Normally Different I Went To School

It is that time of year again, back to school. You mark the days down on your calendar, see all the advertisements on back to school, go shopping for clothes and school supplies, hoping you get that teacher you like, and that your friends are in your class, and are preparing yourselves for getting up early and not being able to spend the day playing with your friends.  It's the time that means summer is coming to an end. Although I am no longer going to school, it reminds me of the time when I was in school, and since being diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy it gets me thinking about the difficulties I experienced at school because of not knowing I had MD, and how would school have been different for me and in essence my family, if we had known that I had MD. 

Academically, I did well at school, I have always had a passion for learning new things. At school, and in other areas, I was normally different. I did well at school, had friends that I played with, and in that way I was normal kid like the others. But in other ways I was different, Unlike the other kids, I couldn't do many of the physical things that the other kids did, although I wanted to and tried very hard. I couldn't do the monkey bars, or gym class like the other kids, and couldn't run like the other kids could. Many of the kids at school asked me why I couldn't run like they did, and why did I walk a bit differently, I waddled a bit, why did I break so many bones? Although I know the answer why now, at the time I didn't know why. Kids didn't want me on their team in PE because I was not fast enough. And it wasn't just the kids that said things, it was the teachers. The teachers didn't think I was social at recess because I wasn't playing and doing the things the other kids did, although I tried.

By the end of third grade, my teachers started making my grandfather go on my school field trips because with all the walking we had to do, I had to take frequent rests so I was slowing everyone down. so they thought he should go with me so they didn't have to have another teacher with me. The schools didn't want me to have a rolling backpack, and wouldn't allow me to have one binder for all classes, as they make you carry a binder for each class, because carrying the backpack was difficult for me no matter how hard I tried. They would try to put me in remedial classes and wouldn't let me take Gifted & Talented classes, most likely because of having the physical difficulties I had. When I got into middle school, the teachers would get upset because i took a bit longer to class when it was from one ending to the other.  This made school difficult for me at times, especially because we had no idea that MD was why I was having these challenges. 

Although you can't change the past, I know that if we had known that I had MD when I was in school, it would have been so much easier. I wouldn't have been treated so harshly by teachers because I couldn't play at recess like the other kids and had needed to take rest breaks on field trips. An aid might have been given me to help carry my books and backpack, leg braces to help with the issues in my legs from the MD, PT and OT at school, modified or adapted PE, and a push chair to help on field trips. Although knowing I had MD, might have made me known as the girl who wore leg braces and needs a push chair on field trips where we have to walk a lot, school would have been a lot of easier.. For those who are normally different, and who have challenges either physically or mentally, school cab be a very challenging place, especially for those who don't have a diagnosis as to why they have the difficulties that they do. School should be a fun and enjoyable place, whether you are normal, different, or normally different like me.