Hi Slee,
I'd like to echo the comments of several posters above who have pointed out what a fantastic outlook you have and also how well you demonstrate your writing ability here. My oldest son, who is 17, was diagnosed with ADHD, PDD-NOS (which is on the autism spectrum), and a language processing disorder at the age of 8. So I've been following this thread and reading the many of the comments with a combination of and . I've watched my son struggle to achieve average grades all his life. What will happen is he turns in all of his homework and papers and receives full marks, which is fantastic, but then the tests are weighted more heavily and he'll get Cs, Ds, and Fs. So his overall GPA is dragged down. In many US states, as you might know, alternately abled students can have an IEP (individual education plan), which is covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). One of the accomodations allowed under the IEP is additional time for tests. Many here might recall the little addendum read by instructors at the end of a syllabus in every class we took in college about students who need additional assistance. This coverage carries over into university, as well. Needing extra time on tests is not a crutch, nor is it an excuse. Having a brain that is, as you've aptly put it, wired differently isn't something that one can just think themselves out of. That's a very antiquated attitude and just as dangerous as presuming to diagnose a stranger without the medical experience to back it up. My son has been able to accomplish amazing things outside of the classroom (he's an Eagle Scout, to name one thing), but in the classroom he's always behind. Just tonight, however, he was asking for help on Hamlet (or thought he needed help). Most of the time he just has to run his thinking by someone. Hamlet's complex and he totally understood what he'd read, though it takes him hours to work through a passage. After reading each of your thoughtful (and very kind) posts, I have nothing but respect for you. Having witnessed how hard the "normal" (and I use the term with ) world can treat someone unlike themselves, how brutally unkind and insensitive "regular folks" can be toward someone who is just trying to learn and get by, you deserve only to be praised for your assiduous attitude and your willingness to continue trying. I applaud you for yourself and in part because I'd like to see my son have role models to look up to who have "done it" despite the added challenges. Good on you!
~m