Watch the Trailer of Being You above. 1 in 5 individuals in the U.S. struggles with math, writing, focus, and organization—but many people with learning and attention issues feel alone. They don’t have to. Follow three young people with learning and attention issues as they travel the country to seek advice from TV host Howie Mandel, ice sculptor John Rodrigues, and many more who have harnessed their differences for success.
About the Episode: Being You follows the transformative journey of three young people—Stephanie, Noah, and Nicole—as they travel cross-country to find others who, like them, learn differently and have used that difference to build lives doing what they love.
Stephanie, 22, is fresh out of college in San Francisco, a feat people told her she’d never accomplish. Diagnosed with nonverbal processing disorder as a child, she felt isolated from her peers; it wasn’t until college that she realized there are other people like her, and discovered the power of her unique perspective. Eighteen-year-old Noah just graduated from high school in Baltimore, and heads to college next year, where he wants to major in computer science. He’s never been very vocal about his dyslexia and ADHD, and he’s looking for mentors who can help him see that the world beyond high school is big and full of possibilities. Nicole, a 23-year-old from Pittsburgh who loves video games and eSports, has been hard at work in an office job since getting her degree in business, marketing and digital media. She recently quit her 9-to-5 job and wonders whether it’s possible to work in a field that truly interests her.
Diagnosed with dyspraxia and dyslexia, she wants to get past labels and be free to be herself. Along their journey, they meet with diverse individuals living with LAIs, including entertainer Howie Mandel, Eye to Eye co-founder and chief empowerment officer David Flink, and Attention Deficit Disorder Association president Evelyn Polk Green, and discover that these individuals are not only coping, but thriving. Also watch on the PBS App.