Staying Calm

[Progo35]

So, I'm sitting on a bus going into the city with some people, and we started talking about reading, since many of us had brought books to read during the drive. Somone mentioned that an aqauintance of hers was "a SPED" and "had trouble reading." I said, "I really wish you wouldn't use that word, it's very demeaning to people in special education." This girl answered, "Why? I'm not talking about you." I said, "Actually, I have a learning disorder and was in special education...so you are talking about me." The girl exclaimed, "You're a SPED? and and you're reading a book? That's crazy. SPEDS are stupid and aren't smart enough to read books."

This girl's words were so incredibly ignorant that it was hard to believe that they had actually come out of her mouth. I don't know why, but it's always somewhat shocking to me when I here people say rabidly discriminatory things out loud without any reticence. Also, I guess there's a twisted sense of satisfaction that I find shocking about myself, because my simultaneous reaction was, "I'm not crazy! There really is prejudice towards learning disabled people! Yay!" :shifty:

This girl's comments were so ridiculous that I didn't even attempt to respond to that comment. I went back to my book. The other people sitting with us changed the subject to something else.

I was, however, able to stay calm during this exchange, despite my darker nature wanting to whack this person. This is, of course, a real plus. I don't think that losing my temper and calling her names would have set a good example of the learning disabled population. ;)

[pnggrad79]

As a teacher, whoever this girl is/was, evidently is the stupid one, and not you. She has no clue and shouldn't be spouting off about how smart you are or any other SPED student may be. A learning disability doesn't equate to stupid. It just means that person learns differently than others. I had an identified GT student last year with dyslexia. This kid had a high IQ but a learning disability that made it difficult for him to read. Not stupid, he just had to learn to compensate for what didn't come easily to him. Eventually, he will learn to read despite his disability. But it will take time and a lot of reteaching in a way that he CAN learn. It doesn't make him stupid.

I am sorry you had to endure this sort of discrimination. She obviously didn't have a clue and had formed a faulty conclusion based on a few misconstrued facts. I hope she learns to keep her mouth shut until she knows the facts. :rolleyes:

[ladyinred]

My brother is dyslexic, but is a whiz at math and computers. I personally don't like the word (Label)learning disabled because many have gifts and talents.

[andrewlittle]

Sheer ignorance combatted with visible grace. So who's stupid, now?

There are a wide variety of intelligences, and we are finding more as we look for them. Somehow, however, I don't think that creating a "norm" based on the way we learn, and considering all other ways "stupid", will ever qualify as intelligent. Ignorance is, well, just ignorant.

[Progo35]

Thanks, guys. Yes, I completely agree about multiple learning styles and intelligences. Frankly, it is my opinion that learning disorders and ADD have to exist as disorders because of the way our society runs. I.e, having either condition really means that you learn and process information differently than the rest of the world, and the world calls it a disorder because this is how the world tends to see anything that rubs against the grain of things.

[animejunkie]

Progo, what you type is genious, and I know that feeling, I cringe when people make fun of gay people, but cringe just as much when people make fun of those who have learning disabilities. Its saddens me that someone could be that heartless! You were in the right not to slap even though you thought she deserved it, violence is not the answer. Let's just pray that God opens her heart to not hate like that.

[Progo35]

Definitely. Thanks, anime. That person certainly needs prayers. :)

[Progo35]

In respect to this conversation, I'm posting these two articles, which I feel capture our society's attitude toward learning disabilities, learning disability accommodations and learning disabled people perfectly:

http://media.hoover.org/documents/0817928723_239.pdf
http://media.hoover.org/documents/0817928723_272.pdf