Hello, my name is Jacob McDonald. I am a 23-year-old male and I have a nonverbal learning disability (NVLD). Before I share my story I would just like to say how pleased I am that there is a website that fully explains this neurological condition and that there are people out there that experience very similar issues that I have in their lives. It makes me feel not alone and more compelled to share my experience with others so that more awareness can be spread about this highly complex and serious condition. Read More
If people want to see more successful teenagers who graduate and get a diploma, there need to be a lot of changes to the system. Read More
I was diagnosed with NVLD and dysgraphia much later in life 39 to be exact. I had completed my masters in social work and had full time employment already. I always struggled in clearly explaining on paper what I wanted to say. People did and still make negative judgments based on how I process information and make snide comments at times throughout my life. sometimes even pointed out by others the differential treatment I have received.I feel better education needs to given to those in the workplaces at all levels everywhere. I continue to work in a helping field and find it amazing how much self advocacy still needs to occur. When I have been open and shared with higher ups in the industry it is often met with criticism or contempt or even punitive. I hope as I continue in my career more information will become available in my journey that will provide insight into those that struggle with both of these conditions along with more acceptance and less judgement.
Jenny
I’m a social worker. I’m married with two children and have a few dogs. I enjoy spending time with my family and going swimming.
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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As a NVLDer I love music because it helps me to cope with difficult past experiences in my life, especially from my childhood and adulthood. I’m not sure if this is true for you as well if you have NLD, ADHD, Asperger’s, ASD, or a different neurodiverse diagnosis. You may also experience as a neurotypical. Read More
Hello, I’m Alexander, 36 years old, and I’ve known I have NVLD since I was 20. For years I wanted to pay as little attention as possible to this disorder that complicates my life, but now I feel the need to talk about it and possibly also create some awareness around it. My NVLD has long defined my life, something I have only recently realized. Now I want to take my life into my own hands again. Read More
Excerpt from the book Misnamed, Misdiagnosed, Misunderstood; Recognizing and Coping with NVLD (nonverbal learning disorder) from Childhood through Adulthood
Throughout my childhood and early adult years, my parents, teachers, friends, and others would get mad at me for the things I did without knowing any better. Thankfully, before my diagnosis, I had figured out ways to not only cope but remediate some of my difficulties, which I’ll talk about later on in the book. Read More
I was diagnosed with ADHD at nine years old but I suspected of more disorders as I’ve gotten older. I was eventually diagnosed with several disorders at age seventeen, including nonverbal learning disorder and borderline personality disorder. Before my borderline diagnosis, I’ve already done so much research regarding the disorder so I was already expecting it, but before my nonverbal learning disorder diagnosis, I knew about the disability before but never thought that I would have it. When I finally got a diagnosis, it gave me relief affirming me that I knew now what for sure was different about me. Read More
It’s been speculated that one third or more of people with borderline personality disorder also have a learning disability. Many people with borderline personality disorder struggle with their relationships and suffer from low self esteem which is also common for people with nonverbal learning disorder. This can be due to our poor interpretation of social cues and other impairments we experience. Read More
The Importance of Having Same Resource Room Teacher and Requesting Teachers Ahead of Time, by Eileen
One of things I learned during my high school years as a student with NVLD is that having the same resource room teacher all four years was so helpful. My resource room teacher had such a clear understanding of my NVLD and it made it easier to truly reach my goals. Another thing I learned was that by speaking to your school counselor ahead of time to request teachers is so helpful too as regrettably not all teachers are so accepting of students with disabilities. Some districts do this automatically and others don’t so it is important to speak up especially if you are a hard working student. Read More