So I am a sophomore majoring in a non science field and public health as a minor. I have a non verbal learning disability- so basically I have excellent verbal and auditory memorization and reading comprehension skills, but find math incredibly difficult. I haven't even taken calc yet. I'm freaking out about getting into med school and the stigma that having a LD that closely resembles Aspergers carries when looking for shadowing opportunities and research positions. Do I have to disclose my LD when applying to med schools and will it hinder my chances of getting in?
Learning disabilities and pre- med
- Thread starter med2020
- Start date
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2013
- Messages
- 5,422
- Reaction score
- 12,687
You only have to disclose the presence of a disability if you require accommodations, and even then, I don't believe you have to specify what your disability is. Did you receive accommodations on the SAT? Do you in college? Will you need them for the MCAT?
For shadowing and research, it shouldn't be an issue, so no need to mention.
D
deleted303591
I admit that I do not know much about non-verbal learning disabilities.
About disclosing your disability. Please use this website as reference. What to say about your disability -- and when
Although this website is Canadian and from the government of Alberta, this is an excellent reference about if you should disclose your disability, what you should say about the disability, and when you should disclose your disability.
You should also refer to the technical requirements of the medical schools you are applying to, just to make sure that you meet those requirements.
I suggest that you avoid requesting non-standard accommodations on the MCAT (extended testing time, talking calculator, etc.). It is fully within your rights to request these accommodations, but you MCAT scores will be flagged, so your disability will be known. In addition, nobody is able to really receive non-standard accommodations on the USMLE Step 1, 2, and 3 exams, and the AdComs are well aware of this. There is somebody EVERY SEMESTER in the DO forums that received accommodations on the MCAT who ends up failing the USMLE and ends up being dismissed from their medical school. Those individuals are completely out-of-luck and are stuck with extremely expensive loans with no degree or residency match.
You might want to consult with an educational psychologist (Ed.D. in psychology) regarding your particular situation, to find out what sort of support (specialized tutoring and assistive technology) that you may need in order to be successful. Obviously, this option is very expensive, but may be worth it in your particular situation. I am a big fan of assistive technology. I use Kurzweil 3000 and Bookshare (and their screen readers) frequently for school. Hopefully you have accommodations.
I would recommend that you consider getting a talking scientific calculator (for exams) and a talking graphing calculator (for assisting with calculus--when you do not have a tutor that is an LD specialist), since your ability to learn verbally is good, according to your reports. Hopefully you have accommodations so you can use a talking scientific calculator. I realize that these options are very expensive, but when this is a matter of passing or failing due to a disability, these tools are assets.
Talking Scientific Calculator
* http://www.rehabmart.com/product/orion-t136x-talking-scientific-calculator-15167.html
Talking Graphing Calculator
* http://shop.aph.org/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_Orion TI-84 Plus Talking Graphing Calculator_1-07340-00P_10001_11051
(search youtube to see if these calculators would work for you. Example of the graphing calculator.
Since your verbal ability is fine, perhaps accessible digital text could be an option for you, for learning the material. Your university's/college's disability resource center can coordinate this for you (usually by emailing the publisher--but sometimes the center will digitize the text themselves), or you could get Bookshare to do this for you. In order to get access to Bookshare, you have to get verification that you have a print-related disability, which prevents you from effectively reading print, which it sounds like you do, if you have trouble with math.
For calculus-based material, you will need accessible digital text with the mathematical notation in MathML, so that that the notation can be read aloud to you. You can request Bookshare to specifically digitize mathematical notation in MathML form. Bookshare has a grant from the US Government, so they will digitize your required school textbooks, free of charge. You need to give them 6 months in advance to digitize those books. Depending on what format the book is in originally (.pdf, .docx, .doc, .DAISY, .rtf, etc.) the individuals digitizing the book will have to either use MathDaisy, InftyReader, or interpret the notation by eye and write the text in MathML themselves.
You can use either MathPlayer (free--can only use if the file can be opened in Internet Explorer) or Kurzweil 3000 ($800 with student discount--expensive!). Kurzweil 3000 (Windows Version--most recent version only) reads MathML and also has a talking calculator, and is just a purely amazing software.
