As I was listening to my friend Abbie, a picture flashed into my mind. Cassandra, my daughter’s classmate, was rubbing her tear-stained eyes. My daughter folded a few notes into a small plastic bag. With my help, the cash was pinned to Cassandra’s uniform pocket.
Something seemed to click here. I remember repeating the step-by-step instructions: (a) Take out thirteen dollars and pay the form teacher some fee or other. (b) Count the fifty cent change. (c) Put the coins into the plastic bag. (d) Pin the bag to the pocket. (e) During recess, go use the remainder for buying five cloth badges.
My daughter, a seven year old, nodded brightly and promised to help her friend. Why is it one child could take the challenge and the other was reduced to tears and begged her mum to accompany her to school? No, both are intelligent. In fact, Cassandra outscored my daughter in an important government exam years later. Now, looking back, I believe Cassandra had had minor learning difficulty handling multiple step procedure at that age. Facing adults, handling money, dealing with time limit seemed daunting to her because she already had problems dealing with complex sequencing actions.
There and then, I realized that my friend Abbie, looking distressed and vainly trying to tell me why she “freeze” and could not handle a quick-talking salesman by herself, could have been a “Cassandra” thirty years later.
Since the appointment with the salesman was to find out more about the different models and there might be many questions and responses involved, I could not produce a five-step formula. This time, I volunteered to be present and be an emotional support during the meeting.
The face-to-face meeting turned out very well. Another friend, the one who recommended the salesman, already limited the scope of choice by pointing out to the salesman the likely model needed. It is another obstacle crossed. The helper learned new things. The one being helped gained new confidence and she grew. Abbie made a decision and bought a popular car which eases her life considerably.
And thus I begun my quiet work of supporting grown women who still suffer from any lingering learning disabilities.
* coral reefs 01 from time.com
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