Self/Parents

It Takes a Piece of Paper For My Parents to Believe My Learning Disability

Sara was furious because her parents did not believe her hidden disability until she got diagnosed in middle school.

“It takes a piece of paper for you guys to believe me. It’s tragic.” — Sara.

“It was a nightmare for my parents to believe me when I told them about my difficulty in school. I believe they knew and tried to pray it away or hide their own hidden disability symptoms. It’s painful as I observe my son showing the same symptoms my parents and I had. I promised myself not to make the same mistake my parents made. I need to help him as quickly as possible — no shame in seeking help. I observed things in him I saw in myself and my parents.”

“People with a hidden disability or learning difficulty can learn and thrive with effort and accommodation. I’m an example.”

“I saw “the piece of paper” again while cleaning the drawers where I put important documents. My parents were so hard on my disability and believed I was like other students. I don’t blame them, but they failed me in a way that I have no words to describe my frustration at that time. As a parent now, I…