EDUCATION: Non Verbal Learning Disorder

The acronyms ADD, and ADHD have become fairly well known and they are associated with learning disorders. Teachers and parents understand them fairly well.

They are well known because many children have been diagnosed with these conditions.Some are medicated for them, and plans for education are designed to compensate for the disabilities and the required modes of alternative learning by the special needs departments in schools..

Yet the terms were not used during the 1950's and and 1960's, even though the problems existed then. But as psychiatry, psychology, and educational testing have evolved...the terms become more relevant. Now there's a new one, not a new condition, but a new diagnosis. Non Verbal learning Disorder (NLD.)

Kids with this condition have learning problems in subjects where spacial relations are important, and where good visual pattern perception is required. They also show social adjustment problems inasmuch as they are conspicuously shy in groups. They are the kids who seem very bright, but have trouble in some subjects like math. They are verbally very fluent, and yet have trouble organizing numbers and letters. THey are sometimes clumsy though not always, And, they are usually very honest, and take things quite literally. They have varying degrees of social adjustment problems, meaning they are avoidant, or seem lost in groups. They would be lost at a school dance if alone without a familiar focus person. .

In severe cases there is difficulty reading facial expressions, or, body language (in some sense - this is like with Asperger's Syndrome: in fact the condition has been likened to Asperger's. But the current thinking is they are separate, and Aspergers is simply under that rubric of non verbal deficiencies.) These kids do not get the gestalt of the group, or if they do, they take longer to adjust due to social anxiety. They are usually more comfortable In small groups. And they are generally seen as friendly but naive.

They are easily overwhelmed by complicated tasks in school, and seem need a strategy to breaking these tasks down into simpler bits. My daughter has this problem, and – she had trouble in History not because of the difficulty of the subject matter, but because of the manual task of building and maintaining a “binder” which in itself was an organizing tool – some teachers were sticklers about these and graded them. And so, often these kids will have difficulty in areas where difficulty is unexpected, and manage with ease some tasks that some kids find hard to master – such as reading. My daughter began reading at 4, and was reading Harry Potter by age 7.

IQ testing shows a difference in IQ between the performance and verbal tests, in theory. A difference of 15 IQ points coupled with other information from parents and teachers gives a presumptive diagnosis. Apparently there are deficits in two areas of right brain abilities that affect the score, usually visual pattern, and spacial abilities.

If the diagnosis is made, special education offering a/ emotional social adjustment, and b/ in organizing school tasks is helpful in moderate to severe cases. These kids are more lost than others when moving to a different school, because as they are getting used to one, they would then have to adjust to another.And, the bigger the school the more lost they feel.

Another feature of NLD is that these kids can be fairly rigid about routines. They don't adapt well to sudden changes in physical or emotional environments. They need extra support. But many people who have NLD, like many people with Asperger's, may simply be different, and they may have a need to process information in a different way. They can do very well in school if there are work arounds given to compensate for some funky areas of processing.

Sometimes getting neuro psych testing through the school is hard. The schools seem to want to avoid paying for the tests. And so the testing might have to be done privately. If this problem is suspected, early intervention can go a long way – as that way, the child doesn't acquire gaps in education. Teachers can be taught about the condition and ways they can cope with and help the student.. Otherwise, impatient teachers may make false character or intelligence judgments, and life for the child being stuck with such a teacher for a year can be miserable.

And, it can work the other way too, the teacher may feel they are failing this child without knowing how or why. It is surprising how little is known about this condition in the schools. In fact - there is no classification for the condition in the school special ed department, the condition as a result, is placed under the classification of ADD, which can misinform those dealing with the child in school. And, it is up to the parent - in those cases - to clarify to the teacher.

My daughter Mary is the wittiest most honest and funniest kid...but she can't open her locker at school or maintain her binder properly. She writes short stories and poems, and has an excellent memory and imagination, but she is very disorganized. She was lucky to get the help, and now she's doing just fine thanks.

There many resources now on the web that provide more information: simply type NLD into google to see what tumbles out. But there's also a writer who elaborates more on this subject here at the hub: http://hubpages.com/hub/NVLD

Here is more information on NLD. Teachers and parents should learn to recogize the symptoms. And, school systems should considertesting for this condition when students show some of the symptoms mentioned.

I will post more resources here.