Middle school can be challenging, and having a Nonverbal Learning Disability (NVLD), a condition that affects social skills, body language interpretation, and spatial awareness, added its own complexities. (Neither did being a foot taller than half the grade or having acne, but I digress.) When you are younger, some quirks might seem cute or charming, but often by middle school, they are no longer seen that way. I quickly realized that struggling to read body language or differentiate sarcasm was isolating. I found myself outside the cliques forming around me. Read More
To today’s youth with an NVLD- If you’re having times when you feel that no one believes in you I empathize with you completely. I had those periods too. Fortunately, though I realized this wasn’t true. So in this piece, I will informally explain how there are adults in your life who believe in you and will support you. Read More
My name is Jacob Babbin. I am 34. And I have Non-Verbal Learning Difference. This is my third time writing a blog for this website. I focus on what it is like traveling with Non-Verbal Learning Difference (NVLD).
In May of 2025, I selected to go to Washington D.C. I was unable to head back to Israel due to the ongoing war. It was amazing I got to go in 2022 & again in 2024. I completed my conversion to Judaism and the Reform movement in November of 2024. Read More
I recently had my youngest undergo a neurological assessment because things were just not adding up. My 10-year-old has always been extremely shy. She was a late talker and walker compared to my older daughter. And things my other daughter was able to do just took longer for my youngest. In grade 2 her teacher suspected a language blockage but wrote it off because we are a bilingual household (my kids go to French school). Read More
In my previous piece, I discussed growing up blessed with an incredible support team as I faced a few more challenges compared to others with disabilities. One of the reasons for this was that NVLD is a very misunderstood disability, I was underestimated. Personally, my weaknesses were more noticeable, and my incredible strengths took more time to see and in some cases were more hidden. So in this piece, I will continue to discuss the ups and downs that can come with having an NVLD. In addition, I will include advice on how to develop a great support system that helps make everything easier. Read More
Living with NVLD and ADHD can feel overwhelming—especially when executive functioning makes time management, organization, and flexibility so hard. But before I let myself spiral into frustration or fear, I remind myself of something important: the information I’ve learned about NVLD and ADHD is a tool, not a sentence. Read More
I’m 75 years old and was diagnosed with NVLD six years ago. Going through school there was always a discrepancy between my verbal and math/science grades. Because having trouble in math wasn’t viewed as unusual in a girl it wasn’t a big deal until I started to apply to college. My high 600 in math SAT didn’t compensate for the 400 in math. However, any academic issues I had were mild in comparison to my work problems. I couldn’t coordinate the various parts of my jobs and my poor self-esteem was made worse by my inability to make enough to support myself. I was fortunate that I found a vocation that fit me 12 years before I retired at 70. Better late than never. Read More
Growing up while I was blessed with an incredible support team I faced a few more challenges compared to others with disabilities. One of the reasons for that was that NVLD is a very misunderstood disability so not everyone was really sure what my exact difficulties were. This led to me being underestimated at times which caused some self-esteem issues. So in this piece, I will discuss the ups and downs that can come with an NVLD and how to make things better. Read More
I have always wondered as a child why I was different from others and struggled to be a part of everyone else world having to face day-to-day tasks at school and home with no support or help from SEN teams. My mother who wanted answers and help would consistently ask for help or support from many people in the sectors to help me never got any response or simply had no interest in assessing me. It went on for many years until high school and a noisy, busy, and crowded classroom full of neurotypical teenagers was my nightmare. Read More
I was diagnosed with NVLD when I was either 22 or 24. I am now almost 53 years of age. There was very little explained to me about the diagnosis at that time, I knew that I had challenges but I had no family support and there was no one in the medical community at that time and still to this day that will aid me in comprehensive understanding of how to live with this neurodiverse condition and work with it as well. Read More