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revisit RISK AND REWARD

What happened to Joyce? Dr. Bishop now understands to meet in person, and take
how her learning disability, auditory processing disorder, the risk to ask this person
causes problems with understanding words she hears. for his or impression of
Recognizing how her strengths in visual-spatial, logical- your strengths and your
mathematical, and bodily-kinesthetic intelligence served challenges. Compare what you learn
her well in science studies, she chose study strategies with the items on your list. What matches up? What
for those strengths and over time earned the reward of surprises you?
her master’s and Ph.D. degrees. Now a tenured psychol-
ogy professor at Golden West College in California, Dr. What risk may bring reward beyond your world? Broaden
Bishop won Teacher of the Year twice at her school. your knowledge of learning disabilities so you can avoid
Always willing to take risks that serve her intention to inaccurate assumptions about people and learn how to
learn throughout her life, she learned how to teach support them in reaching their potential. Go to www.
online courses and now trains other teachers in online ldonline.org and read the article entitled “LD Basics.”
teaching strategies. She continues to find reward from Then search the keyword “adults” and browse the arti-
the hard work of managing her learning disability. cles to focus more closely on how adults with learning
disabilities navigate school, work, and life. Finally, think
What does this mean for you? Getting perspective on about an assumption you may have made about some-
strengths and weaknesses isn’t just for those with diag- one with whom you live, work, or go to school. Risk
nosed learning disabilities. Dr. Bishop got her wake-up addressing your possibly false idea by approaching that
call from an eye doctor and a therapist. Who can provide person with an open mind from this point forward, look-
an outside perspective for you? First, make your own list ing for strengths as well as working reasonably with
of your three strongest and three weakest qualities. Then, challenges. Developing a more perceptive and supportive
find someone who knows you well enough to have an perspective can bring the reward of increased productiv-
honest and constructive opinion about you. Set a time ity in this, or any, relationship.

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CHAPTER 74