NLD and Science

  Welcome to Living with an Invisible Learning Challenge, where we will discuss and discover the challenges and triumphs of those living with NLD,  nonverbal learning disability, and other learning challenges such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia,  and any other invisible learning differences that one may live.

I like to interview individuals as well who live with various learning challenges. So if you know anybody, please point me their way, or if you are that individual, I would love to interview you on. Various topics. So please let me know  and I welcome you to this podcast.  Good morning So I know I'm doing this a day later than I usually do and sorry for not doing it for the last couple of weeks  my  Schedule was crazy and I had some bad migraines.

So today's episode is on NLD and science  So,  a person with nonverbal learning disorder, or NLD, might face significant challenges in science class due to difficulties with visual spatial processing,  abstract reasoning, and interpreting nonverbal cues, which are often key  components of scientific understanding and experiments leading to struggles with concepts like data analysis, diagrams, and complex problems.

Scientific models. Specific challenges students  with NLD might encounter in science class include interpreting visuals, data, difficulty reading graphs, charts, and diagrams, making it hard to analyze data, and drawing conclusions from visual representations. Spatial reasoning.  Challenges with understanding 3D structures, spatial relationships, and visualizing complex scientific processes like the movement of molecules or the layout of an organism.

Lab experiments, difficulty following instructions with multiple steps or complex procedures, especially if they  rely heavily on visual cues or spatial orientation. Conceptual understanding, struggling to grasp abstract scientific concepts without concrete examples or hands-on activities.

Problem solving difficulty with open ended questions or problems that require creative thinking and nonlinear approaches to solve.

How to support a student with NLD in science. Accommodations provide clear and concise written instructions with visual,  with visuals and diagrams. Offer alternative ways to demonstrate understanding like verbal explanations or hands-on activities. Break down complex concepts into smaller, manageable steps.

Allow extra time for completing assignments and assessments.  Instructional strategies. Use manipulatives and real world experiences to help visualize abstract concepts. Emphasize hands-on learning with guided practice through experiments. Provide clear visual aids and labeling. To support spatial comprehension, encourage collaborative learning with peer support, communication with teachers, discuss the student's specific needs and learning profile with the teacher, regularly check in to monitor pro Progress and adjust accommodations as needed.

Important to note, while NLD can present challenges in science, students with this learning disability can still succeed with appropriate support and modifications to address their specific needs.

So this part is going to be some answers from a tutor that I had back in, high school and middle school.  She was my science tutor and she was, she used to , teach science to college students. I was at a community college and that was what I was doing, or I mean, she was helping me with the same science that she was teaching.

So this is from the tutor. So I asked her, how does she know me? And she said she has known me as a science tutor from Grade seven or eight to 12. She helped me for about five to six years, 2008 or 2009 to 2014. She helped me with high school biology, chemistry, and physics. Her strategy when she was helping me with really difficult things in science was to approach the concepts through more than one example or methods.

Some of the shortcuts she taught me was,  anomics that she used in class , such as O I L R I G for oxidation reduction reactions. And  one I remember that we kind of made up was for latitude and longitude, laying down with an attitude  was for latitude. And then, Longitude was the other one, so that was pretty easy for me to remember.

And then,  what are  some of the shortcuts you learned from your teachers in school? She said use of analogies, application to real life examples.  That's what she used to help me.   I asked her, she has a really good memory of a time you were proud of me because I really got what you taught me. " She said, I don't remember any specific incident, but I do remember being very impressed with your work effort and perseverance when you had trouble with a concept.

I was very proud of you. of how you applied yourself, even though, even when it was frustrating and you never gave up, I definitely could see you were struggling in areas that were easier for other students.  And I asked, what is different helping someone else who doesn't have NLD?  I know at the time you may or may not have known I had NLD, but I would still like for you to answer the question if you can.

That's so she said, I always suspected that you had a learning challenge, even though I did not know what it was specifically. I remember mentioning it to your mom and wondering if you were eligible for testing to see if it could be diagnosed.  Knowing now what you know about me and NLD, would you do anything differently if you could then?

She said, I've had it. A  greater understanding of you and you learn, and how you learn, and may have emphasized oral or rather than visual support in explaining concepts, it's always helpful to know the unique learning abilities that students bring with them.   What would you want to say to someone who is a teacher for a person who has NLD or something like it to help them?

As you did me, she said, be as patient as you were with yourself and when attempting to learn something new.. So that's from my tutor and the next piece  is  an article  titled how my high school challenges helped me get into college by Aline.  This is from April of 2021.  Aline says she will always love her earth science and math teachers and coach Jim Adams for always supporting the need to go after a challenge.

“The frustrations continued during my freshman year when I was recommended to take general science, a prep course for biology. This was the typical class that I took , learning students , learning disability students were placed in upon entering high school. However, I enrolled in biology where only a few ninth graders were,,  there with disabilities were enrolled and there should have been more of us.

Our freshman year courses weren't as hard as our 10th grade courses, so it was easier for me to take biology than. In fact, all six learning disability students who passed the required state exam the first time were freshmen, which showed taking a pre course isn't always the answer. These results showed that when a student is challenged, they will work harder as  failing and never have a good exhibit experience.

