Sarah Burger

Eighteen-year-old Sarah Burger recently graduated from Minnetonka High School. She has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety disorder, an auditory processing disability, and seasonal affective 
disorder. And she’s planning this fall to attend Landmark College in Vermont, a school specifically designed for students with ADHD, dyslexia, and other learning disabilities.

It has not been an easy journey for Sarah. “In middle school I had a case manager who didn’t understand my disability and treated me like just another ADHD kid,” she says. “Then I got assigned a new case manager who actually understood ADHD and what my disability was.”

Her advice for teachers, case workers, and others who work with kids who have mental health and learning disabilities? “Don’t treat all kids [the same] . . . get to know them and actually go deeper into their background so that you can understand them.”

Sarah’s auditory processing disability, for example, affects her ability to simultaneously take notes and follow along with a teacher’s lecture and classroom discussion. If she has to watch a movie for class, she needs to stop the movie periodically so she can take notes properly.

She’s a big believer that students (and their parents) need to make their voices heard: “If I don’t speak up and ask [for help] or raise my hand or tell them about my disability, they won’t give me the guidance for a better understanding of my disability.”