Hello and welcome!
My feeling is that one never knows another's point of view...it is hard to say what may have motivated your parents - they may very well have been afraid and were DEFENDING you.
I am probably close to your parents' age. When I was in school - the Special Education kids were literally locked away from the rest of the students. They had a classroom all by themselves next to the Janitor's closet. Only the most severely disturbed and learning disabled kids were in the program (of course, we called them "retards" in those days - it was "The Retard Room")....Special Education students were outcasts and "freaks".
When I was told that my son was being recommended for the 'Special Education Program' - I was terrified! That was the LAST thing in the world I wanted for my child. It took a lot to reassure me that the old system of 'Special Education" that I remembered was long gone...
Your parents may very well have been against their child being sent to "The Retard Room" - and were arguing that poor handwriting and being clumsy was hardly justification for such treatment.
Just something to think about....
