Hello, everyone. My name is Carolyn Sophia Skowron. I am 27 years old and was diagnosed with NVLD when I was 16 years old. When I was in school, I felt like I had to work ten times harder in the classroom than everyone else. I had countless tutors and worked as hard as possible, but my grades still didn’t show it. I constantly felt that I could never measure up. I lived this way for 16 years without an answer – just tutor after tutor, still not doing well. Finally, at the age of 16, I got an answer to my difficulties. In my sophomore year of high school, I took a test to find out why I was failing tests in the first place. It was a neuropsych evaluation. From that evaluation, I discovered that I have a Nonverbal learning disability. As I learned about the diagnosis, it made sense why I had always internalized every situation and every interaction I had. I would replay situations over and over in my head, convinced I had done something wrong. The anxiety I had that someone would not like me or that someone was talking behind my back if they gave me a certain look made me depressed. Spatial awareness was something I also was always struggling with. I was always scared to be me.
For so long, I always tried to hide who I was because I was scared that if I was the real me, no one would like me and would make fun of me. But NVLD is a part of my story. As I get close to my 28th birthday, I have reflected a lot in these past few years and really embrace myself for who I am. When I first found out I had NVLD, I felt so alone. I felt like no one would understand. I didn’t have that person back then, but thanks to the NVLD project, I can be that person for someone else. Now, I dedicate my life to helping others. I am an author and speaker who focuses on sharing my story about adaptability, resiliency, and positivity. I have my good and bad days, and sometimes I’ll be frustrated with parallel parking or having to fix my parking job more than once. Or maybe it’s a day where I am overthinking every little detail. But at the end of the day, these things are what make me who I am.
The truth is that having NVLD doesn’t define me, but it is a part of who I am. The older I get, the more I realize that. I am proud to be me. It took me years to realize that, but now that I know, I want other people who have NVLD to never feel alone or ashamed of who they are. I want other people to know it is okay to show who you are. Life is about being yourself, and your NVLD doesn’t define you, so don’t be ashamed for it to be a part of your story. The biggest thing I want others to know is that the right people will find and accept you when you are being authentic to yourself. I am forever grateful for the friends I have now because they accept me for all that I am. That is something I hope everyone can find – people who accept and love them for who they are, not because of something they have. But above all, I am most thankful for my family’s continued support. They always have made me feel heard and accepted and that is something everyone deserves.
