We had a guest speaker at our meeting, John Fleming, M.Ed. Dr Fleming runs a company that assesses and works with learning-disabled students. Great guy, very knowledgeable [added link to UCBx] … and he had significant trouble with writing even in college, so he’s been there. He pointed me to a textbook on learning differences, which has already (!) given me new perspectives on my condition, as it relates to, say, my goal of becoming a master developer.
And just for you Dr. Phil junkies:
In view of the conspicuous variety within this population of [ADD] children, we feel there is justification for describing the individual characteristics of individual children rather than lumping them into one massive group or syndrome.… While all students experience repeated distractions during class sessions and in the midst of homework, some are more vulnerable to these than are others. In extreme cases, distraction can seriously interfere with accomplishing or learning anything.
Some people would rather we bypass the questioning and skip to the results. Well — it’s fair to want results. I want results. I want a job so my fiancee and I can get back together.
Some people don’t recognize that I am trying hard on this. [Don, not talking about you.] You need to understand before you can act. If your wheels are spinning, more gas doesn’t help. I’d rather ask questions about my life than stay ignorant.
Those same people used to tell me, “Work smarter, not harder.” Well, I’m taking their advice, and maybe someday they’ll choose to be proud of me.