NLD and Vocabulary in Personal, Academic, Political, and Professional Settings
In this episode, we will discuss, discover, and learn more about the challenges and triumphs of those with NLD and other learning challenges. The accompanying website for this content is livingwithnld.com, with additional resources available on social media platforms under the name "Living with an NLD." For my research, I often rely on the NVLD Project, a nonprofit based in New York that provides numerous resources for individuals with NVLD and is dedicated to getting NVLD back in the DSM.
Have you ever struggled with building your vocabulary in academic, personal, political, or professional settings? Have you had problems guessing the meaning of words from their context, or remembering the definitions of new or old words? While I speak from the perspective of a neurodivergent person, I believe these issues can be challenging for neurotypicals as well. I have experienced all of these problems and continue to face them.
It's particularly challenging for me to guess a word's meaning from its context, but I am working on this skill. Similarly, remembering the definitions of some words is tricky because many words have multiple meanings. This makes it difficult to retain new vocabulary. Over the years, I have developed several strategies to help me remember the meaning of words and learn new ones.
Academic Strategies and Tools
During high school and college, I used flashcards to memorize vocabulary. I used both physical flashcards and virtual ones on Quizlet. My mom would help me by listening to me read the flashcards while we drove to work. She would create funny voices or memorable sayings to help me recall the meanings.
My tutors also played a crucial role. One of them helped me remember the difference between latitude and longitude by saying, “lying down with an attitude for latitude.” This audio-based tool was incredibly effective for me because I knew my audio memory was superior to my visual memory. Once I had formal testing for NLD during my sophomore year of college, I began to lean more heavily on audio formats and apps. I used programs like Kurzweil 3,000, which converted textbooks into audiobooks, and Sound of Sense or Audio Notetaker, which recorded college lectures and allowed me to add notes and slides to the audio. These were invaluable for studying for exams and comprehending readings.
Quizlet was particularly helpful in college because it had an audio option that would read the flashcards aloud. I used this feature while walking to class, showering, or studying. After graduating from UC Berkeley, where the disability department covered the cost of these programs and a tutoring center, I no longer have access to them for free.
Personal and Professional Strategies
Today, I primarily rely on Google and my parents to learn the meaning of words. My parents often know me better than I know myself, and I can ask them the meaning of unfamiliar words while watching TV shows like The Rachel Maddow Show or NCIS. I am actively working on guessing the meaning of words from context, and while I sometimes get it wrong, I am trying. I also ask my parents and brother for advice on how to respond to emails, calls, or texts, as it can be difficult to formulate a good response. I often prefer to respond in person so I can better understand the other person's tone, body language, and facial expressions, even though these are skills that are often challenging for neurodiverse people.
Recently, I have started using a free Google Chrome extension called Natural Reader. This text-to-audio program is a lifesaver for someone like me who learns better by listening. It can read articles and documents aloud, and you can customize the voice and pause the playback, allowing you to easily remember what you've read. I use it frequently to help me read and understand my mom's messages for her Sunday services.
Another tool I've been using is Descript, which helps transcribe audio into text. I've been using it to transcribe my podcast episodes as a step toward creating a book. It transcribes the audio and even recognizes different speakers, which is particularly useful for interviews.
The Complexity of Learning Challenges
To better understand these challenges, let's explore some of the learning differences often studied by professionals. According to an article from Walden University titled "Seven Learning Disabilities Every Psychology Professional Should Study," these include:
Dyslexia: A language processing disorder affecting reading, writing, and comprehension.
Dysgraphia: Difficulty converting thoughts into writing or drawing, often characterized by poor handwriting and spelling.
Dyscalculia: A learning disability related to mathematical concepts and calculations.
Auditory Processing Disorder (ADP): Difficulty processing sounds, where the brain misinterprets information received from the ear.
Language Processing Disorder: A subset of ADP, characterized by challenges in processing spoken language.
Nonverbal Learning Disabilities (NLD): Difficulties decoding nonverbal behaviors and social cues, such as body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice.
Visual Perceptual Visual Motor Deficit: Poor hand-eye coordination and difficulty with fine motor activities.
I have been diagnosed with NLD, but I exhibit symptoms from other categories as well. For example, I have some of the same reading comprehension struggles as people with dyslexia, writing difficulties similar to dysgraphia, and math challenges consistent with dyscalculia. I also lose my place when I read, a symptom of visual motor deficit. I believe that even with one diagnosis, a person may show symptoms from other learning challenges, highlighting the interconnected and complex nature of these conditions.
If one cannot fully understand the definition of these challenges, how can they effectively help a child, client, or loved one who has one? It takes research and education to understand these differences. The lack of understanding can hinder one's ability to help and support a neurodiverse individual.
An article titled, "Children, adults with nonverbal learning disability disorder develop strategies for using talents navigating around deficits," states that those with NLD must be explicitly taught skills like vocabulary that most people learn automatically. This often leads to significant gaps in their knowledge. The article uses the analogy of an NLD brain being like Swiss cheese, where nonverbal information slips through the holes, but verbal information clings to it. This explains why individuals with NLD can be so articulate, leading to high expectations from others who may not realize the daily challenges they face.
A poignant example from Michael Murphy's book, NLD from the Inside Out, illustrates this. Murphy struggled with writing essays in high school, despite excelling in calculus. His mother recounts that he thought every sentence had to be perfect on the first try. It wasn't until a compassionate English professor showed him the value of multiple drafts that he was able to learn how to write an essay. This experience, and my own with my mother helping me with my academic papers, highlights the importance of finding strategies that work for you and having a support system that understands your unique challenges.
Finally, an article titled "But She Speaks So Well," from the Queensland University of Technology, describes NLD as a neurological disability that is widely recognized in America and Canada but is not formally identified in the DSM. This lack of a formal, agreed-upon definition is frustrating, as it can make it difficult for professionals to understand and provide effective help. My argument is that if we cannot define something well, whether it's a learning disability or a word, how can we be expected to be a good professional in that field or effectively help a person with that condition
