Growing up with an NVLD in a rural area brought many positives, such as being blessed with incredible support. Yet it had its difficulties too. So in this piece, I will discuss both the positives and negatives of living in a small and lower-income community. Read More
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
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
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
If we choose to focus on everything a child cannot do, we fail to recognize their gifts. The educational system had a way of reflecting all of my weaknesses. But as a child, the library and books became my sanctuary-a quiet place to escape the noise and step into magical worlds filled with fairies and fantasy. Read More
It’s no secret that I am a huge believer in inclusion in all parts of school life. Therefore I often notice mistakes that are made in all parts of the inclusion process during and after high school more than others. I understand each decision is made with good intentions as no one ever wants to see students fail, however, many students I believe could be having more in their inclusion experiences. Read More