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Degrassi: the next generation (Liberty story-line)

Discussion in 'Entertainment and Technology' started by Canterpiece, Aug 9, 2017.

  1. Canterpiece

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    So, I've been thinking lately about the character of Liberty from Degrassi: the next generation. I'm currently up to season 7 of the next generation, and I've seen all the seasons of Degrassi: next class.

    Now, Liberty interests me because she's the only character I know who's been referred to as dyscalculic (aside from in books). In other shows I've seen, when a character is dyscalculic, it tends not to be mentioned (like with Hank Zipzer, his difficulties with maths are never really mentioned in the show aside from the odd joke, and the focus is mainly put on his dyslexia despite the author mentioning that the character of Hank has both, and the author himself also has both).

    But with Liberty, she's not shown to have any co-existing difficulties like dyslexia, and the focus is much more on dyscalculia. This is actually nice to see from the show, as it's rare to see a show even tackle this subject. However, I would say it's not the best representation.

    I find it almost amusing in shows centred around schools that they make getting help look so damn easy, but it's really not. Usually they'll be some special episode which reveals that a character has a condition like dyslexia or dyscalculia, and in the next episode suddenly they are getting help for it. They just sort of skip the whole diagnosis process.

    In school, I knew a kid who was clearly severely dyslexic and our English teacher would bring it up with him a lot, but they couldn't offer him any help since without a diagnosis they couldn't legally offer him anything. I've yet to see a show that tackles the issue of when teachers and peers suspect an issue in a child, but struggle to get them through the diagnostic process.

    Usually when a show covers issues like these, the child is already diagnosed or they haven't got an official diagnosis yet all the teachers act like they have, and offer extra time and accommodations to the child. This completely ignores the fact that often in education, teachers cannot offer additional help without a diagnosis of sorts in most circumstances.

    I'd like to see a show cover the diagnosis process some day, all the formalities and crap you have to go through just to get close to any kind of long waiting list. Then again, I'm probably just bitter because I'm still going through the motions of trying to get tested for dyscalculia at 18 years old, when people been trying to arrange testing for me since I was freaking 8 years old. Attempting to arrange these things time and time again, well it gets tiring and it makes me wonder if getting a diagnosis is even worth it anymore.

    TV shows that cover dyscalculia, they make getting help look so easy, I mean even in the show "4 o' clock club" where a character pretends to have dyscalculia because he doesn't like maths gets more understanding and support from the teachers than I ever have. It's always been "You don't need to be tested, just do your best without looking for a diagnosis, you probably just have anxiety, maybe if you just tried harder this time". Yeah well fuck you, I bloody try! I'm just glad that I'm finally getting closer to being tested, yet I'm not entirely hopeful because these things usually have a way of backfiring. I've found that to be the case for 10 years anyway. What's the point anymore? :unamused:
     
    #1 Canterpiece, Aug 9, 2017
    Last edited: Aug 9, 2017
  2. Loves books

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    Glee covered the diagnostic process a small bit when Jake suspected Ryder was dyslexic. I was once tested by an educational psychologist to see why I was struggling in secondary school. My school arranged it. If turned out I had above average intelligence but no problems and my teachers had access to that information.
     
  3. Canterpiece

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    Ah right, I've never really seen Glee properly, but I might look into that.