My concern is that there is no such thing as normal, and we all have weaknesses. Kids already struggle with being different, while trying to fit in. My parents use to console me and reassure that there was nothing wrong with me, but I have to tell my children the opposite. I am struggling to understand how this diagnosis, at this time, will help, rather than hurt.
Diagnosis merely names the weakness so that appropriate supports and accommodations can be made while the child is in school, so that the child is not deprived access to a full education. It does not mean that there is something "wrong" with an individual, it merely names the weakness and also helps point to known work-arounds, supports, accommodations, and helps the individual learn to compensate for this particular weakness if it is one which may be carried through life. Knowing that others have the same weakness can help a child understand that they are not alone in their struggles, but rather they are in good company and can still achieve success.
