[dpadilla89]

well, ever since i was in the fourth grade i was diagnosed with multiple learning disabilities. i was in special education classes for math and study hall with a teacher in thr room. I eventually was accepted for an IEP each year mandatory...sooo...i get one every year...i was diagnosed supposivly with ADD too in 8th grade. i had an IEP done in 8th grade for three hours during sometime the day. Anyways, i was finished and on meds at the time so it might of messed me up, who knows. Anyways, i got the results back AND it showed i was delayed in all areas of testing. it said i was equvilant to an elementary student. my reading comprehension level was no more then GRADE 2.3. sucks, right? (If your 16, and a tenth grader.) Anyways, i had a recent IEP done last year at the end of the year and the results came back the same, even maybe a little bit worse. its so depressing to know that its reality, im not 'high school material'. I'm going to struggle in college, not be happy with my profession, etc. it just sucks to know this is reality and the truth. idk...im struggling in my new school thats theraputic because there are no special educaiton classes anymore..but i DESPERATLY need the therapy. but, if i go back to MHS (my public HS in nj) i will not learn a thing from my teachers because the just gave me the answers and easyyy work to do all the time, 5 days a week. idk what to do, maybe look into another daytime private school?? i really love my new school though too, but theres also not that much around the tristate area in my area where i live, schools and all. idk, what to do at all...totally confused! and depressed on top of it. i also basically should be put in elementary school, i mean..my results showed that i should be, right??? i passed all the years, with no knowlege. Just the teachers, it so much sucks.

Feedback would be good.

deb

Hi deb,

Could it be that perhaps you just aren't a good test taker?? That's how I was in school. My test scores didn't show my overall intelligence.

Gosh, if you alone wrote your post.... you seem to be way above a 2nd or 3rd grade level. You used the words "mandatory", "comprehension" and "theraputic"--- not sure if I'm missing something these days.... but those sure don't seem like 2nd or 3rd grade words to me. I bet you are way smarter than those tests are showing and smarter than you give yourself credit for.

My son is in high school and is dealing with ADD. The school he goes to doesn't have a program especially set up for ADD.
Maybe you can talk to a school counselor and see how they could perhaps better accommodate you? Since you like your new school-- maybe something can be worked out. Like for example: My son gets extended time on tests and semester finals-- so his momentarily wandering mind won't bring his scores down. Maybe that's a place you could start at??-- getting extended test time.
And hey, who's to say you won't be happy in your future profession? --- I believe your future can be very bright!

I wish you luck.

mandy

[adeline]

Wow! I agree with the last post, there's NO WAY you could possibly be equivalent to a 2nd or 3rd grader in intelligence and comprehension!! I go to a tough college, and I've had quite a few classmates who wouldn't be able to construct such an articulate post. Which means that they have strengths in other academic areas (like testing, math,etc.) and you have strengths in writing and english (I would assume....even if you don't test well).

Testing is such a BAD and inaccurate way to measure comprehension and intelligence -- you might of heard that Einstein failed in elementary school -- conventional learning is only beneficial (or possible) for the "norm". Many artists, great writers, savants (people who are extremely gifted in a particular area, but lack other skills--most common amongst autistic people, but can be in many different learning disorders). I watched a 20/20 a while ago about a women who was autistic, yet extremely successful as a professor in her field (leading the research, in fact, in animal psychology and autism). You shouldn't be worried about a future career, since you clearly have enough intelligence to pursue whatever you'd like to, ESPECIALLY college.

I was diagnosed with bipolar, bulimia, and ADHD (inattentive type) in my freshman year of college, and since then have received TONS of support from the school. My school gives academic accommodations that range from extended testing time (I get double time), assisted note taking, and distraction-free study areas to being allowed to use notes/books/dictionaries/etc on tests, tutors, free counseling, etc. Oh, and unless you pick a math major, there's almost NO math testing in college. Not to mention that things like spelling are counted less (or not at all on tests) and the majority of classes have essay tests (instead of multiple choice/fill in the blank).

I've always doubted my intelligence, since I'm slower to pick up things at times. My daycare teacher thought that I possibly had a severe disability, since I repeatedly wouldn't respond to questions -- but then she found out I was thinking more deeply about them, as I would come back to her in a minute with a response that showed an advanced intellectual maturity for my age. Things like IQ tests are based off of how quickly you can complete questions -- not how deeply you're thinking about them, or how many angles you're approaching the question from. That seems like a very shallow way to approach intelligence. How would technology ever progress if there weren't people who could "think outside of the box"?

[Wandering_Aimlessly]

Amen!