts and math. I was feeling great 😒. In school I had all the accommodations I could have needed time and a half on test and quizzes, resource room as needed, note taker and word banks for all assignments. To my peer my accommodations was an easy way out. Alot of them mistreated me behind my back! Back then I was in such denial because we were the Hartford Kids we had to stick together! But behind my back they would talk about me, steal money out of my locker all while smiling in my face! High School sucked for me!

But looking back on it I would not change a thing because it made me resilient. My disability has Given me the Ability to see things in a new or “Different” way. Don’t get me wrong I still struggle with certain things to this day. Such as I do not know my multiplication facts (thank God for the calculator) I can’t stand the grocery store because I do know where items are, and I am the worst person for spelling and grammar. But, the team My Mama surrounded me with taught me how to compensate for where I fell short. I now walk with my head held high owning my Ability to be different and to stand out from the crowd! So to my Mama’s that struggle with any disability or have a child with a disability continue to be there advocate and model for them how to stand up for themselves. Provided them with every tool necessary for them to succeed so they know what they need and don’t need. Don’t be in denial if the need a little bit more! Know that God is given you the Ability for you and your child to be different and know that all your imperfections makes you the Perfect person to be used by God!! So to My Mama I say Thank You!!!