Jordan Lippman
'00 says that reading always made him feel stupid.
“I couldn't focus the way other kids could, but I got by.”
In his junior year of high school, he received the proper medication for his learning
disability (LD) and attention deficit disorder (ADD). The medication enabled him to focus
on a book, a step that sparked his interest in what he calls “his own discrepancy
between intelligence and performance.”
This interest in learning disabilities and learning-related disorders has inspired him,
in turn, to organize a support group for students who have similar difficulties. Three
percent of the students at Union have a documented learning disorder, and there are
estimates that an additional ten to fifteen percent do not want to admit that they suffer
from an LD or ADD.
Lippman has found that some learning disabled students “advocate for themselves
and want to do something to change their intellectual situations.” Others have become
so frustrated with their inability to perform at their potential that they become
apathetic to the entire learning process. “Although these students do not actively
work to alter their academic circumstances, that does not mean that they should not get
what they deserve,” he says. “That is why I am willing to do it for them.”
In addition to forming the support group, called enabLeD, Lippman organized a panel
discussion earlier this year that examined adaptive technologies for LD students, the
varieties of support services and programs available, the law regarding LD programs, the
problems of overdiagnosis, the teaching strategies and coping techniques for students with
LD or ADD, and the difficulties students face on a daily basis due to their learning
problems. He is planning another panel discussion that will engage both faculty and
students in conversation surrounding LDs and ADD.
Lippman has worked with professors to create his own major in cognitive science,
combining philosophy and biology. He is interested in “the basis of human
understanding and the mechanism by which we see the world,” he says. Reading
constantly and conferring frequently with professors, he is always questioning, reasoning,
and thinking. “I need constant stimulation,” he says. Before going to bed at
night, he does sit-ups, writes in his journal, and reads Einstein.
This term, Lippman is expecting a 3.7 grade point average — a significant improvement
on his previous performances. He attributes this to his voice recognition software,
reading software, and the private study room that Union has given him. The voice
recognition software allows him to dictate his papers to a computer, the reading software
lets him read while listening to a computer read to him, and the private study room
removes outside distractions so he can focus more intently. He says, “I've never done
as much reading as I have this term with the private room, and the reading software has
allowed me to increase the pace at which I read.”
Because he wants to help people and work in a field that is constantly changing, he has
thought about becoming a psychologist or psychiatrist; eventually, he would like to become
a college professor.
At Union, Lippman says he “wants to establish a path for future students like me
so that they do not have to struggle as much as I did.” He has received approval from
the Student Forum for enabLeD to become a recognized club. But since LD students have to
work harder and longer than anyone else, he says, it is difficult to ask them to join
something outside of academics. Thus, club meetings will be infrequent, and e-mail chat
sessions will be a primary way to support each other. These chat sessions will offer
students a chance to discuss their experiences at a time convenient for them and in
complete confidentiality.
Kate Schurick, associate dean of students, says that enabLeD has created an increased
awareness of learning disabilities on campus and that Lippman is providing a good service
by creating a forum for the discussion of concerns and experiences. Margaret Wadehra,
director of the college's Writing Center, has worked closely with Lippman and is impressed
by his drive, determination, and energy. “His initiative is staggering,” she
says. “He'll probably do very well in life. Look at all he's done already.”
Readers who want more information about enabLeD can contact Jordan Lippman via
e-mail at lippmanj@union.edu or enabLeD@union.edu.