From Student to PE Teacher and Autism Advocate: NVLD and Adult Life | Ryan Lund

Ryan Lundy was diagnosed with a nonverbal learning disability as a child and with autism at 40. In between, he got through school with a 504 plan, a resource teacher, a private tutor, and a lot of family support. Today he teaches physical education at a school for students with special needs, coaches adaptive tennis, and has just been accepted into the Autism Speaks Advocacy Academy. He has sat on both sides of the desk. He was the student who needed the support, and he is now the educator providing it. There are not many people who can speak to both. In this episode: What NVLD actually is, and why the name confuses almost everyone who hears it Why Ryan pursued an updated assessment at 40, and what the autism diagnosis clarified What strong verbal ability concealed from his teachers and clinicians for decades The supports that got him through school and college: PT, OT, speech, tutoring, a 504 plan, a resource teacher, and extra time How a PE teacher figures out what a student who does not speak is telling him What he wants families to do differently, and why starting early matters so much How to evaluate an adaptive sports or recreation program, and what to watch for Whether a job interview is really a social test, and how Ryan actually got hired Disclosure at work, and what one manager did that made the difference Living at home at 40, and the honest uncertainty about what comes next Becoming an advocate, and learning how to sit down with lawmakers "My parents are still concerned that when they're not here, what, how am I gonna survive?" CONNECT WITH RYAN LUNDY LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-lundy/ Ryan is available for speaking engagements and is responsive on LinkedIn. CONNECT WITH BIOHACKING AUTISM Website: biohackautism.com Email: [email protected] Instagram: @biohackautism TikTok: @biohackingautism YouTube: @BiohackingAutism LinkedIn: /in/nadiaelkhatib SUBSCRIBE New episodes every Monday. Subscribe wherever you are listening right now, and if this episode gave you something, send it to one person who needs it. A parent, a grandparent, a teacher, or an adult who has been wondering about themselves for a long time. RESOURCES MENTIONED The NVLD Project https://nvld.org/ Awareness, research, and education on nonverbal learning disability, plus the ambassador program Ryan is part of. Autism Speaks Advocacy Academy https://www.autismspeaks.org/AdvocacyAcademy The year-round volunteer training and leadership program Ryan was recently accepted into, built for people who want to do federal and state advocacy work. Autism Speaks https://www.autismspeaks.org/ Advocacy, resources, and support across the lifespan. Els for Autism https://www.elsforautism.org/ The Florida campus where Ryan works the camps and serves on an advisory board. Speech and occupational therapy, parent trainings, and resources for families who do not live nearby. Love Serving Autism https://loveservingautism.org/ Adaptive tennis, pickleball, and padel for people with autism, founded by speech-language pathologist Lisa Pugliese-LaCroix. Programs across multiple states. Atlantis Academy https://chancelight.com/locations/brands/atlantis-academy/ The South Florida school for students with special needs where Ryan teaches physical education. ACEing Autism https://aceingautism.org/ National tennis programming for children and adults with autism. Ryan found it through his own research. Special Olympics https://www.specialolympics.org/ Year-round sports training and competition. Ryan coached basketball, tennis, and track with them in Pennsylvania. The Miracle League https://www.miracleleague.com/ Baseball for children and adults with disabilities, built so that every player bats and every player scores. TOPSoccer https://www.usyouthsoccer.org/topsoccer/ Free, low-pressure community soccer through US Youth Soccer. Ryan takes clients to the program near where he lives. TERI, Inc. https://www.teriinc.org/ The California campus Ryan names as the one comp