Being volunteered by my peers to read out aloud in class is not isolated to any one lesson. My reading is so poor that I find it extremely traumatic and embarrassing to attempt it in front of a class full of 'normal' people. To make matters worse I often find that my articulation worsens considerably when I am tired or in stressful situations. There are many who find it very amusing when I read. In some of the classes, a particular friend whispers the words in my ear, so I do not make a complete hash of reading the passage out aloud. At least most teachers do not literally laugh at me.
        Unfortunately, several times a week I encounter a particular teacher who often wishes certain passages to be read out aloud to the whole class. Every time this particular teacher asks for a volunteer to read, there is a persistent loud chorus of voices shouting my name. As far as I can understand they wish me to read because it disrupts the flow of the lesson and gives them something to laugh at. This particular teacher invariably gives in, resulting in me having to read the passage. The problem is I only have the reading age of a 10-year-old and most of the words in the passages are far beyond my level. As a result I stumble over a great many of the words. Often this particular teacher has to tell me what a word is. This particular teacher stands, leaning on her desk and along with the rest of the class, laughs at my attempts to read. Even those I would call my friends laugh at me. It is completely degrading and demoralising. I feel worse than useless. It does not matter how hard I try, I just seem unable to read. I would not normally tell my mother about the mockery I endure at school because it is obviously my fault for being such a dunce, but I am going to make an exception in the case of this particular teacher. I believe that even my mother would not approve of any teacher regularly laughing at my inability to read. I believe this particular teacher is behaving disgracefully. As we ate our dinner I nervously started to broach the subject of this particular teacher by saying,
        "Mum, 'X' isn't a very nice person."
        "Alison, that is not true.", said Jenny [my sister], "I have that teacher. That teacher is a lovely, kind and caring person". I replied anxiously,
        "That is not true...".
        "That teacher is a wonderful person", interrupted Jenny.
I may as well give up now. If this particular teacher is all that Jenny says, I must deserve to be laughed at. Evidently it is my fault that this particular teacher abuses me. My mother would probably say that if I bothered to learn to read I would not have these social problems.......