I have NVLD. I have major struggles with it. I have always struggled immensely with math, sport hand eye coordination, bumping into things, taking notes, processing information, and also the social struggles. I’m also super tall so I’m more noticeable. I have been severely bullied over the years. Screamed at by teachers for not getting the work done. Punished for my continued crying in math when I’m so behind and looked at like I’m stupid. I also have extreme social anxiety. Never picked for sport. Never touch the ball. Laughed at. Always in the low level group of math. The class was 3/4/5/6. I was year 6 in the equivalent of year 2-3 and they would always have who was in what group on the board. I was invisible yet the most seen in pictures. It took 3 years of private tutoring where my maths tutor really understood how I processed information. Because of that and her adapting to the way I learn, I was able to learn, grasp and more importantly get over my fear of maths and feel validated and actually enjoy it. Read More
As an independent college counselor specializing in working with students with learning disabilities (and the parent of a young adult with NVLD), I am often asked this question by parents who are anxious to find the ‘perfect’ college for their child.
The short answer is…there IS no perfect college for a student with NVLD, and I maintain that there may be no such thing as a perfect college for any student…but that’s a discussion for another day.
Moving out when having NVLD has its challenges. Especially money and that comes into play when it comes to things like paying rent, groceries, etc. When I moved out in October 2020, I had to grasp the understanding of the fact that pay is so important. If I didn’t have the right amount of income, I wasn’t going to be able to move out, so with my mum and brother we sat down and they explained to me and laid everything out in terms of the pay and more. It’s a scary thing because what’s happening is – is you’re on your own in a way…. Yes I have my older brother there but you’re essentially grown up and you have to learn to live without your mum. I had to learn to cook, take readings, find my way to work, all things that can be a lot to take in. For cooking, I use an app called Tasty from a work colleague, and that works perfectly because the steps are broken down through video and I still use it to this day. Now we’re in March 2022 and I think I’ve done pretty well and am very happy overall.
Oscar
Hello, my name is Oscar and I have NVLD – Non-Verbal Learning Disability, I was diagnosed with it at the age of 9. The first sign that I had a learning difficulty was when I was in school and I didn’t know my 2x table, that was a sign for my mum that I should see someone. We saw multiple specialists and none of them got it correct….. until we met Doctor Johnathan Williams, a child psychiatrist. He was the one that officially diagnosed me with NVLD.
Hello my name is Jacob Babbin.
I have Non Verbal Learning Difference.
When I was 23 I signed up to go on a Birthright trip and I cancelled. When I was 31 I re-signed up on my birthday and it was the best thing I ever did.
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Running Cross-country was a similar experience to running Winter and Spring Track; however, the bumps I encountered were different. My gross motor and spatial skills deficits were often the triggers for these bumps. These skills are necessary to navigate the course and to run hills successfully. Because Cross-Country is trail running, gross motor and spatial deficiencies become more of an issue. While this challenge may seem discouraging, the successful memories will outweigh the hard times, like in Track. Read More
Just came across NVLD in a news feed. Never heard if it before despite spending 20 years with various paediatricians, psychologists and therapists. NVLD exactly describes my daughters problems. Read More
Some of you may know that I have NLD, but I also have a chronic migraine condition. I’ve had it for eight years. I can’t remember when was the last time I didn’t wake up with, go to bed with, or try to sleep with one. I also can’t remember the last time I was able to keep my hands warm all day. I can handle having NLD except for when I have a meltdown. But it’s more difficult for me to handle having my head hurt every day with varying degrees of pain. Read More
Our 2nd child was born with all the hopes & dreams that all parents have. It wasn’t long before we realized something was different. (We had always dreamed of going to Italy, but woke up in Holland-you know that poem) All his milestones were delayed, but the doctors said “ oh he’s a boy-they are different. Don’t worry.”
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My daughter is nine years old. She was born five weeks premature. As a baby and toddler, she did seem to take a bit longer to catch onto things. But I didn’t really think much of it at the time. It wasn’t until Preschool and Kindergarten that I realized that something was going on. My older daughter has ADHD and a math learning disability, so I wondered if Jessica had the same thing. Was it that or an anxiety disorder, or what was it? I knew there was something. But I could never pinpoint what it was. Read More
While I am a true believer that inclusion in sports is successful, given I was a three-season runner, I feel it is important for you to be aware there may be some bumps in the road as you become a success story. Being part of a team successfully requires many important skills, including having appropriate social skills/behavior, being a great communicator, a strong listener, and possessing a high level of determination, which can be for some students with an NVLD or similar disability at first challenging and very disheartening. However, in the end, I believe all the successful memories will outweigh the hard moments.
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