A Struggle to Learn
Victoria Shanahan
Victoria Shanahan
Everyday some students struggle in class because of the disabilities they are born with. Some disorders that people have are manageable to deal with when you take medicine for them, but those medicines can affect them in other ways with the side effects. At school, there are kids all around that struggle in their own way and some are more noticeable than others. One disorder that is a little more common is dyslexia, which is a learning disorder that cause people to have problems reading and identifying speech sounds and how they relate to words. Alex Fitzgerald, a senior at Hillgrove High School said, “I was born with both dyslexia and ever since I was little, I have had trouble reading. It was a lot worse when I was little because I was just beginning to read and understand words, but as time went off and I got tutored for English it started to get easier but still affects me today.” More than three million people in the U.S. are diagnosed with dyslexia a year and it is affects people mostly at the ages of six all the way to 60 plus years.
Another common disorder found is ADHD (attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder) which can cause aggression, fidgeting, repetition of words, difficulty focusing, anxiety, boredom, etc. Tyler Abrams, a sophomore at Hillgrove High School, said, “I have ADHD and in school and outside of school it is hard to focus. I am always moving and fidget a lot especially in school, but I take medication to help stop that from happening. Although the medication makes me lose my appetite, so I hate taking it, but I know I need to.” ADHD is also found in more three million cases per year affects the ages 6-40 the most.
Not only does disorders affect the people that have them, but when family members have them or even friends it can affect the ones around them as well. Jordan McLean, a student at Hillgrove High School, said, “My younger brother has DCD or Developmental Coordination Disorder which means his motor skills aren't as effective, so he has difficulty doing common everyday tasks. This has always been hard on my parents and I because they have to help him with a lot of things and I have learned to do a lot of things on my own because I know he needs more help than me.” Learning disabilities can affect people in more than one way and it can be very tough to have those problems or to have a loved one have a disorder.
Another common disorder found is ADHD (attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder) which can cause aggression, fidgeting, repetition of words, difficulty focusing, anxiety, boredom, etc. Tyler Abrams, a sophomore at Hillgrove High School, said, “I have ADHD and in school and outside of school it is hard to focus. I am always moving and fidget a lot especially in school, but I take medication to help stop that from happening. Although the medication makes me lose my appetite, so I hate taking it, but I know I need to.” ADHD is also found in more three million cases per year affects the ages 6-40 the most.
Not only does disorders affect the people that have them, but when family members have them or even friends it can affect the ones around them as well. Jordan McLean, a student at Hillgrove High School, said, “My younger brother has DCD or Developmental Coordination Disorder which means his motor skills aren't as effective, so he has difficulty doing common everyday tasks. This has always been hard on my parents and I because they have to help him with a lot of things and I have learned to do a lot of things on my own because I know he needs more help than me.” Learning disabilities can affect people in more than one way and it can be very tough to have those problems or to have a loved one have a disorder.