I was diagnosed with NVLD at the age of five. My parents noticed a delay when I was extremely speech delayed in speech and when I got to kindergarten, it was evident that something was awry. My kindergarten teacher noted that when everyone was cleaning up after free play, I would just keep on playing and I was extremely oblivious to all my surroundings. My parents then took me in for educational testing and it was then determined that I have NVLD. I was on an IEP until 7th grade when I switched from public to private school. I was consistently bullied for being a “SPED kid” and so my parents moved me to a private school.
While I loved my new school, I still faced discrimination. I was in a class one day and I messed up the blocking for our play and the teacher called me out in front of the class and said “Just because you have a learning disability, does not give you the right to mess this up.” This infuriated me beyond belief. As I went college, I became determined to pursue Social Work. I graduated with a bachelors degree and I am now pursuing my Social Work Masters degree at Boston College- and fighting for my disability accommodations is an ongoing battle. But, I swear to consistently fight for the identity of NLD in the wake of the DSM 5 changes.
Caroline
I am a 23 year old Social Work masters degree student at Boston College. I have known about my NLD for almost 20 years and I consistently work to make peace with my diagnosis.
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