Explanations for success?

[BananaSlip]

Good to see that there are others that can relate....and understand! My former classmates just thought I was crazy! Anyhow, I did make it out alive, although what remained was merely the shell of my former self. It took some time, rest, and self-therapy to get physically well, build my self-esteem back up, and continue to improve myself, while having no regrets.

I'm a much happier person now, especially now that I'm more aware of my limits and can control the stressors in my life without overwhelming myself. I still have struggles, but they are 10,000% easier to handle! I am also on medication, which is helping tremendously.

Anyhow, Barb and Tired, you will both make it! Just don't give up! No matter how bad it got, I refused to give up, and that's how I made it through. My life was dark and dismal before going back to school, and I refused to fall back into that abyss. Now, my future is absolutey glowing, and I'm not looking back. Good luck to the both of you!

P.S., Tired, I was not born here in the States, either, although I grew up here. Even so, I can relate to being different in so many ways. Take care....

[barbyma]

One last post before I get back to work.....

I think in my readings and discussion on these boards I may have come up with another explanation for why some of us "fly under the radar" that has little to do with intelligence.

My DS is highly intelligent and didn't make it through 1st grade without being noticed, even though his grades haven't suffered (yet).

I think it really boils down to what is impaired, even more than how severe the impairments are. Some of us have more impaired executive functions than others. For those that can't control impulses, hyperactivity and incomplete work is the norm. Focus is a severe problem, but one doesn't stay on task long enough to grind to a halt. For those of us who seem to have more self-control, cognitive functions become more impaired because we spend more time trying to focus and less time avoiding it.

So, both types stand out.

But, for those like, maybe, ME, who have problems with impulsivity, but have a moderate amount of control, neither becomes large enough to be noticed.

Having a knack for getting by w/o doing a lot of studying certainly helped me, but I was able to do at least the minimum using self-control. My self-control, however isn't strong enough to get me to do much more than "get by" (my son's might be). When getting by meant more focus than my impaired cognitive functions could handle, forcing it made me hit bottom.

The mechanisms I'm thinking might be involved in this process are dopamine transporter systems in the prefrontal cortex and other attention areas (basil ganglia & pathways).

Just some thoughts on the issue.