As a teenager Johann Sheehan was told by a neurologist that her best career prospect was folding envelopes in a sheltered workshop for 50c a day.
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This crushing diagnosis spurred her to prove the report wrong. She is now Dr Sheehan.
One of more than 33,000 Australians with cerebral palsy, Dr Sheehan is a powerful reminder that a person's potential is not always obvious.
''I grew up in Young, and as I was the only one in the town with CP there wasn't much support,'' Dr Sheehan said.
''I was bullied a lot at school because people just didn't understand my condition. I had a fantastic, supportive teacher who introduced me to typing instead of writing, as writing was difficult for me to do. But the bullying became too much and I dropped out of school in Year 9.''
Dr Sheehan later went on to complete years 9 and 10 at TAFE, then began working at the sheltered workshop folding envelopes.
It was around this time a neuropsychological report suggested she would never get much further.
''After that, I believed there wasn't much hope and this was as good as I was going to get,'' she said.
''What people don't understand is, people with CP are still intelligent. Just because we can't walk properly or we take time to respond doesn't mean we cannot think,'' she said.
With encouragement from her friends she overcame her self-doubt and studied at ANU while working a full-time job in Canberra.
She completed undergraduate honours in psychology, then a doctorate in clinical psychology at Australia's National University but the road to her success was paved with many difficulties.
Dr Sheehan's advice for any young person diagnosed with CP trying to overcome difficulties was, ''Think about what you want to do. Back yourself. Believe in yourself. You may find a lot of closed doors but just keep on knocking and don't give up hope, because you will find a door that opens for you''.
She has been working as a mental health policy officer for the Health Directorate since 2009.
Cerebral Palsy Australia president Glenn Rappensberg said with the right support, people with cerebral palsy can reach their potential despite the physical barriers they may face.
For more information, you can visit the Cerebral Palsy Australia website: cerebralpalsyaustralia.com or phone (08) 8243 8202.
