Celebrities with learning disabilities

If someone were to ask me what the definition of a learning disability was I don’t know if I could give them a straight answer. I was told I wouldn’t cope at school because I had a learning disability. Well, I turned out alright. I passed every grade and I can give you a list of things I did after school and still intend on doing, but to me that is just a label.

I am always fascinated at how people who have been labeled with something such as a learning disability turn out in the real world. Often it so happens when someone has been put down by someone else in the medical profession and they want to prove to the whole world how wrong they are. They work twice as hard at everything, giving all they have so they can say “Take that”. There are many celebrities and famous people with learning disabilities that have achieved great things.

I realize like with anything some learning disabilities are worse than others, but sometimes when you are told your child has a learning disability you always think the worst, when in fact it’s fairly minor.

Something like dyslexia is often blown out of proportion. Parents go crazy because they think there is something seriously wrong with their child. He or she just won’t be the world’s greatest speller, but there are other contests one can enter besides the spelling bee. There are many people who have overcome dyslexia, overcoming obstacles and finding a more manageable way to manage the problem. Often this makes you a stronger person and brings out your strengths.

Jamie Oliver

Jamie Oliver had an influence over me when I wanted to become a chef. Jamie left school without any qualifications and found it difficult throughout his schooling because of the problem he had with dyslexia. He is always coming up with something new, incorporating society and lifestyle to improve the way of life. I think Britain is blessed to have a chef like Jamie Oliver helping them eat their greens!

Tom Cruise

I don’t think when Tom Cruise was 14 years old and struggling through school with dyslexia that he would ever have dreamt where he would be today. Tom said he really had to listen to everything the teacher was saying to get through the day.

Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein suffered from Dysgraphia. This tells us that learning disabilities are clearly not related to your level of intelligence. This disorder relates to someone’s writing abilities and how something is output. It also can affect fine motor skills like tying your shoe laces.

Cher

Cher has been going strong for a long time. Cher also suffers from Dyscalculia, which is a disorder related to mathematics. People having difficulty organizing numbers, memorizing mathematical facts and how figures are organized on a page.

Richard Branson

Dyspraxia is the term referred to symptoms like excessive clumsiness, loss of balance and difficulty with short-term memory. Few would think that Richard Branson has a learning disability. People with Dyspraxia often have good verbal skills, which is what makes them stronger.

Looking at these examples of people who have accomplished great things it can be gathered that all things are possible if you put your mind to it with some perseverance, encouragement and support from family members and friends.