I have a severe learning disability; it has been something that has been a part of me ever since I can remember. My learning disability affects how I process and present information. It takes me longer to grasp a concept and although I can formulate a response it takes me a little while to figure out how to say what I want to. I used to say that it didn’t affect me in any way and that I have never known any different. As I get older and I reflect more on it I can see that it has had a both positive and negative effect on my life. The most positive thing that has developed out of my learning disability is my understanding and ability to grow and empathize with others.

I can remember in elementary school getting so frustrated that I just couldn’t understand something. I didn’t understand at that point why I couldn’t do academic projects like my classmates. I felt like I would never be good at school and the subjects I did enjoy were things like art and music. Even then, I would still be disappointed in the product that I created. It would never be how I imagined it. I had a fixed mindset (Dweck, 2007). I thought that the other students were born with their academic or artistic ability.  It is very common for “children with learning disabilities … to hold an entity view [or a fixed mindset]” (UBC Custom Course Text, 2015, p.200). Throughout high school, I began to enjoy school I found my place in the Textiles class and in Theater Production. These classes were where my learning disability had no effect. I was able to work hard and produce a good product. It wasn’t until after I started my undergraduate degree that the idea of a growth mindset hit me (Dweck, 2007). I took a surface design class where I really challenged myself. I had a distinct vision of an end product and worked until I was happy with my product. I didn’t stop when I hit road blocks I kept going until it was what I wanted. Was it perfect? No. Was it as artistic as other students? I don’t know, really it doesn’t matter. What I learnt in that class was that hard work created results, if you encounter problems you solve them or work with them and that I could do anything. This was reinforced through my apparel design and development classes; these were classes that my learning disability didn’t affect. I took the skills and the growth mindset to work hard in my other classes. I was able to use skills I learnt in my high school LST classes and my growth mindset to excel within university.

Dweck, C. (2007). Boosting student achievement with messages that motivate. Education Canada, 47, 6- 10.

UBC Custom Course Text (2015). EPSE 308: Human development, learning and diversity 20015-2016. Excerpts taken from McDevitt, T.M. & Ormrod, J.E. (2013). Child development and education.Pearson. And Woolfolk, A. & Perry, N.E. (2012). Child and adolescent development. Pearson.