shame
people growing up with a learning disability often feel a sense of shame. for some, it is a great relief to receive the diagnosis while for others the label only serves to further stigmatize them. for many adults, especially older adults, an accurate diagnosis was unavailable. these individuals were frequently labeled as mentally retarded, written off as being unable to learn, and most passed through the school system without acquiring basic academic skills.
sadly, these feelings of shame often cause the individual to hide their difficulties. rather than risk being labeled as stupid or accused of being lazy, some adults deny their learning disability as a defense mechanism. internalized negative labels of stupidity and incompetence usually result in a poor self concept and lack of confidence (gerber, ginsberg, & reiff, 1992)
some adults feel ashamed of the type of difficulties they are struggling to cope with such as basic literacy skills, slow processing, attention difficulties, chronic forgetfulness, organizational difficulties, etc.
the following myths about learning disabilities have perpetuated the general public's negative perception about learning disabilities: