1. Take advantage of disability accommodations: This is extremely helpful for extra time on tests, figuring out which classes may be easiest with fulfilling math or science distributions (learned the hard way to only take easy classes first semester after withdrawing from a psychology class because I was failing), and if your school allows it, getting a single as a first-year since an incompatible roommate can make your life hell. Read More
People judge what they can see.
They see whether I have a job.
Whether I smile.
Whether I make eye contact.
Whether I appear calm.
Whether I “fit in.” Read More
Existing in an ableist world as a teenager with NVLD can be exhausting. Growing up, I often felt like an outsider looking in and struggled to find a sense of belonging. I didn’t quite fit into certain friend circles. I tended to heavily mask to survive the unwritten social code that existed within high school. I often felt like a fish out of water. I knew I was different, yet I didn’t quite understand why. Read More
Living with NVLD (Nonverbal Learning Disorder) has shaped many of my social experiences, especially when it comes to relationships, rejection, and trying to connect with others. One of the hardest lessons I have had to learn is that not everyone will understand me, accept me, or want to be close to me. For a long time, I took rejection very personally, especially from family members and in friendships. I often believed that if people disliked me or pulled away, it meant there was something wrong with me. Over time, I have started learning that rejection is painful, but it does not define my worth as a person. Read More
This article was originally posted by Benjamin Meyer, LCSW-R on https://www.benjaminmeyerlcsw.
We know that it can be difficult to date as a neurodivergent person. When I first created a dating curriculum, I wanted to offer a guide for understanding the stages of dating, how to recognize and practice flirting, and how to develop self-confidence. While this group was a helpful start, I began to realize that there is more that could be offered by creating a space for neurodivergent people, including those with NVLD, to support one another in the dating process. Many neurodivergent people are told to date using neurotypical norms but may not have the opportunity to discover what will work for them. I wanted to run a group for people who weren’t necessarily looking to be told how to date but rather wanted to provide reinforcement to one another on their own dating journey. Read More
I was saddened by the recent passing of Alice Wong, an American Disability Rights Activist and author. Alice Wong was the first disability advocate I encountered when I began my Disability Studies journey, and her impact has stayed with me ever since. Her unapologetic activism, her storytelling, and her commitment to disability justice opened my eyes to what true advocacy looks like. 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
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
I have been mislabeled autistic multiple times and one person even thought that NVLD meant that I couldn’t speak. Not to mention I struggled a lot with visual-spatial concepts. I have heard other people share similar experiences regarding their NVLD experience. My goal is to share how I have been able to overcome many of the diagnosis restrictions. Read More
One hallmark behavior associated with NVLD is social difficulty, which can lead to anxiety. Often children with NVLD feel isolated and lonely. Social problems associated with NVLD may derive from difficulty with spatial and visual-perceptual deficits. However, the social problems associated with NVLD may derive from other sources, too. Many children with NVLD experience anxiety. Sometimes the cause is purely social, but many times it extends into other realms. It is not uncommon for children with NVLD to have obsessive tendencies or to have phobias and other forms of anxiety, in addition to social anxiety. This can lead to children restricting their interactions with others to avoid anxiety-inducing triggers. Read More
