Living with NLD Past Present and future

 A   Filmmaker with  Nld  recently asked me some   questions  about  living  with NLD  because  she  is making a  documentary  about this    disability and since  have  not blog specifically about  my NLD  before  I  thought I  would  share the anwsers   with you  guys
This  is  a long  post  so    make  sure  you  have a lot of time to read 

 Me in   Kindergarten

* When did you discover you have NLD and how did it affect you in school when you were a child? Were you ever bullied because of NLD?

   I  was  born  prematurely and   was  diagnosed with mild  Cerebral Palsy  as a  toddler   I  received early intervention for  the  CP which  include   OT PT ST hippo therapy    My parents  could  tell that  I was   bright so  after I  Graduated from  the  county program   for disabled  preschoolers     I entered a  Private school for pre-k til  first grade

  Me in first  grade   shortly after  I was  diagnosed with  NLD

     When  I was in first grade    symptoms  of   Nld  started.  I  sat on my  teachers  lap   a lot and  needed  a  lot of  intervention.  I  was  still  learning but having a hard  problems  with  behavior    anxiety and of  course  making  friends.  I  got diagnosed  the  winter  of    first  grade  so     around  1998.    The school  did not  want me anymore  so  I left and  was in public school  ever since. I  knew  I had NLD    as a  youngster but   it  took until  I was  a  freshman in high school  to  understand what it  really meant   to have it.

  For the next  ten years of my schooling  I  had  problems  with   social skills   behavior problems  and  anxiety: however  I  was still in  the  general  education  classrooms and  I  am now in college.  I  was   bullied   all the way though  elementary school  mostly  because  of  my speech  issues  which  were from CP.    In  middle and high school  I was  bullied  most   in  special  education classes  which    teachers  thought  I was the  bad  student.


*How does NLD affect you know in the following areas:

       Executive Functioning/Organization Skills/Time Management

            Binders  are  a  mess 
       Visual/Spatial Issues (Getting lost, math, etc)

 College Stat test I  passed  it with a B.  With NLD  that is huge 

 I am  good with directions    but learning math was  extremely difficult for me as a elementary student.   in high school  I  really  struggled  with  Geometry   but I   got though  it and  passed it the first time.    I sometimes  bump into people.

       Social Skills—friendships
 This  has  been   a  hard  struggle  for me.     I  get my social  time with others  with disabilities   and  the whole high school drama  thing actually happened   outside  of school.   It was  hard because  of  clicks and stuff  that  con sits  of people of  all types of disabilities. My behavior problems  are  a part pf  this   and   for high school  this  was  part of  OCD  and  anxiety

*What's the most frustrating part of having NLD? How do you compensate for these issues?
  Lack  of  friendships are the hardest part for me.  I compensate by   going on facebook  and  blogging and  talking to myself

*Do you feel that NLD has in some way helped you in your life? How? What do you like best about having NLD?

I  know  what it feels like to be picked on  so   I think the   challenges  I  have  faced   have  motivated me to help others.   I  like  how   NLD allows  me  to focus on things  I  enjoy   such as  Toy Story   Harry  Potter  and  disability advocacy.
*I'm really impressed with you activism promoting disability rights in general and within NLD and CP communities? Why have you chosen to be this active? What do you get out of it and what do you think other get out of it?

 Me and my cousin  in  2007   the  year i  started blogging

   Thanks .    I  chose this because  I   started  reading  blogs of  parents   mostly   who had  children  with DS  and   it looked  like   a  lot of  fun.   That was  back in  2007 and some of those  bloggers  who  I  originally  read are no longer around. I get a way to express myself  and others  get a chance  to   meantime.   I  really  love being a disabled  advocate  and hope to   keep doing  it for Meany  years  to come
*Why did you blog about your life and why did you choose to include NLD/CP?    Those  were my disablites  at the  time   I started blogging    

*What would you like to do when you graduate from college?

 I want to be a special  education  teacher  that  helps  kids  with  developmental disabilities    be include  in   there high schools  for the Marjory  of their day  including  academics.  I am also   a writer so I might  write  a book.

* Are there any specific issues about NLD that you would want to see included in a documentary film about NLD?
  dating and  Nld  as  i  have never dated before  but would like to find a husband  some day
*What would you want an audience who's never heard of NLD to know about the disorder and about the people who have it?

  I like  parents and  teachers  to know that students  with NLD  are not bad  people  are not  trubble  makers I would also  say to  teachers  to  treat all  students  with  respect.  I am currently blogging about   my middle school  years and will go though  all  this   in depth later
*Are there any misperceptions of people with NLD that you would like to see addressed?

  see   above