A man gets a recommendation from a therapist to get a full mental evaluation by a neuropsychologist because the therapist believes he may have ASD. Man has the evaluation and learns he doesn’t have ASD but he has something called Non Verbal Learning Disorder (NVLD or NLD depending on your preference). Man is confused.
I was told by a Dr a couple of times that I have ADHD – Inattentive type, but the more I learn about NVLD the more I learn about me and the why’s in my life. I always struggled with math, counting money, and telling time on a analog clock. In school I was always told to try harder or pay better attention. When I was in high school I was placed in special education for math and I felt down and depressed and also confused. I was thankful for getting accommodations while in college to be sure I was transitioning to the collegiate level successfully. I always wondered what it was about me that I just wasn’t like everyone else. It wasn’t until I was diagnosed in 2020 with NVLD that things started to make sense. Being different can feel lonely, but it is important to join a community that has actually struggled like you’ve struggled, has cried like you’ve cried, and more importantly has grown like you’ve grown – and that growth comes from resources.
Resources like the NVLD project, Facebook groups, and even interviews where Chris Rock discussing his diagnosis has been valuable assets for me and has contributed to my growth. I hope that by getting in the DSM it could help young people who struggle like I struggled to get the help they need to achieve their best and not be a 40 plus year old recently diagnosed with NVLD.
Aaron
I am a Christian, husband, father and also a movie podcaster. I was born and raised in Kentucky. I first knew I had a learning disability when I was in highschool and they moved me to special education for math that I really realized I was different. Being different can be lonely but when you see and feel the love of the NVLD community… you’re not so different after all.
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