NLD In Common Letter from an NLD Adult

Subject:  Should I Tell My Child She/he Has NLD?

As an adult with NVLD, I am so grateful that my parents decided to tell me and wanted me to be as informed as possible.  They never wanted me to use it as a crutch, but they wanted me to know why I struggled with certain things.  I am really grateful that I know and then I could learn to love myself.  I used to think that I needed to overcome my NLD, but went to a friend who is a therapist last year and she said something that I am really happy about.  She told me that I needed to love my NLD.  I needed to love that part of me and not be ashamed about it.  Since then I have been a lot happier.  My husband noticed when I joined this group that I started talking about NLD again and he said you know it has been months since you have mentioned that.  That made me happy.  I think it is important to learn what you can but also to just live life and be happy.  I did so much research when I was in high school and college.  I learned a lot about how to cope.  I also started support groups.  It was right for me at that time in my life.

Now I that I know what I know I am able to live my life and be happy.  Yes I am different from my friends, co-workers, boss, and family, but I can live with that.  Labels are not important.  I have found that I am able to do so many things that I never thought I would be able to do.  Everyone learns differently.  Everyone has strengths and deficits.  There is not a person on this earth who doesn't have challenges.  They make us strong.  I am so grateful that I have NLD.  That is saying a lot about the progress that I have made.  I used to resent it so much when I was in high school.  I wished that if I had to have a disability that at least it would be a visible one.  Because I look normal and I have a very high verbal IQ people always thought I was lazy and just wasn't working hard enough.  Now I know that it doesn't matter what others think of me.  What matters is what I think of myself and that God loves me and made me this way for a reason.

I hope that your daughter will learn this.  I am grateful for parents that taught me these things and never gave up on me.  You sound a lot like my parents.

God Bless you and Keep you,

Cindy Piper
 - printed on NLDLine with Permission and Thanks