Not Less Than
posted by Je'Lesa Jefferson | May 4, 2017 | In OpinionJudgment surrounds everyone on a daily basis, whether it is making judgments or being judged by others. I believe that most of us want to avoid these judgments and even overcome it, but for people who live with disorders they can never truly escape internal judgment.
Imagine wearing imaginary headphones that instead of blasting music into your ears, it blasts personal attacks and randomly negative comments based on your life decisions. The volume on the headphones can sometimes be based on your mood, meaning that if your mood is heightened, then the volume on the headphones is turned up. These internal judgments are unavoidable.
In life, people are quick to make judgments, sometimes on things they don’t yet fully understand. Because people don’t fully understand what it means to have a disorder those with disorders are sometimes viewed as unintelligent or less than.
I can remember some teachers one day were speaking about my brother’s, who is autistic, class, and they said to just “entertain the children. It’s not like they can learn.” In talks that I have had with other therapists, I have found out that that misconception is not all that uncommon.
Believing this lie is one of the things that are wrong with our educational system. If you have no faith in the student, the student will have no faith in themselves. According to the Pygmalion effect, having high expectations will lead to a higher success rate. A teacher’s influence affects students’ performance, whether it is positive or negative. These special-needs children need to be surrounded in an environment of positive growth. Yes, they have difficulties that might even hinder their ability to learn, but that does not mean that they are any less than a “normal” child.
I believe these disorders that people obtain and are born with are just merely a challenge given in which they can learn to manage with patience and time; I don’t believe that it can completely go away, but, if anything, can be managed through determination. It doesn’t make one weak or less than. If anything people with disorders that overcome the challenges and go on to live prosperous lives show signs of great strength and determination. With everything in life, there is a struggle but the end reward is worth the sweat.
It is important for you to seek help if you are having these types of issues. According to the Behavior Intervention Team at Chardon State College, at least 40 percent of students with a considerable mental health diagnosis didn’t seek help and that mental health issues are a big hindrance to the academic success of a student.
You don’t have to let your disorder get the best of you. Here on campus, there is the Center for Personal Development, and they are a service that Fayetteville State provides for its students. They provide disability services as well as counseling. They are located in the Spaulding Building.
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