This is the place where you can find out what other people think LD Pride is all about…
Thank you for your contribution!
Contribute your definition: info@ldpride.net. In the subject line of your email, please use the phrase, “LD Pride Definition”.
According to You, LD Pride is…
… knowing that your learning difference gives a unique perspective that is a valuable contribution(Karen)
“…having a lot of lemons to make lemonade. It has given me a lot of gifts and a lot of lessons to learn by. I teach kids with LD and I tell them they must work hard and they will succeed.”
(C. Willingham)
To not be ashamed….
“…there should be no shame in saying I have LD… We don’t stop the shame by not being who we are, but we stop the shame by being who we are and accepting ourselves… Let us be who we are, learn and function as we do, with pride in who we are…
SO I say it again – I’m LD and I’m Proud — and that’s the real solution.”
(Glenn Young)
“I’m also LD (dyslexic) and I’m Proud.”
(Archie Willard)
“LD is that its the label ascribed by a majority to those of us in the minority whose minds refuse to stay inside the proverbial box or follow the path of the majority. I used to be ashamed because I am dyslexic and confound the simple things while excelling in the abstract advanced things. Now I stopped apologizing because it is as pointless as apologizing for the color of one’s eyes or skin”.
(Jacqueline Sarah Beckel)
“LD PRIDE…YOU BET!
In fact, this is where I am especially proud….
I have a brain that allows me to observe my world like few others that I know. I SEE things that very few others see. My family and friends say I am the most observant person they know. It is a wonderful gift. I believe this power to observe is directly linked to my unique brain structure and its ability to compensate for those parts of itself which are not fully functional. ( Neurological disorder)
I have a brain whose memory is chock full of Jeopardy answers-perhaps why I love Library work- and I believe this is also a gift of the disability.
I have a verbal ability that has served me greatly in many ways and I love this ability. I have a particular strength in social intelligence. My disability is Dysgraphia and my written expression is less than effective when I wish to express what I am really meaning…
MY GOAL is to achieve a place where I can more effectively use the energy of my anger and my pain to a positive end. Much progress has been made and more is to come.
In the final analysis… I rejoice in the beauty that I am LD and all…
So yes I am LD and Proud”.
(Cheryl Howland)
” I’m LD and I’m Proud!…” (VA. McLaughlin)
Please Join the ever-growing list…
“It’s a gift…”(Jim Valliere)
“LD Pride to me is knowing that I can focus on my abilities and not my disabilities. Showing the world that I can instead of I can’t. This LD is not a curse but a gift, a gift to share with others on what I’m capable of doing and doing it well.”
(Mary Beth Vieira)
“In a regular person, the neurons in the brain are all in order – nice and neat. Picture a bunch of neat wires all tagged in color-coded. now in someone with learning disabilities, the neurons are all scattered. they are not neat. they look like a whole clump of computer wires 🙂 all scrambled and tangled. that gives us an advantage sometimes. our thoughts are all scrambled and tangled and sometimes even have static (if you know what i mean) – but the thoughts we can come up with in seconds might take someone hours. we have shortcuts in our brain that can come up with sheer brilliance!”
(Goldie)
The Gift of Humour…
LD pride to me is the fact that I can not only see all sides of a situation, but I can have a really good time with it as well. Instead of feeling frustrated by not being able to attain the results by following the instructions or the recommended way, I have a glorious trip that takes me to the end with more humor. I have “invented” many different ways to accomplish what others would think is simple, and when I show them they are usually amazed at the creativity and oftentimes the clarity of a procedure. I live in a world of analogies and everyone loves to sit next to me because my “take” on things keeps them in stitches. Mastering the art of the Mumble keeps me out of trouble yet is quite dangerous to anyone close!
(Vanessa)
The gift of “Creativity and Empathy…
Yes, LD and ADD’ers are definitely more creative! why? because, at least in my situation- I find that when “normal” people are faced with a challenging issue or crisis or problem – they start thinking of all the ins and outs and how to go about solving the problem and all the reasons why or why not they should do what they want to do. Then after all that, they start thinking of all the different ways they can go about doing what they decided they are going to do. all this takes time. Me, I just jump into something headfirst. I don’t think according to rules and guidelines and….. And most of the time people say “wow – how did you think of that?” It does cause trouble sometimes. But most of it works to my advantage. You have to look at it from a different perspective…”
(Goldie)
It’s allowed me to be a more creative and empathetic person..I’ve had to find creative ways to survive..and, as an educator, I can see when others are struggling, particularly children, and I don’t label them as “problem students” because of their differences. It’s been a tremendous asset in being able to reach out to help those who need it most. I wouldn’t want to be different..well, maybe a bit better with time..but that’s all! ((-:”
(Vicky)
The Gift of Multi-dimensional Thinking…
“To me, I can see most everything from more than one direction at the same time I can see the Black the White the Grays , Hey I’ll give up winning spelling bees for that ability. Most have trouble seeing one side of a problem. it’s a gift ” from who I don’t know” to be able to really understand something on all levels. And of course, you can’t get some good without the bad so I’ll say I made out on the deal.
(Jim Valliere)
“I think that the positive side of this [learning disability] is that I can think fast, and can think about several things at once, where most people have to either listen, or think, but not both. I also have a lot of ideas.”
(Laurie Pollick)
“I can’t understand why anyone would say one part of me is wrong just because it’s different. My mind no matter how strange it is or no matter how hard it is for me to think “normally” is fast enough to take most people’s fracking head off and they say I’m “learning disabled.” After all these years I have learned to not care what people think about me. If I’m so disabled why can I do so many mind-blowing things? It’s as if my mind is too hot to handle and it’s boiling away inside my head.”
(Katz Heitmann)
Hey there, we need more…