Anyways, regarding accessibility and support with math, the best thing you can do is talk to an educational psychologist who can probably refer you to an assistive technologist. These options are expensive, and vocational rehabilitation in your state may pay for all of this, even tuition, if it helps you get your degree. I highly suggest you schedule an appointment with vocational rehabilitation in your state and provide documentation of the NVLD to see if you can get funding. Consulting resources for the blind, especially for people in STEM fields might be of use to you.
In addition, I found this website that specifically supports people with NVLD:
* http://nldontheweb.org/
Good luck! Sorry this was sooooo long!
About disclosing your disability. Please use this website as reference. What to say about your disability -- and when
Although this website is Canadian and from the government of Alberta, this is an excellent reference about if you should disclose your disability, what you should say about the disability, and when you should disclose your disability.
You should also refer to the technical requirements of the medical schools you are applying to, just to make sure that you meet those requirements.
I suggest that you avoid requesting non-standard accommodations on the MCAT (extended testing time, talking calculator, etc.). It is fully within your rights to request these accommodations, but you MCAT scores will be flagged, so your disability will be known. In addition, nobody is able to really receive non-standard accommodations on the USMLE Step 1, 2, and 3 exams, and the AdComs are well aware of this. There is somebody EVERY SEMESTER in the DO forums that received accommodations on the MCAT who ends up failing the USMLE and ends up being dismissed from their medical school. Those individuals are completely out-of-luck and are stuck with extremely expensive loans with no degree or residency match.
You might want to consult with an educational psychologist (Ed.D. in psychology) regarding your particular situation, to find out what sort of support (specialized tutoring and assistive technology) that you may need in order to be successful. Obviously, this option is very expensive, but may be worth it in your particular situation. I am a big fan of assistive technology. I use Kurzweil 3000 and Bookshare (and their screen readers) frequently for school. Hopefully you have accommodations.
I would recommend that you consider getting a talking scientific calculator (for exams) and a talking graphing calculator (for assisting with calculus--when you do not have a tutor that is an LD specialist), since your ability to learn verbally is good, according to your reports. Hopefully you have accommodations so you can use a talking scientific calculator. I realize that these options are very expensive, but when this is a matter of passing or failing due to a disability, these tools are assets.
Talking Scientific Calculator
* http://www.rehabmart.com/product/orion-t136x-talking-scientific-calculator-15167.html
Talking Graphing Calculator
* http://shop.aph.org/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_Orion TI-84 Plus Talking Graphing Calculator_1-07340-00P_10001_11051
(search youtube to see if these calculators would work for you. Example of the graphing calculator.
Since your verbal ability is fine, perhaps accessible digital text could be an option for you, for learning the material. Your university's/college's disability resource center can coordinate this for you (usually by emailing the publisher--but sometimes the center will digitize the text themselves), or you could get Bookshare to do this for you. In order to get access to Bookshare, you have to get verification that you have a print-related disability, which prevents you from effectively reading print, which it sounds like you do, if you have trouble with math.
For calculus-based material, you will need accessible digital text with the mathematical notation in MathML, so that that the notation can be read aloud to you. You can request Bookshare to specifically digitize mathematical notation in MathML form. Bookshare has a grant from the US Government, so they will digitize your required school textbooks, free of charge. You need to give them 6 months in advance to digitize those books. Depending on what format the book is in originally (.pdf, .docx, .doc, .DAISY, .rtf, etc.) the individuals digitizing the book will have to either use MathDaisy, InftyReader, or interpret the notation by eye and write the text in MathML themselves.
You can use either MathPlayer (free--can only use if the file can be opened in Internet Explorer) or Kurzweil 3000 ($800 with student discount--expensive!). Kurzweil 3000 (Windows Version--most recent version only) reads MathML and also has a talking calculator, and is just a purely amazing software.
Anyways, regarding accessibility and support with math, the best thing you can do is talk to an educational psychologist who can probably refer you to an assistive technologist. These options are expensive, and vocational rehabilitation in your state may pay for all of this, even tuition, if it helps you get your degree. I highly suggest you schedule an appointment with vocational rehabilitation in your state and provide documentation of the NVLD to see if you can get funding. Consulting resources for the blind, especially for people in STEM fields might be of use to you.
In addition, I found this website that specifically supports people with NVLD:
* http://nldontheweb.org/
Good luck! Sorry this was sooooo long!
Last edited by a moderator:
Similar threads
