My bright and verbal child started to show rocky behaviors in preschool. He was invited to leave a wonderful nature-based preschool because the owner could not manage his behaviors; we found a challenging and very academic preschool and that worked successfully for the rest of the year until kindergarten. School from that point, was a roller coaster depending on the educator.
Some years my son had an educator who was a successful combination structure and nurture — someone willing to understand that children have different learning profiles and decoding and differentiating to meet these differences. But more often, my child had teachers who were aggravated by his behaviors (too inquisitive, too verbal, too many noises, not responded to peers’ social cues) including having a teacher who told me to get him medicated ASAP because she knew he had ADHD (which ended up not being true).
Fortunately, I am a career educator and administrator and did not agree with the “get him on medicine” route. Fortunately, a trusted colleague and special educator noticed my son’s gross motor and spatial skills during a playground visit and suggested NVLD. Finally, everything made sense! After a test, the discrepancy revealed NVLD, despite the district’s unwillingness to provide services because NVLD is not in the DSM (insert crestfallen face here). I am now curious about how to prepare my son for the transition to middle school and high school. I am curious how my family can help support him from the parent/sibling angle, how therapy can support him, and how to best advocate for his needs in a school unwilling to recognize his challenges.
Merry
Mom of a recently diagnosed NVLD child who is bright, verbal, and tries to make sense of his social situation. I am so excited I found the NVLD Project as I am eager to connect with other parents and increase my own knowledge as a parent and professionally.
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