If you have followed me, or read my Bio, Blogs or on my Social media platforms,
you’ve read about the fact that I suffered from Epileptic seizures as a child.
This experience imprinted and formed beliefs and behaviors in me that I still struggle with. Beliefs that others transferred to me, out of their own blind belief and not being able to see me beyond the diagnosis or learning disabilities.
Some Include:
The Fear of Making Mistakes, especially publicly
Overthinking and Complicating Actions or Plans
Fear of losing my sense of Belonging
However…
The positive that arose from my experiences was a Spirit of Determination and a Fire that lit in me to prove to myself and others that I could do most anything I set my mind and heart to.
I overcame barriers and exceeded what others believed I could achieve.
I was told I would never read or write and would not succeed in my chosen career.
I am now a retired former Nursing Department Exec., with 2 Masters's Degrees.
Overcoming these challenges helped me to raise two children with learning disabilities and ADHD. Develop skills and tools to manage and understand Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) that my grandson and daughter from a major car crash. And, my Husband’s loss of speech and delayed cognition, from a recent stroke.
Walking thru these experiences solidifies my belief that God brought me through them to prepare me, “For a Time Such as This”.
The Blind Bias
There is a silent societal and educational bias toward individuals with educational limitations due to altered learning, developmental delays, or TBI.
Many educational systems apply social preferences, and assumptions toward the learning capacity for students and Adult learners with learning disabilities, ADHD, or Traumatic Brain Injury. Not maliciously but “because it is how we do it”.
The biggest challenge is that most people are blind to it.
These conditions are “unseen” unless there is a behavior or action associated with them.
For the child or adult learner, these daily experiences.
Often, the inattention, fidgeting, altered memory, and difficulty with task completion, are still characterized as:
Lazy
Attention seeking
Class Clowns
Daydreamers
Behavior problems
Demented
The Truth
Educators have the skills and tools to assist but Parents or Adults w/ ADHD must “know” how to access and request services for themselves.
Employers today are beginning to awaken to the needs and unique adaptations needed for employees with ADHD and other limitations. Many of the adaptations, can be delayed because they pose an additional cost, may affect work schedules, and space planning of the work area.
Socially, we must learn to accept and value everyone, regardless of capabilities, for the contributions they make to our world.
Situational Blindness
As a culture, we’re taught to look away or told “Don't stare” when someone exhibits physical, emotional, or behavioral elements of a condition.
Thus, CREATING situational blindness and eventually, WE no longer see them.
For example, the homeless person sitting on the corner that you walk around every day on your way to get coffee.
How can we help a group that we don’t even see?
Have you ever seen a child acting out or being very “busy” and feeling annoyed?
What do most people do?
Look away, avoid eye contact, eye roll, and so on
What If.. we offered a kind word or assistance to the parent?
Or engaged the child, to help relieve the parent's overwhelm?
It is very hard to “control” a child with these conditions or behaviors.
You CAN’T control them, the parent learns to redirect that energy or attention.
We and the systems these people experience daily can do the same.
Our Societal tolerance and our Educational Systems…MUST
Learn to look at the positive intentions, talents, and potential in each individual seeing what, they can do versus what “IS PERCEIVED” they cannot.
When we achieve this, we can Inspire, and help to Cultivate Confidence and
Freedom for them to Stand in their Truth.
If we cannot identify and stand in our Truth, we fabricate the reality we believe we are intended to live. We deny our passions, spiritual direction, and desires to live our Purpose driven life. Not living authentically and in one’s Truth can lead to internal turmoil, frustration, unresolved anger, and depression.
It is against our Spiritual and Physical nature to live lies and misinterpretations of our Truth. We fight our own nature trying to correct the imbalanced emotions and feelings
Standing in our Truth and being wholly authentic produces, Peace, Joy, and Well-being.
Instilling empathetic and intelligent communication skills in our children, social language, and a culture of acceptance that engages and includes all would help to stop the marginalizing of individuals who desire to improve or stretch their capabilities
My passion is to start a path to end social and educational biases that rob individuals of the potential greatness they CAN achieve.
My Dream, My Prayer is,
that as a society we ALL… Wake Up to the Greatness around us.
Have you ever felt marginalized, set aside, unseen because of a perception you can’t do something you desire to?
Have you been made to feel “less than”?
If the answer is “Yes”. Please contact me through my Website to set up a
Breakthrough Call. You were Divinely and Wonderfully made for a Purpose.
Learn to free yourself of these Lies and Dysfunctional Beliefs, so that together we discover Your Truth.