Visual communication enables artists to express powerful thoughts, feelings and emotions that can sometimes be difficult for words alone to convey. Collectively, the images that I created and placed in the six boxes above are intended to represent feelings of social rejection, isolation, sadness, confusion, desperation and despair, all which children can suffer from as the byproduct of living with undiagnosed Non-Verbal Learning Disability (NVLD).

 

When we think of learning disabilities, ADHD or Dyslexia come to mind. NVLD is something most of us are unfamiliar with. Broadly speaking, NVLD is a neurological syndrome that presents as a defined group of assets and deficits. The purpose of my project is simply to shed light on the deficit category of social dysfunction, which manifests primarily as a lack of ability to comprehend nonverbal communication and difficulties with social judgment and social interaction. Children with NVLD are often marginalized and isolated by their teachers and peers; consequently, they experience many different types of barriers throughout their lives.

 

Why is this important? Humans are social beings. We are born with a strong, innate desire to connect with others. Children with NVLD typically realize at a young age that they are different from their peers, but somehow struggle to understand why this is so. At present, NVLD is not formally recognized as a specific learning syndrome. A DSM-V code must exist to acknowledge it as an official diagnosis, which would make related treatments and services eligible for health insurance reimbursements. With increased awareness, children with NVLD will have greater access to school resources and professionals who can assess their needs and teach them coping skills that will increase the likelihood of academic, social and professional success. More school districts would recognize the benefits of teaching students essential life skills such as empathy, kindness, compassion, respect, tolerance, patience, restraint, inclusion and collaboration from the earliest years of schooling and continuing all the way through to high school graduation.  The net gain to society would be happier and more productive human beings. It is time to educate the educators!