Thread by @MariBrighe

Hey y’all,

I am genuinely curious...how many of you were “identified” as “gifted” at some point in K-12, but diagnosed with one or more learning/cognitive disabilities as an adult. Obviously, no need to participate if you don’t feel comfortable sharing.

I ask because I find myself really frustrated knowing so many of the things I struggled with, that I was made to feel were my personal failings, are things I have no control over, and maybe college would have sucked a lot less if I could have had support for disabilities.

I was ID’d as “profoundly gifted” when I was 7. I was in my mid twenties when I was diagnosed as autistic. Over the ensuing years, it’s been figured out that I also have sensory processing disorder, visual-spatial/visual-motor deficit, dysgraphia, and dyspraxia.

There’s apparently a term for this now: “Twice-Exceptional”, and it gets missed in both directions because either can mask the other, depending on specific manifestations.

It’s...I don’t know that I will ever be “over” this. :/

Holy effing crap. I *really* did not expect this thread to take off like this. Thank you all for sharing of yourselves. I’m still frustrated, but I feel a lot less alone.

Also, it would really great if it were easier to get evaluated for LD/CD/DD as an adult.

Obviously there’s nothing scientific about this thread, but I at least find it interesting that women have been the majority of responses, which tracks with the trend of cognitive and developmental disabilities being under disgnosed in women and girls.

FYI, Iove all of you who responded to this, but I have to mute this conversation because I’m so flooded. I’ve never had to do that before, and it’s awesome that it’s something bringing folks together.