Invisible disabilities refer to physical, mental or neurological conditions that are not immediately noticeable to others. These conditions are easy to overlook from an outside perspective and can negatively impact daily functioning, access to support and overall quality of life, according to the Invisible Disabilities Association. The lack of visible signs leads to people’s challenges being misunderstood or underestimated.

Junior August Biestek (he/him) was diagnosed with Tourette’s syndrome at six years old. Tourette’s is a neurological disorder characterized by sudden, involuntary and repetitive movements and vocalizations known as tics, premonitory urges and hypersensitivity. Certain environmental triggers tend to worsen Biestek’s symptoms, leading to a tic attack. Biestek said he experiences difficulty with speech, loses vision and fine motor function. 

“I have experienced a tic attack at school before — I think two times,” Biestek said. “It was very unpleasant.”

Experiencing such a vulnerable state in a public place like school caused Biestek significant strain and distress. The stress was caused by years of observing how people with the same disability were treated, particularly with dismissive or mocking reactions.

“Growing up, I would always just see people with my disability being made fun of,” Biestek said. “It would be very impactful for me.”

Even with repeated exposure to mockery and negative portrayals of Tourette’s in the media and from peers, causing him insecurity and doubt, Biestek said he practices and works extremely hard to act as neurotypical as possible. Biestek said that while others doubt he can have a successful future career, he continues to defy these expectations; just this year, he acquired two lead roles in the school’s theater program.

“Just because someone says and you’re shown that people like you can’t achieve something, that does not mean it’s true,” Biestek said.

Sophomore Kayla Mitchell* (she/her) was diagnosed with dyslexia, generalized anxiety disorder and ADHD — attention deficit hyperactivity disorder — in fourth grade. Prior to diagnosis, Mitchell said her doctors thought she was dyslexic, and her mom, who is a psychologist, suggested that she may also have ADHD. She said the process of getting diagnosed was incredibly tedious because it required countless assessments. By the end of the long day, Mitchell said her brain would physically hurt from the questioning and testing.

ADHD falls under the broad category of invisible disabilities. While the struggles Mitchell faces with ADHD are very real, the fact that they aren’t physically present means a lot of people end up being ignorant of them. Mitchell said she struggles with how others perceive her because of her ADHD. Oftentimes, she notices that people find her annoying because she talks a lot, but Mitchell said it’s difficult for her to realize when to stop. 

While Mitchell recognizes her teachers try their best to accommodate her in school, she notes there is still room for improvement. In her experience, Mitchell has had some teachers view students advocating for accommodations as personal attacks, which can heavily discourage kids from standing up for themselves. She’s faced struggles with teachers previously refusing to accommodate her because they don’t recognize the severity of her disability.

“They think I’m ‘not disabled enough’ to need the accommodations,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell said a common challenge for people with invisible disabilities is having their needs questioned or minimized because their disability is not immediately apparent. When others decide someone is “not disabled enough,” access to necessary accommodations can be delayed or denied. Misunderstandings surrounding invisible disabilities can lead to exclusion, even though accommodations are essential for an equal experience.

“Just because you can’t see someone’s disabled doesn’t mean they’re not,” Mitchell said. “We’re just trying our best.”

Many people experience challenges that are not immediately visible. Mitchell said they may go unrecognized or overlooked, particularly when symptoms are not outwardly visible.

“The world’s not built for people who are neurodivergent, so you have to figure out on your own solutions,” Mitchell said.

Freshman Antonia Jamieson-Zydor (any pronouns) was diagnosed with ADHD in eighth grade. Jamieson-Zydor said they always noticed something was off, but it wasn’t until the end of elementary school that they thought it might be ADHD and started to look into it more. They struggle both in and out of school with listening to multiple people at once, while reading, it causes them to skip lines and get lost.

“I meet a lot of people that talk about it as if it was some fun thing,” Jamieson-Zydor said. “I get distracted sometimes, but it’s not the fact, maybe you can’t sleep because you can’t physically.”

Jameison-Zydor said they have struggled to find support from Inglemoor for their ADHD, as they did at Northshore. They said that not only did Northshore offer various tools and connections, such as a personal counselor, but they also helped Jamieson-Zydor get diagnosed. While they are still searching for the same level of support at Inglemoor, they have a strong support system from their friends and family. Jameison-Zydor said that their friends and family help to make sure they take their time and make time for themselves.

“It’s a processing disorder. It’s really hard to go through,” Jamieson-Zydor said. “And if people knew that, I feel like it’d be much easier for people like me to be able to deal with it.”

*Name changed for anonymity using a random name generator

Strategies for people with invisible disabilities:

Strategies for school:

• Sometimes being in the classroom makes everything harder, so ask your teacher if you can step outside for a moment to collect your thoughts and take a breath
• Write down whatever you’re thinking if ideas start to get overwhelming or to make sense of your thoughts
• Finding small movements or fidgets to use while in class

General strategies:

• Make sure people understand what your disability is and what it means to you
• Check in with yourself to make sure you feel comfortable and confident wherever you are
• Find someone to talk to
• Research strategies to manage in various environments and what you can do to make sure you are thriving

*All strategies taken from students