The Challenges with Multi-tasking, Taking Things Literally, and Reading Between the Lines as a NVLDer
We’ll discuss what it's like trying to multitask, taking things literally, and the difficulty of reading between the lines with NVLD. Multi-tasking was hard for me when I was little because I had to learn how to block out noises that I found distracting. Today, it’s challenging with driving, working, and personal life. But it’s needed for me to multi-task in my job if I want to get all of my tasks done. I used to also struggle with taking jokes too literally when I was a child. It was challenging because my dad and brother were good at keeping a serious face while joking. Now I try to joke around them and sometimes they volley back at me. Additionally, reading between the lines was problematic because I couldn’t understand metaphors, poems, or idioms. I usually took them in a black or white way which is not how they are meant to be interpreted.
According to “NVLD from 9 to 5” an article from NLDline People with NLD or NVLD have challenges with: “seeing the big picture, multitasking, and taking things literally. They tend to "talk their way" through problem-solving. They overwhelm supervisors and co-workers with questions in an attempt to have everything spelled out in black and white. "
I can relate to this paragraph because I do remember times when my mom has told me that I’m not seeing the big picture, or trees of the forest as she calls them. She states that I tend to see more of the ladybugs or details of the situation or topic than the big picture. For example, when I want to pay my mom back for something she bought me I know have the money for it in my checking account but that’s not the most important piece of information. I’m focused on the here and now rather than looking forward to later on in the month and considering other expenses that might come up. Usually, someone without NVLD wouldn’t do that. They would consider the big picture and budget for all of their expenses to make sure they had enough money for everything they had to pay for (i.e. the essentials).
I can also remember that when I was in college it took me a long time to process the information I was learning. This is why it was extremely helpful for me to have the recording of my classes because I could use them when I would review for tests. It was easier for me to study with the recordings and more audio things than visual since my audio memory is the best. I learned that from the tests that I took in college for diagnosing my learning challenge.
When I was in middle school, I can remember it being very hard for me to read between the lines when I was reading things like poems, or stories in English. I remember having to use Sparknotes, especially for Shakespeare because I couldn’t understand old English, but with its help that was so much easier. The only book of his I liked was “The Twelfth Night” because it was the easiest one for me to understand, the rest were quite difficult.
I was never good at reading comprehension and I’m still not very good at it. I usually need my mom’s help when I’m reading because there are many words that I don’t know the definition of. I have challenges with multi-tasking. It’s difficult for me to record these episodes because I have to remember many things while I’m doing it like: pronouncing words correctly, talking slowly, giving emphasis when needed, and sounding have a cheerful tone.
There were also many times when I took things too literally. I remember that when I was younger I used to not be able to tell when my dad or brother was teasing me because they always had a straight face when doing it. This made it hard for me to tell that they were joking with me or pulling my leg, so I took the joke literally. Now I know they’re joking and try to tease them back. But they don’t always tease me in return which makes it difficult for me to practice it.
Some examples are
That you take something to be true even when it may not be especially if it’s a metaphor
You think instructions may be very literal like staring at the ground when you cross the street instead of looking for where the cars and things around
Or going to the extreme of a viewpoint being too black or white without some gray in the middle
Here is an excerpt from an article, titled “Chris Rock reveals learning disorder diagnosis, says he has 7 hours of therapy a week” about Chris Rock the comedian who recently got diagnosed with NLD last year.
“He explained that he can take things "too literally" and has an "all-or-nothing thinking," as The Hollywood Reporter described it. ‘By the way, all of those things are great for writing jokes — they’re just not great for one-on-one relationships," he added. "I’d always just chalked it up to be famous. Any time someone would negatively respond to me, I’d think, 'Whatever, they’re responding to something that has to do with who they think I am.' Now, I’m realizing it was me. A lot of it was me.”
I can relate to this quote because I do know that comedians like Chris Rock, Trevor Noah, and Stephen Colbert have helped me improve on picking up on jokes & sarcasm. They helped because as I began to watch their shows more I was able to notice jokes more and laugh more along with especially when I got into politics more as an adult. This makes it more fun for me because my parents and I watch these shows together as a family. Now I can say that I enjoy and like these shows more than I used to.
I also try to joke with my friends more I noticed the other day my dog Truffles responded to me calling her Girl which is a good thing because she is a girl. But of course, I would have been okay if she hadn’t responded to it. I also remember I used to have a hard time not correcting other people when they said something that wasn’t right or true. For example, the other night my parents and I were watching “Beat Bobby Flay,” on Foodnetwork and my dad said there was a previous chef who had gone against Boby with apple strudel. I remember the show saying it was apple fritters but I didn’t correct him. I did that because it wasn’t necessary to correct him. Sometimes I do catch myself and I do correct people on little things like what time it which then if that does happen then I apologize for it because I usually notice it after the fact.
The apology is important even if the person doesn’t know you have NLD because if you realize the correction wasn’t necessary then you should apologize for it especially if you did it to a family member or close friend. I also have to pay attention to what my thoughts are because sometimes I think of comments that aren’t necessary so I tell myself, “Jennifer that’s not necessary you don’t need to say that.” Sometimes I chuckle when I say that to myself, which is good because I don’t know about you but I need to laugh more often.
Whether it’s trying to multitask, taking things too literally, or having difficulty with reading between the lines I and others with NLD still have challenges in these areas today. As I wrap up, I would love for you to think about how you tend to take too literally, have challenges with multi-tasking, or read between the lines.
