Teacher's Question of the Week

Q: What kinds of careers do students who learn differently choose? If a student can use higher order thinking skills but has problems with information processing in perceptual ways, how might s/he use those strengths to earn a living as an adult?

A. The May 13, 2002 issue of Fortune magazine highlighted successful adults who have some form of learning disability, such as dyslexia that pertains to reading (and often the language part of writing), dyscalculia that has to do with math, or dysgraphia that has to do with space and form (and usually affects the motor aspect of writing).

Go to the website by clicking here, and search for "Overcoming Dyslexia", "Celebrity Dyslexics", and "Dyslexia on the Job". Some good links to sites on dyslexia and other learning disabilities are available for further related reading.

Tom Cruise has written about growing up having struggled with challenges stemming from a learning disability. As you can see here, he seems to be doing quite well.

Thanks to SBCC's Professor Alyse Steidler, English Skills, for telling us about the article.

Credits: Photo from Tom Cruise HeadQuarters: <http://www.ixplosive.com/tom.html>