The other day I was trying to describe how my disability works. Those of you who have tried to do this about NLD will know that it isn’t easy. Describing some LDs is easier: Dyslexia involves trouble with reading; dyscalculia involves trouble with math. There are subtleties, but the general notion is clear. But what […]
Treating NLD people with dignity
January 10, 2013 by Leave a Comment
All people, whatever their abilities or disabilities, deserve to be treated with dignity. The free online dictionary defines dignity thus: The quality or state of being worthy of esteem or respect. What does this mean when dealing with people who are learning disabled and, more specifically, when dealing with people who have NLD? To me, […]
“In the kingdom of the blind….” thoughts on impairment and disability
January 2, 2013 by Leave a Comment
I have read that some people make a useful distinction between impairment and disability. Impairment is about actual neurology, biology, physiology and so on. Disability is about the effects of that impairment on life in the world. There is an old saying that “in the kingdom of the blind the one eyed man is king”. It […]
How to waste time and irritate people (especially NLDers)
December 13, 2012 by 2 Comments
Do you like wasting your time? Probably not. Do you like irritating people? I hope not! (Although, looking at how some people behave……) So, why are you reading a post called “How to waste time and irritate people?” I hope it’s in order to learn what NOT to do. And, since the post title says […]
Adventures in NLD land: Parking lots
October 18, 2012 by 2 Comments
Parking lots are horrible places. Not, probably, for you neurotypical people. From what I can tell, you park your cars, note where they are, and, later, find them. For me, though, and for others with NLD, it’s different. Personally, I don’t drive so I don’t park my car. But I ride in cars and sometimes […]
Thinking fast, thinking slow, thinking NLD
September 28, 2012 by Leave a Comment
I am reading the wonderful book Thinking Fast, Thinking Slow by Daniel Kahnemann. I can’t summarize the whole book here (it’s worth reading) but Kahnemann posits that there are two systems of thought: One system is intuitive, automatic and fast, but prone to error. The other is logical, requires effort and slow (but less prone […]
What doesn’t kill us ….
August 23, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Friedrich Nietzsche famously said What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger. What a crock! What doesn’t kill us leaves us wounded, maimed and scarred. We know, we victims. We know that abuse (whether verbal, sexual, physical or whatever; whether by parents or peers or strangers) leaves scars. Those wounds never heal completely. Some victims cope […]
Learning disabled person? Person with learning disabilities? LDer? What?
August 17, 2012 by Leave a Comment
There are some people in the learning disability community (often the ones who insist on calling it a learning difference) who dislike the term “learning disabled person” and prefer “person with learning disability”. They often also object to describing a person as “learning disabled”. As you can tell from my site’s name, I am not […]
Diagnosis – the first thing to do is …..
August 11, 2012 by 1 Comment
You’ve had a baby! Congratulations! Now all the questions that were about the mom-to-be will be about the baby and you and your spouse/partner/whoever will be roundly ignored. And there he or she is: Something like 5 or 10 pounds and a size to fit on your forearm (unless, of course, the baby is NOT […]
When should I leave? (Adventures in NLD land)
August 4, 2012 by 1 Comment
Not only do I have troubles with space, I have troubles with time, as well. What’s “Troubles with Time”? I have no problems telling time. As far as I know, I learned to read a clock at a roughly normal age. But I have trouble knowing when things happened and I have trouble knowing how […]
Where does the sun rise? (Adventures in NLD land)
July 29, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Way back when I was 10 or so, I took a bunch of psychological tests. One of them was an IQ test – the WISC. These scales certainly have their issues, but they can provide useful information when used properly by experts. One such piece of information is the pattern of subtest scores. Mine was […]
Do we have a toaster oven? (adventures in NLD-land)
July 23, 2012 by 2 Comments
Before reading on, answer me this: Do you have a toaster oven? If so, where is it? And, did you have to go search for it? One day, I was reading a cookbook and I decided to make a toasted sandwich. The book said to cook it in a toaster oven. Hmmm. Do we have […]
The Mountain of Academics when You Have Nonverbal Learning Disabilities
May 6, 2012 by 1 Comment
In this article I introduce the analogy of learning disabilities (or any disability) as a mountain between where you are and where you want to go. In the current article, I discuss academic problems for people with NLD. The mountain of academic problems with nonverbal learning disabilities Many people with nonverbal learning disabilities have few […]
The Mountain of Sensory Overload and Nonverbal Learning Disabilities
May 6, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Introduction In this article, I introduced the idea of nonverbal learning disabilities (or any disability) as a mountain between where you are and where you want to go. In the current article, I will discuss the mountain of sensory overload problems, and ways of coping. Nonverbal learning disabilities and sensory overload Many NLDers have problems […]
Recent Comments