The Moment I Realized: What Makes Me Emily, by Emily

My name is Emily, and I am 24 years old. When I was 22, I found out I have Non-Verbal Learning Disability. (NVLD). I found out what that was through my Neuropsychologist. When I was in first grade, we started learning how to count money. I couldn’t figure it out for the life of me. I’d get so frustrated when the other kids understood and I didn’t.

As as the years went on, we learned word problems. It was almost always like learning a language, but the language never stuck. I’m 24 years old, and I still don’t have my drivers license. This is the next obtainable goal I’d like to accomplish. I believe my learning disability was one of the reasons I struggled. When I learned I had NVLD, I was able to see myself in a different way. I think I learn, and process, information in a way that could be the opposite from how someone else does this. I struggle with spacial concepts, so driving was never easy for me.

Now I know, when I drive again, I will know myself, and I will know how my brain operates. My working memory takes me longer to process information. When I learned about accommodations, my mind was blown. These are what you can have within your job, your academics, and your personal life. I’m not stupid. In fact, I was able to graduate with my Bachelor’s degree from a University. I’ve been asked before, well if you have ADHD, and a learning disability, how did you get into the NHS in high school? It’s all the hours of extra work I put in.

I also struggle with Sarcasm, which is another thing individuals with NVLD have a hard time grasping. However, I’ve learned some of the phrases that people say. Or, when I find out what it means I laugh even harder. My goal is for others to be educated on this learning disability, and I hope it will become more well known. If you have NVLD, you are not alone. Your brain is so neat.