Have you ever had challenges with writing because it’s hard to put your thoughts on paper? Or had issues with forming sentences in an essay? Or maybe you had problems with writing because you couldn’t make the sentences sound like the flow from one to the next in a concise way that made sense. Read More
Nonverbal Learning Disorder (NVLD) is often misunderstood because it doesn’t fit neatly into common learning disability categories. As someone with high-functioning NVLD, I have strong verbal skills, an excellent memory for facts, and the ability to articulate complex ideas. On the surface, I may seem highly capable. However, beneath this competence, I face persistent struggles with executive functioning—planning, organization, time management, and task completion. These difficulties affect nearly every aspect of my life, from academics and work to daily responsibilities and self-care. Read More
It is very clear, based on the interactions I have had with parents who have children with disabilities, that the majority of the parents are eternally grateful for inclusion to be the norm in schools and within the communities. I feel this is especially true for families like mine that have both children with and without disabilities. However, this doesn’t prevent the disappointments of their personal journey from happening, as the reality is that inclusion can only go so far for each individual. So, in this piece, I will discuss how inclusion experiences bring many challenges and rewards.
Read More
As a child, I was always a little bit different from others; I did many games and activities alone, struggled to make social connections at times, was very resistant to change and new things, and experienced frequent anxiety around daily life. I tried my best to make new friends, as I felt it was important to do that due to being an only child, but often, people would use my kindness against me, and I ended up feeling left out. I had several wonderful friendship groups growing up, and I appreciated the friends who stayed, but as is normal in different phases of life, people drifted. The most significant time of which was in sixth form.
Read More
Living with Nonverbal Learning Disorder (NVLD) feels like watching life through a one-way mirror. I see people connecting, laughing, and forming friendships effortlessly, yet when I try to step in, something invisible holds me back. On the surface, I appear articulate and capable—people assume I have no trouble socialising. But beneath that, NVLD creates a persistent struggle that makes forming and maintaining friendships incredibly difficult.
Read More
Awkward is what they call you when you don’t follow the rules like everyone else. The hard part about that is that most of the rules are unspoken, which is the exact opposite of what you need, so do you have time to answer my questions? Read More
Navigating the Job Search with NVLD:
We’ve all been there: sending out dozens of job applications only to hear back from a small fraction, if any. The job search can be emotionally taxing and discouraging, especially when you put yourself out there time and again with little result. For me, navigating the job search with Nonverbal Learning Disorder (NVLD) adds an extra layer of complexity—but it also brings unexpected strengths.
Read More
In my previous piece, I discussed how inclusion is viewed both as a success and a failure. I strongly believe that inclusion is quite successful, not just for students with an NVLD but all disabilities. When there are failures, I feel they are triggered by using the “one size fits all” approach too much rather than individualising the inclusion strategies for Learning and Intellectually Disabled students, as over and under-including students bring their negatives. Read More
When I was younger, my family always knew I was unique in a way that other kids weren’t. I was very observant of things around me that others weren’t. I had different interests than my peers and struggled a lot more than other kids. At the time, Autism was a huge thing and my mom would tell me that some people were misdiagnosing me, calling me ”autistic” when my mom didn’t think that was true and decided to do more research on her own. Read More
In my previous piece, I discussed what helps to get into a college comprehensive support program as they are harder to get into than some realize. A common reason for a student to be rejected is that the admission team believed the student hadn’t taken on enough academic and personal challenges to prove they had what it takes to overcome their Learning Disability and be successful. This is rather discouraging for many students as the choices they made were strongly influenced by the recommendations of their IEP Teams. Personally, this would have been me without my parents’ knowledge of what college admissions teams and their comprehensive support programs wanted to see on the students’ applications. So now I will continue to offer advice based on my personal experiences to help you have the best chance to be accepted into these schools and programs. Read More