Parents often express worry regarding their child’s social, academic, and professional future. They tell me, “My child has no friends, they struggle in math, getting lost, tying their shoes, etc.” Of course, these are legitimate concerns regarding many children with NVLD, and there are steps that you can take to help your child develop everyday living, social, and academic skills. Read More
You know those backroads out in the country your grandparents used to take?
Well, welcome to living with NVLD. Our lives consist of a daily commute on those backroads. We see things differently than most in terms of getting to the finish line; backroads are the route we take. My struggle is with anxiety, something a lot of people with NVLD suffer from. Backroads typically consist of a lot of turns and hills. My anxiety comes from not being able to see around and/or past those turns and hills. Read More
I don’t care what anyone else says: the late 90’s were fun.
Celestial stuff was everywhere. We’re talking giant suns, weird moons, glow-in-the-dark stars on all of our ceilings. Mystical stuff was neat, Lilith Fair was the hot concert ticket to have, Sarah Mclachlan was on the radio and Loreena McKinnett had just released The Mummer’s Dance. Life for the offbeat was good…even if you got teased for it. Like I did. 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
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