Teachers can make a big difference

Educational institutes and teachers can play a crucial role in helping diagnose and deal with one’s learning disabilities. My school of 3 years (9-12), Step By Step has been a huge support system for me and in some ways directly responsible for my formal diagnosis of ADHD and Dysgraphia.

I was in the IB board till Grade 8 in Genesis Global School and I was able to sail through my studies with minimum effort. However, upon entering the ninth, the amount and difficulty of the workload increased significantly. Classes were also online due to Covid and this aggravated my challenges further.

My teachers were quite observant of my class behaviour and work and would proactively call up my parents and provide feedback on the issues they saw. They noticed how I had trouble paying attention (both physical and online school), how I cracked too many jokes and made too much noise and also how much better I was able to convey myself through typing as opposed to writing with my hand.

These constant triggers from the school were instrumental in my parents seeking out a professional opinion. My teachers also filled out the questionnaires that were required as part of the diagnosis. Since the diagnosis came in very late, SBS was very proactive in getting in touch with the board to get me the required accommodations making sure I got them in the upcoming mock examinations that would determine my predicted grades. This was important since, because of Covid, there was a strong chance that the predicted grades could end up being the final grades. I was given 25% extra time and access to my laptop. The school also helped in handling whatever technical issues I had, providing me with a device when the one I brought from home wouldn’t function.

Additionally, teachers did their best to help me, making sure I stayed focused in class and letting me do homework assignments on devices too. Some of them even set up one on one sessions to help me when they saw I was struggling. All this support has carried over to my time in CBSE as well, and while I was off to a rusty start at the beginning of the eleventh, I have been steadily improving over time due to my teachers.

To conclude, I would say that your school and teachers must be a part of your support system, providing you with the help and understanding that you will most definitely need.