If your child requires help in school, it does not equate with low ability or intelligence. This is a complete myth. 

 Many such students have average or above-average intelligence. The myth that having help equals a lack of intelligence only creates a stigma that can cause untold misery for students and parents and even stop them from asking for help. 

Indeed, many of the most influential academics and thinkers throughout history would probably require help if they were in school today. They would be deemed ‘neurodiverse’ in terms of their thinking styles, how they view the world, and ways of behaving.

• Isacc Newton / Nikola Tesla / Albert Einstein / Alan Turing / Napoleon Bonaparte / Lewis Carroll / Michaelangelo / Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart / Andy Warhol. They all displayed traits of behaviour commonly associated with Aspergers, e.g. strange ways of thinking, poor social skills, repetitive behaviours, and obsessive interests.
• Temple Grandin – Professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University. She has autism and, at one point, was non-verbal, which would now require specialised support in schools.

When we look at the extraordinary contributions that these people have made to our world, this myth is blown apart even further. They are certainly part of a select club that others in society have significantly gained from.

Look at the list further down this article- impressive, isn’t it?

Many of our current celebrities struggled in school. Their challenges led them to success; without them, they would be ordinary, atypical people like you and me.

• Yayai Kusama– Japanese artist. She was diagnosed with and celebrates her Aspergers.
• Dan Ackroyd– USA movie star. He, too, has a diagnosis of Aspergers.
• Tim Burton –British movie director. In conversations, e has said he shares some of the same feelings and experiences of those with Aspergers.
• Michael Phelps- Olympic medallist. He has a diagnosis of ADHD and has written about how it made school a struggle for him.
• Justine Timberlake – actor and musician. He has both ADD (inattentive type ADHD) and OCD (Obsessive-compulsive disorder, another medical condition).
• Adam Levine– musician and pop artist. He often speaks about his struggles with ADHD.
• Orlando Bloom- actor. When he was diagnosed with dyslexia, his mother encouraged him to take Art and Drama. I bet he is thankful now for that diagnosis!
• Richard Branson– self-made billionaire. He struggled in school and dropped out at age 16. This led to the creation of Virgin Records and then onto his other highly successful business projects.

For many people, their ‘diagnosis’ represents who they are, their uniqueness and the one thing that helps them stand out from the crowd. Would they ever have been so successful, innovative, or creative without it? Probably not.

Being ‘different’ in school often led them on to other pursuits that, in time, gave them success and fame.

We must all work towards removing the stigma attached to needing help in school.