Personal Narrative: My Left Eye

He has been homeschooled all his life, but this year, he is entering a private school down the street from his New York City apartment. His struggles that year, along with his sister’s journey and that of a few other characters, are chronicled through this book that teaches so much about what it means to be human and how hard it is to be different and accept others, looking beyond the surface to see the person underneath.

These children who seem to not to be able to do math or learn to read may have simply chosen instead to put their imagination and intelligence to other things outside of school. Personally, I am well acquainted with family members who have Asperger’s, severe autism, and cerebral palsy. These titles given to them could hold them back, however, each are exceptionally talented in their own way. My cousin Aerick was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome at a very young age. He has had many disciplinary problems, nonetheless, outside of school he flourishes with technology and becomes captivated by different topics until he understands everything about them. In addition, I am also familiar with the idea of “reading in between the lines” like Akmir and the unnamed women. As a young adult, I have been enlightened to the darker parts of the world. As a woman, I recognize the inequality. Recently, I often read something or hear something on the news or television and I have become more and more insulted and slighted. This awakening has provided a different outlook on the world, and with it I hope to make a difference.

Sadie was born following a pregnancy complicated by intrauterine exposure to OxyContin, fentanyl, and methadone. She was diagnosed with severe neonatal abstinence syndrome with narcotic withdrawal. Sadie was given both Phenobarbital and methadone during her 23-day stay at Community Regional Medical Center following her birth. She was discharged on methadone to her mother on October 29, 2009.

Kaufman was found to have a fairly low Intelligence Quotient (IQ), it was low enough to have him labelled as “seriously learning disabled.” Because of this, Kaufman’s family reconsidered his whole future: they did not send him to the respected private school, Haverford Academy, as planned, but rather to a school made specifically for children with learning disabilities (Kaufman, 2013). “My fate,” Kaufman writes, was “sealed by a single test” (p. 21).

Studies show that children who are struggling with literacy tend to struggle throughout their schooling years, Those that fall behind with literacy rarely catch up to their peers ( Wise & Chen, 2009, p. 1). By his teacher detecting his learning difficulties was extremely essential. The optimising factor was getting individual help for Wyatt and constantly motivating him. He comes to school in safe environment that encourages his performance. Studies show that having an encouraging teacher affects self- esteem levels, keeps children mentally well and thus reducing anxiety and depression (Gallagher,

Most of us would never wish our children to have a learning disability but as Malcom Gladwell discovers that, children are at a better advantage than their peers. For

Two weeks ago he was an ordinary normal run-of-the-mill guy in the 11th grade. The only things that stood out about him were his eyes. He had one reddish eye and one eye that was so gray it looked white. He had had his head down in class he was checking off the days till summer. Just 3 days and he would be free. Six glorious weeks of nothing, “Matthew Ripley, pay attention” yelled the teacher as he threw an eraser at Matt and hit him between the eyes. After a brief moment of applause from the rest of the class the teacher continued on with his lesson. Matt didn’t see

Anthony began his education in the LocalSD as a Kindergarten student attending LocalElem. As a Kindergarten student, he was noted to have difficulty working cooperatively with others and being a respectful citizen (e.g., demonstrating a positive attitude and demonstrating self-control). However, there were no academic difficulties noted. Likewise, in Grade 2, Anthony’s academic skills were progressing appropriately, but he continued to present with underdeveloped learning qualities. For instance, he was not using his time wisely nor was he being a respectful citizen (e.g., following school and classroom rules and demonstrating

He decided to stop attending the school, and instead attend through an online school. He was learning things a lot quicker. He was reading novels and articles more often. He switched from tabloid to broadsheet. Furthermore, his math grades went back to

Robert is like a brother to me and seeing how difficult it was for him to be constantly held behind was devastating. Due to the lack of a diverse learning environment and limited social interactions during the day, he has begun to lack some social skills required in order to participate in the working world. This social decline is due to the lack of attention that his public school gave him. Although there are many programs that incorporate a wide range of learning opportunities, many of the curriculums are not designed for students that require special attention, like Robert. The public education system tends to segregate those students with special needs from the rest of the school. In today’s society, many people believe that the system that we currently have in place has proven to be beneficial for everyone. As G.B Shaw stated in the Preface to Androcles and the Lion, “It is not disbelief in our society that is dangerous to our society; it is belief.” This strong belief in the current education system has blinded many people and has clouded their judgement. Most of the people that strongly believe in the education system have not been closely involved with the

One in five American students has a learning disability this is according to the documentary “Misunderstood Minds’’ produced by WGBH. Children with learning disabilities are more likely to become outcasts in school and in society. The documentary follows five families dealing with a differently abled child; Nathan V, Lauren, Sarah Lee, Adam, and Nathan S. The film focuses on difficulties the families go through, professionalism or lack of it by school officials and demystification.

This day gave me scars. It began as any day would, with breakfast and a healthy swig of water, with toothbrushes and a change of clothes. I stepped out of the door to a beautiful, warm, Tuesday morning. The Washington sky shone brightly blue as I pushed my bike out of our musty garage and onto the driveway. It felt amazing to get out of our dustbin of a garage and into the fresh, crisp morning air. As my right foot slammed its full weight onto the right petal, the petal seemed to groan with the weight and then respond and transform the raw power to movement. My bike chain strained as I accelerated. The surrounding atmosphere felt refreshing as I coasted down our driveway and approached my hill.

I remember the day I sliced my head open, as if it were yesterday. It was the summer of freshman year, a particularly gusty Sunday morning, but nothing was going to stop me from hauling my old, undersized, pink, ‘liquid force’ wakeboard down to the boat to snag some extra ‘board’ time. After almost a decade, the boat driver, my dad, and two others boarded the boat. I could finally enjoy the peacefulness of solitude, as I rode alone to the blaring sound of “Chicken Fried” and the savory aroma of barbeque that permeated my sense of smell. While I was riding, it appeared the water was churning as fast as a hand mixer in cake batter. Although I was getting tossed around like a bouncy ball in the hands of a five-year-old, I was not going to give

As an example, I will talk briefly about my cousin, born into a broken home and forced to deal with illiteracy on a daily basis. Steven was brought up in a bad neighborhood and raised by the streets. His family simply didn’t care about anything other than how they would afford their next bottle of booze or pack of cigarettes. Growing up, he was never told he had to go to school; therefore, he only went on occasion. His lack of schooling in his younger years took its toll on him by the time he hit high school. Living in a bad neighborhood and brought up by gangs, Steven’s life was in a bad condition.

My pulchritudinous, tenth-grade girlfriend smiled with her lustrous smile when we saw each other. I remember the way she looked at me every time we hung out with each other knowing that we are more than just in a relationship we were each other's best friend. What happened next stunned me in a way that can’t be explained, she pulls out this glass heart and hands it over to me and tells me it’s mine to keep and that it’ll mean something someday. I didn’t understand at the time what the point of the glass heart was so I kindly just told her “thank you” and gave her a hug, but in all honesty, I was confused at what she was meaning when she handed it to me and told me it would mean something someday. I still remember everything we did that day