By Rebecca Little, Program Assistant CLE Rockville
I had the opportunity to talk with one of our students in the Rockville center, Jules, about why she feels the need to apologize for her learning differences.
Her response started with her experience.
Jules was not diagnosed with a learning difference until she was a senior in high school. She had difficulties in math and organization. She used a wonderful metaphor that really helped paint a picture of the struggles she faces in academia.
“You know when you open a box from IKEA and they have the instructions with just pictures? For some people, they can follow the pictures and find that helpful, where I prefer word by word instruction. It would be easier for me to put together a piece of furniture with written, step-by-step instruction versus visual instruction with pictures.”
When I asked Jules why she feels the need to apologize, she explained how uncomfortable it is to feel different. She wants to explain it and escape the fact that she learns differently. Jules has learned to accept and find ways to cope with her learning differences. But she explains that she is still coping with the effects of her learning differences.
“I tend to overexplain in an apologetic voice,” Jules said. By having to explain her learning differences, she feels as if she is undermining her abilities and not accepting herself. Jules also described not feeling like everyone else does.
“I feel guilty asking for more attention. I think it makes it hard to accept me as an adult.”
Jules is developing new strategies to help her organizational skills during ILS instruction and tutoring sessions at CLE. I asked Jules if there was anything else she wanted people to know about her learning differences. This was her response…
“The sense of community that CLE provides really helps. I met someone here who has the same learning issues that I have and it’s really comforting. It’s validating for me to have other people going through the same struggles I go through. Knowing and having peers that are okay with learning disabilities is better and comforting for me.”
CLE is here to support our students in so many different ways.
Although a lot of the impact we have is through our instruction and supports within our sessions, students are finding supports within each other here at CLE. The environment we provide our students helps them to feel a sense of community and togetherness that may not always be provided elsewhere.
