Learning Disability Awareness Thread.

Former Member

Yo dudes :wave:

"Think ability, not disability"

This week is learning disability week. Mencap have some really good info on the campain and how people can get involved, if they wanted too. :thumb:

Here is the link for that https://www.mencap.org.uk/get-involv...isability-week

I wanted to share abit about my own learning disability. I have dyspraxia. Growing up with a learning disability has had it's challenges, the struggles I mainly face are my co-ordination, and lack of spacial awareness and my lack of sense of direction. I also find it very hard to process things in my head, like instructions or things I have to get done. As I have got older I have learnt new ways of doing things and I know that I need to give myself plenty of time to get things done, and to not rush cos then things get more confusing in my head. Some of the things that have helped me have been writing things down, at work I use lists, to help me remember everything I have to get done, With regards to the co-ordination side of things, one thing that has helped is not having furniture really close together, it helps for someone who doesn't have very good balance, or spacial awareness.

I am very lucky cos my work place, family and friends are very understanding and supportive around my disability.

I don't feel like having a learning disability has held me back in my life, I think it has been difficult and I still struggle daily, but I have learnt new ways of dealing with things and if I can't do something like somebody else then it's okay, cos nobody does things the same, and we are all individual.

So, what I was thinking from this thread is to get others sharing their own experiences of having a learning disability. Obv only share if you want too, no pressure.

Thanks Dudes :thumb:

Former Member

Thanks for this. I kind of talked about my experiences before during Autism Awareness Month.

I have a lot of the issues you mentioned. You can't give me a map and tell me we're here and we need to get there because it won't happen. Telling me to go left and then go right confuses me too! I've got no co-ordination either.

I have a lack of understanding of language. This can include things such as sarcasm and similies and metaphors. I do remember a conversation with a friend last year where depending on how you take it, it's rather offensive. That was how I took it and in part, it led to me having to explain (he pretty much told me he knew) that I have Autism. It has meant that he's having to constantly explain things differently to me to the way he explains them to other people because it just makes no sense to me - no matter how much I read what he writes. One problem (although, my medication really doesn't help) is that a lot of people don't understand my speech. Usually because I either can't explain properly what I need or it apparently doesn't come out right.

I'm finding now that I'm having to constantly write everything down.

Former Member

Thanks for sharing Melian.

I take things quite literally when people speak to me too. Like I struggle to know if somebody is joking or being serious.

Sorry to hear people find it hard to understand your speech,

Are people supportive around you having a disability? and do you find that people have a knowledge of how your disability affects you, something that I found helped was giving my workplace information around dyspraxia and how it affects me, that helped them understand it more.

Former Member

I've had mixed experiences tbh. I've had people question my diagnosis. (I don't fit the stereotype and I've got numerous other diagnoses, which means I present different to others, plus I'm female - males and females are different) On the flip side, one of my friends is amazing. We're away next week and I'd explained to him that one of my issues is that I need a warning as to what's happening next (I've found in general, he's good at this - ie, he's had to cancel on me twice and has given me at least 2 days notice) and he told me that's fine and I just need to tell him what I need him to do.

I struggle to work out if someone's joking or being serious. Plus, being sight impaired means it's harder to work out their facial expressions.

Former Member

Again thanks for sharing
I'm really glad that you have the support from your friend it sounds like he is very supportive and understanding.

I am the same with having to know what is happening. I don't really like change but I am learning to cope with that. As at work our shifts change quite often.

Have you found things that help you? Or things that you have learnt to do differently?

Former Member

Apart from the writing things down, I don't find anything really helps. I've got various apps on my ipad and phone for things like jotting down notes, etc.

I've had to eventually give up trying (and failing) to tie my shoe laces and now use something called lock laces

I also have a lot of sensory issues, which are really frustrating! One of the worst being noise. Light is also equally frustrating and painful.

Former Member

Sorry to hear that you've not found many things to help *hug*s

Also thank you so much for opening up about things. I often feel alone in having a learning disability, but I know Im not alone.

Former Member

Thanks.

I often feel I'm alone. But I think that Autism is generally seem as something that only affect children (there's some weird myth that we'll grow out of it - it's developmental) and that it only affects males.

Former Member

Dyspraxia.

Former Member

DannyFenton123 wrote: »

Dyspraxia.

Is this something you have experienced too Danny?

Former Member

Banana monkey - from both of our posts, I see there's a lot of crossover. Can you post any of your coping tips and how you get around the issues you have please?

Former Member

Sure thing.

I find to do lists do help me, cos it helps me order things that I have to get done. I also find giving myself a realistic time frame to get things done, like smaller things it's an hour to say get ready for work, and to get to work, an hour for each.
Something else that really helps me is not putting pressure on myself, as that makes me worse when I give myself too much to get done.

Hope this has helped, if you wanna talk more then that's cool with me :thumb:

Former Member

A bit late but like Melian, I also have autism. It's been a struggle and I think getting diagnosed when I was a lot older hasn't really helped because now that I look back on certain things, such as the way I was at primary sometimes, I think I would have felt a lot more accepted had I and others known that I had a learning disability.

It has been almost five years since my diagnosis and I think I can recognise a huge difference myself. I mean it's not a massive step in general but I recently volunteered and that's something I thought I'd always find a way of talking myself out of. It took me a while to really engage with people but I absolutely loved it, and I've made some incredible friends.

Other than that, I'm getting much better at making phone calls and arranging appointments which is also something I never thought I'd be able to do.

It's hard obviously but I think life is slowly making me a lot more confident, and taking care of my nephew means that my protective instinct kicks in, so I don't even have time to think about shouting at someone if I need to - even if there's far too many people around for my liking.

I thought my life was basically over when I got diagnosed, but it has been nice to realise that when I do achieve something - despite how anxious I might be - that feeling of being proud of myself even for a short period of time is so worth it

Former Member

I was older when I was diagnosed and I do think it would have been easier if I'd been diagnosed when younger. I think uni would have been far easier. I pretty much spent the last 3 months with quite severe depression.

Depression and related mental health issues (eating disorders, anxiety, etc) are pretty common amongst those of us with Autism. Many of us, including me, were originally diagnosed with mental health issues first. I also have OCD, which was my original diagnosis. I've pretty much had that since I was a child. That comes and goes and it does get worse when I become anxious.

Volunteering is a massive step and something I would love to try and do again. But because of my hearing problems, (my hearing is too sensitive and I can't clearly hear a few noises at once) it won't be easy.

Like Butterfly, I do struggle to engage with people and it can take some time for me to really engage with others. (at which point, I tend not to shut up!)