Being a young woman with NVLD, it's very difficult because there is a lot of stigma and I want to share what myself as well as many others with Nonverbal Learning Disorder are tired of hearing and wish for a change.
10. "If you have NVLD, you have a serious form of Autism"
The answer is far from accurate. NVLD is a completely different disorder and the social aspects are different from Autism and do not carry the traits of Autism. NVLD is a social disorder where Autism is a Developmental Disability.
9. "If you have NVLD, you can't do the things 'normal' people can do"
First off, calling us not normal is disrespectful and is equally as offensive as calling anyone not normal. We can do activities like everyone else, but possibly in a different way.
8. "If you have this, why aren't you being treated for it. There are many programs out there"
By saying this, you are looking down at us and telling us what to do. The problem is, NVLD was never listed in the DSM and is not well known and hard to diagnose. We often get support from programs but are not a good match.
7. "You need an alternative solution to your work because you can't follow directions well and have slow processing issues"
Okay, let me stop you here. We do not have slow processing issues, we just need to understand directions better and may need a clearer version of directions.
6. "Why won't you participate in activities with everyone?"
There is an actual reason to why we may not participate. Often we experience bullying and not being welcomed."
5. "Nobody will talk to you because you can't listen properly or you act like an annoyance."
Okay, we may not give eye contact because we are too nervous of not feeling accepted. We may say "what" because we don't fully understand the point you are making.
4. "You don't appear to have NVLD"
People with NVLD have internal and invisible symptoms that you can't tell from a glance. Do not make assumptions and stigmatize the fact we may not show it.
3. "If it's hard to diagnose, the disorder is a myth"
The disorder is hard to diagnose because in reality, it's mostly internal and could impersonate other disorders. Do not make assumptions like that.
2. "Why are you always sticking to yourself?"
We stick to ourselves because we get introverted in many ways and have trouble with feeling like a part of a group. Often times, we feel like the last person that we want to see and often times get the vibe from others "Oh god, Joe is here again!"
1. "You don't seem introverted at all because you are talking."
We get introverted in many occasions. Often times, you can't see it as you only see what's on the outside. Externally, we may say "nice to see you" internally we may say "Where is the door?"
Conclusion
NVLD is a under recognized and under studied disorder, hard to diagnose and hard to tell. Before you start talking to someone with NVLD, think about how you may want to be treated. Treat us the way you want to be treated.
