Low expectations

One of the biggest challenges with me has been breaking the cycle of low expectations leading to low achievement because in my respects I had been written off by medical prognosis as educationally sub normal  and that any sign of learning was seen so miraculous that little attempt was made to really direct it.
It wasn't really helped by specialized schooling provision being very much less academic, not even at the time required to follow the same sort of curriculum but altered  to take account of your particular needs.
Indeed I recall a period at one such school where I was shocked that we seemed to be at least two to three years behind my last school being more like Junior 1 and so to be honest I was glad to get out to mainstream education where I did do quite a lot better for a low level of support.
Part of that was while respecting my  disabilities and being prepared to assist, I was expected from day one to work to the same standard as any other child, to do any homework and like the others when not smacked in class for it.
As well the work did follow national guidance for our age including examination preparation and taking which that other school by default didn't and in that way actually it was more like my Junior school being a follow on.
It just felt the specialist provision really was just parking me, meeting the requirement to 'be in education' but not developing me.