A Chance to Prove Themselves
In an era of increased attention to campus diversity, LD and AD/HD students are seen as beneficial additions to the collegiate environment.
By Carla Deford
Sean Garballey, a senior at a state university in New England, recently won a highly competitive, prestigious scholarship. A political science major with a 3.8 GPA who has competed in international model United Nations programs, Garballey balances his course work and extracurricular activities with public service as a member of the local school board and town council. He also plans to attend law school next fall. This would be an impressive list of accomplishments for anyone, but especially for a person who spent his entire primary and secondary school career as a special-education student.
From an early age, Garballey had significant reading and speech problems as well as test anxiety. Had he been born 30 years ago, he might have been diagnosed with a cognitive impairment such as minimal brain dysfunction or mild retardation. Recent advancements in the fields of educational psychology and neuropsychology, however, have made a more accurate diagnosis possible. Garballey was not cognitively impaired, but learning disabled, or LD. Fortunately, he received early and intensive intervention.
“I don’t know where I would be without the special-education teachers I had in elementary, middle and high school,” says Garballey, who no longer needs any services or accommodations. Recent research suggests that Garballey’s experience isn’t an isolated case. Many learning disabled students, if given the right support, do very well in higher education institutions, and colleges are taking notice.
