First Example- Growing up I was fortunate enough to have widespread support though the family that made the strongest impression on us was the Pinkerton Family as never once did having an NVLD matter. This led to many hours of playing at each other’s houses. With our mothers loving the outdoors many winter days were spent playing in the snow and summer days were spent in our pool. In addition, Mr.Pinkerton had me on his baseball team despite my poor gross motor skills. Additionally during my high school years when the social deficits showed up more, the Pinkerton kids never once ended their friendship with me and their parents were always there for our family too. It truly set a great example for not being afraid to reach out to neighbors for support or be afraid to join outside groups.
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Hi everyone,
It’s been a while since I have written on my blog. I have had a lot happen in the last few months or so.
First off, I wanted to talk about how I made it through my first year of graduate school. It was a rough road but I did it! I faced many challenges including some with my mental health and personal issues that occurred during this time. This made grad school very hard.
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Introduction- As an individual with an NVLD I strongly believe IEP teams need to make a few changes to how they set up for inclusion. One change that needs to be made is encouraging full inclusion in sports. Yes, I understand for many students with disabilities like NVLD team sports would be hard but individual sports can most certainly be included. So my goal for this piece is for you to understand why I feel this way as too many students are missing out on forming wonderful mentors and benefitting from all the wonderful things that being a teammate brings. Read More
It is no secret that I am a strong believer that students with an NVLD and similar disabilities are better suited to attend colleges with comprehensive support services as it increases successful outcomes. It isn’t unusual for these students to face more than academic challenges so they greatly benefit from having daily support. However, I am also realistic. If you’re not dedicated to your studies and achieving personal growth these programs won’t increase your likelihood for success as unlike in high school they won’t track you down. Read More
One way in which I practice discourse analysis (as part of the research I conduct as a program director and evaluator) is through reading blogs. I can usually pick apart deeper messages within the author’s words, and get a better sense of who they are as a person. The vast, vast majority are cisgendered, heterosexual women, and the overwhelming majority of them suffer from crippling anxiety, of which I feel nothing but empathy for. No one should feel constant fear over their identity, but many do. Read More
Hello, so today we are going to be talking about NLD and sensory issues. Do you have any sensory reactions to sounds, sights, textures, tastes, or smells? I know I do! We’ll be discussing those topics today. Read More
Just the other day, I was talking with my sister about my NVLD and how she made socializing much easier for me growing up, and how I leaned on her a bit. She was quite surprised to hear this as I started to explain more.
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Hello, my name is Taylor Richardson and I am 21 years old. And I have a Non-verbal Learning Disability. Wasn’t diagnosed until the 9th Grade about it. I graduated from high school in 2021 Whetstone High School. I was in school for 14 years because I started school late but the other reason was because I thought that my parents and teachers thought it was best for me to get held back a year. Read More
I was blessed with an opportunity to obtain a degree in Disability Studies combined with a minor in Indigenous Knowledge and Experience. Together, these unique educational experiences allowed me to embrace a disability lens which allowed me to unlearn everything I thought I knew about disability.
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I am just updating you that I am still a teaching assistant at The Learning Center. Recently, over the last month, I have gotten into pickleball. I love watching it and playing it. Read More