People with an NVLD, or any disability for that matter, face many challenges in life including having adult relationships, beyond just those people who admire your determination to do well. During my high school years, these types of relationships were plentiful but after graduation only a few lasted. Read More
I read through my vocational assessment next. It expressed something that I have long known and still deal with whenever a job or manager change needs to occur in my life: “It is highly unlikely that any job would be completely free of difficulties due to the functional severity of some of her nonverbal weaknesses.” Ouch. But also… yes. Read More
13 years later, after a job loss during the recession I was trying to figure out what would be the best career change for me. Journalism was my college major, and was a good fit for my verbal and social skills, but the spelling issues and grammar recall challenges, due to my dysgraphia, left me concerned about my sustainability and marketability in the field of journalism and other heavy writing professions. Plus, the technology changes in the media industry were making it a harder option field to make a living. Read More
A few months back my husband and I took a stay-cation vacation week. We started that week off by cleaning, organizing, and getting rid of things we no longer need. As is the case whenever I move my belongings around for a move or a clean-up. I resurfaced papers I have saved from my NVLD journey and I revisited them. Read More
One of the biggest lessons I’ve had to learn is that there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to making friends. It’s an art, not a science. When you’re trying to befriend someone, there aren’t any clear objectives to accomplish. And obviously there are no guaranteed outcomes. For me, trying to build friendships often felt like trying to play dodgeball with my eyes closed. Read More
I had the Wechsler test at uni when I was 50. I had been experiencing various difficulties on my social work course, ie getting lost (having difficulty locating my classroom), being easily overwhelmed, not being comfortable with the role play exercises etc.) and someone suggested I get tested for ADHD. My verbal score was 120 and my non-verbal (spatial/perceptual/processing speed etc) was low, a 30 point discrepancy.
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As 2020 is almost over, it has made me realize how important having strong personal relationships are to help you navigate life. Personally, I can’t imagine going through the pandemic without the wonderful connections I have. While this can be done, it is difficult for many with an NVLD. These times remind us how they are as important as gaining academic skills. Read More
My name is Danielle and I am a 27 year old adult with a nonverbal learning disability. I was diagnosed in February of 1999, two weeks before my 6th birthday. At that time, not much was known about NVLD and it wasn’t that common, especially in girls. I am fortunate enough to have grown up just outside of Boston where we had access to world class doctors and specialists.
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Neuroatypicals find themselves repeatedly a square peg in a round hole especially in academic settings. That is to say the traditional style of education does not quite meet their unique needs. They may never “master” the standard in a classroom. However, they may exceed the standard at a later time through self-teaching or other non-traditional means. This is extremely true in case of learning a new language. I am a classic example of this dichotomy. Read More
“Again, he must be open in his hate and in his love; for concealment shows fear.” Aristotle, The High-Minded Man
Two of my ex-boyfriends from my college days, both brilliant engineers with incredibly broken spirits themselves, loved labeling me as ‘weird’ and would call me that when they were irritated with me. I dated one right after the other, and both could not stand how NVLD had shaped me, snapping ‘Stop acting weird!’ more times then I can remember.
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