And personally, I believe more adults need to understand this. Later on, I decided to continue in college prep science and math courses rather than the vocational path or take the easier electives. This led to my support team asking me negative questions like, why are you working so hard for classes that you don't need to graduate?. This hurt me emotionally as I was capable of doing harder classes and my goal was to get ready for college. I gained so  many academic skills and built  incredible connections with my teachers, which helped me get to where I am today through this experience. I believe it is extremely important for you to speak up about the different  academic challenges that you would want to take.

Honestly, I believe taking a full academic program can make the most sense for the many NLVLD students given the unique profiles. If this is you,  your support team needs to understand this.”  So, that was a good  article because she's saying she challenged herself even when the teacher said, you don't need to take these to graduate these courses.

And she was like, yeah, but I want to prepare myself for college. And I'm glad she did that because  most of the high schools don't. Only prepare you for the right level for college because  I mean no offense to them But they don't know where you're gonna apply or where you're gonna get accepted. So it's like it's hard for them to  Prepare you sometimes so I'm glad she did that Aline's article highlights the challenges and triumphs of navigating high school with nonverbal learning disorder and I'll be  And science and math despite difficulties with visual spatial tasks and abstract concepts, Ling thrived in rigorous academic courses, providing that NLD students can excel when appropriately challenged and supported.

She emphasizes the importance of advocating for oneself. Rejecting the stigma of easy classes and pursuing goals aligned with college preparation. Aline's journey underscores  with perseverance the right support team and a belief in one's capability students with NLD can overcome obstacles and achieve their aspirations.

And I'm going to share an experience I had in an environmental science class in, , College, I've shared this before, but not in a while, basically I was doing a lab, a group lab,  and we were going over the instructions and we were trying to do it right, but the instructions didn't really make sense to us,  And when we got the grade back, we got, I think we got a C at the time and we thought what  we thought we did better than that.

And, I went to go see the professor during office hours and I said, Hey, You know, can you help me understand why we got that grade and understand the instructions better? Because they were kind of written in a way that was confusing to me and to my group.  So that's  kind of how that happened. And I realized that he wasn't really understanding me and never would because he didn't know I had an LD at the time and would, I would never get that.

So, yeah, that was an unfortunate experience, but I got through it and was able to pass that class. So I hope this episode was helpful to you to see the relations between NLD and science and how you can excel and push yourself and, Yeah, please pass it on to other people. Before I go into that, I thought I would address that  this election is going to be very important and I am not telling you how to vote.

I'm just encouraging you to vote. If you are 18 years or older, I encourage you to vote and to do a lot of research so that you are informed on what you're voting on and that you are able to, do, I guess, do well with the voting process and be informed on it. And I am also an ambassador for the NVLD project, and the NVLD project is trying to get NVLD back on the DSM, which is a manual for, mental, , And learning disabilities, and it helps people get accommodations in school and in, life by defining what the,  disability is and how it affects you in life and,  By showing examples and evidence of it and by giving it clear definition of it.

So, that's what the DSM is and they're trying to get NVLD back in there. And  in order to do that, they renamed NVLD to, visual Spatial Disorder, sorry, developmental visual spatial disorder. I always forget the d.   And, my hope is that when they do that, they will list all the symptoms because,  nonverbal wasn't a very good name for it either, but neither is developmental visual spatial disorder, because it's not just developmental and visual spatial. It's also social, which nonverbal  doesn't have either. So it's like  in  my name that I've kind of developed for, which I'm not sure. That's very good. Either is invisible learning spectrum disorder.  But  I don't know. That's very good either. So anyways,   to L and this podcast is also supported by Patreon and Spotify and better help.

So,  BetterHelp is a therapy company that does therapy online and remotely. I have not used BetterHelp, but I know they're very good, and I have been in therapy for, eight, more than eight years. I think eight and a half. I'm not doing it currently, but I was doing it. Last year, it was very helpful for me when I was doing it online and remotely.

It was very helpful for me. It was able to change a lot of things in my life and, uh, make, make my life better. , so. If you want a discount for better help, I'll include the link for that. And,  Patreon is a way for me to give you the episodes without any ads like I'm doing right now.

And,  I give you access to transcripts as well and to the episodes without any ads. So if you want that, it's either five dollars for the Episode without any ads or 10 with the transcript. I know that might seem like a lot of money, but I'm Not really making it not doing it for the money I'm trying to do it so I can donate the money to the NVLD project or so I can do it to pay back my website  subscription fee so  if you're willing to do that, please do I will get the link for that as well in the description and  I also have podcast swag.

I will give the link for that as well. , t shirts and water bottles and tote bags and,  other, pretty cool stuff. So I will give the link for that as well.  I hope that episode was  well worth it for you to listen to and that you  were able to take something away from it.  Even if you don't have a learning challenge or if you do, I hope it was  extra worthwhile for you so that you are able to learn something and maybe journal and jot down some few takeaways so that  The next time you experience that challenge yourself, you're able to,   learn how to breathe through it more easily or maybe not have a meltdown or a tantrum  or  be able to take away more learning from it and not make the same mistake twice, you know, and , be able to  also help somebody else go through that experience if you have a friend who has a learning difference and you are neurotypical.  So I hope  you will be able to have those experiences in your life now that you have listened to this episode.