#learning differences

I'd be grateful to anyone with a bit of time to help this study!

Eligible Participants: Everyone over 18 is eligible for this study, so long as you take the survey that fits your demographic.

The first survey is aimed at neurodivergent or gender non-conforming participants.

The second survey is aimed at neurotypical and gender-conforming participants - in other words, everyone else who does not fall into the first survey demographic.

You must be 18 or over to take part in either of these surveys.

These surveys are part of a study on tropes concerning gender and neurodivergence in media. You will be asked about your headcanons regarding non-human characters who are coded as (i.e. not canonically, but implied to be) neurodivergent and/or gender non-conforming, as well as characters who are confirmed as such in canon. I am studying personal attitudes and opinions, so there are no wrong answers. For transparency's sake, I am clinically diagnosed as neurodivergent and am non-binary myself. Reblogs appreciated. Thank you so much for your time!

If you are neurodivergent and/or gender non-conforming, please take this survey:

If you are both neurotypical and gender-conforming, please take this survey:

there’s a big thing on tiktok right now with the song “Averagr” from non-gifted kids talking about how much former gifted kids complain even though we had a lot of resources and support and as a former gifted kid i just want to say:

we did not have the resources you think we did.

we were separated from our peers and given more advanced work. we took more advanced classes and had more options for the courses we took. that’s an advantage and i acknowledge that.

we were, for the most part, given next to no resources for how to cope with anything we were thrown into. we had expectations put on us higher than anything a kid should have to deal with. it was expected that we could take care of ourselves, so no one explained how to do things in much depth.

i’m 18. i’m in college. i don’t know how to write a rough draft. i don’t know how to edit my own essays. i don’t know how to study.

because i was never taught. i was never shown these things. i was expected to, but i was never given the resources in order to actually learn how to do it.

here’s some statistics to help you out a bit.

the estimated number of U.S. students involved in gifted programs: 3.3 million

the estimated number of twice exceptional (2e) students in the U.S.: 360,000

that’s almost 11% of gifted students with a learning difference.

the Gifted Development Center has estimated it at a higher 1/6 (16.67%)

you wonder why you see so much about “gifted kid burnout” and late diagnosis for neurodivergencies in gifted kids, it’s because no one expects us to have learning disabilities. no one expects us to need that help.

i was taught in my education class that any student not in general ed is considered special ed. BUT THAT MOST PEOPLE FORGET THAT GIFTED ED IS SPECIAL ED.

people assume that because we can process things/learn faster and read/write ahead of our grade level that we can’t possibly have learning differences.

i am filled with contentment as i have just finished reading the first book for this year, which is the power of different by gail saltz. took me some time to finish it because my days have been busy spent by procastinating doing trivial chores. this is the first book that i have over 30 tabs on the pages, which will be useful for future references. the impact and meaning this book has brought me is inexplicable and it is one of the best purchases in my lifetime. 🌱

I believe him. I believe that MJF’s story is rooted in truth, and I’ll tell you why.

We’ve had characters on TV with learning differences. We’ve had those characters talk about their learning differences. Now, I already love that because I think representation is important.

MJF’s promo went beyond that for me. The way he spoke, the things he said, it was not “I’m an actor who is convincingly emoting and talking about this.” His promo was “I’ve actually lived through this, I know what I’m talking about, and it sucked.”

I’m autistic. I have ADHD, anxiety, and depression. I’ve felt like an outsider my whole life. MJF’s promo really hit home for me. It verbalized the hell myself and other kids with learning differences go through in school.

I am filling out forms for benefits and I just don’t know.

When it says “can you learn new tasks like using a alarm clock or washing machine” I am instantly like “of cause I can”.

But when asked “do you know which tray to put washing powder in?” No. I put it in the drum because I can’t remember which tray no matter how many times I am told.

“Are you able to sort washing and put it on the right setting”. No, because I can’t figure out all those symbols and remember what all of them mean.

“Do you ask other people questions whilst using the washing machine” yes. Plenty, is this drum filled the right amount? how much power I need? Can I put this item with this item? Etc.

“What about audible instructions” bad, I have to be told things repeatedly.