I am 57 years old. I only learned I had NVLD when I was 48. I suspected I had an LD when, as a software engineer, a much better programmer than I, called my attention to things in my code that, to him, didn’t make sense, but even more telling was my seeming inability to remember things he told me and apply them. I said to him, as I had suspected for a couple of years, that maybe I had an LD. He agreed and suggested I get tested. I had already been diagnosed with ADD some number of years prior. Read More
Growing up with undiagnosed NVLD and ADHD was deeply challenging. While a few teachers were supportive, most students did not recognize my struggles, and I often felt ostracized within school social structures—from elementary school through high school. Because my learning disabilities were not diagnosed until my sophomore year, many teachers approached me with preconceived notions, labeling my difficulties with listening, following directions, interpreting nonverbal cues, and fine motor tasks as me being “difficult” or a “challenge,” rather than recognizing that I needed additional support. Read More
As of September 2025, I will celebrate a milestone I never expected to have as a neurodivergent individual, especially one considered ‘twice exceptional’ such as myself.
I am celebrating 10 years of working with my organization.
A decade of continuous employment with the same people. In an era of job hopping and losses, of lockdowns and bankruptcies and shortages and tariffs, I’ve stayed and grown. I’ve been stable. I finished graduate school, was elected to multiple boards, and started a family. Read More
I was diagnosed with NVLD when I was either 22 or 24. I am now almost 53 years of age. There was very little explained to me about the diagnosis at that time, I knew that I had challenges but I had no family support and there was no one in the medical community at that time and still to this day that will aid me in comprehensive understanding of how to live with this neurodiverse condition and work with it as well. 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
