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IN THIS ISSUE
Our winter issue explores a condition about which much is known, although many questions about
nonverbal learning disabilities
remain unanswered. For example, a universal consensus about its acronym does not yet exist. Is it "NVLD" or "NLD"? For now, either is considered correct. Is it a formal diagnosis that psychologists and other professional evaluators can officially make? No. Is it an actual condition that can create disabling results in the classroom, in social situations, and on the job? Absolutely. Do evaluators know how to recognize the symptoms well enough to identify it in individuals and offer suggestions to
teachers and others regarding appropriate accommodations and interventions?
Thankfully, yes.
Simply put, a nonverbal learning disability is a condition affecting the
right hemisphere
of the brain. That side of the brain processes "nonverbal" information such as shapes, facial expressions, numeric quantities, distances, and tone of voice. The left hemisphere, on the other hand, processes verbal language (i.e., words). Like any type of learning disability, a nonverbal learning disability usually occurs in someone with average to above-average intelligence. There can be a striking difference between that person's strengths and weaknesses. Those strengths can mask - or even be used to compensate for - the weaknesses. Therefore, many people with NVLD are misdiagnosed or not diagnosed at all, and are often poorly understood by others.
This issue includes five articles written by CRG
psychologists. The first is a brief scenario written by
Dr. Ray Kinder
. He describes a hypothetical 7th grader, "Henry," who experiences several challenges caused by his NVLD upon arrival at school. Henry may remind you of yourself or students who know. Dr. Kinder has also contributed an article that provides historical context for how the field has learned about this condition.
Dr. Jill Wise's
informative article is next. She describes how an NVLD is assessed during a formal evaluation.
Dr. Julie Steck
then provides an article that may be particularly helpful for teachers and parents, providing a developmental context for symptoms often seen at school and home.
Dr. Sandy Burkhardt's
article rounds out this issue. She interviewed Dr. Prudence Fisher, a Columbia University psychiatrist at the forefront of efforts to make NVLD a formally recognized diagnostic category. Dr. Burkhardt offers a thoughtful discussion of why this has yet to happen and what benefits many people could experience should this change occur.
We hope this issue provides more information about what is currently known about nonverbal learning disabilities as we all work to better understand the many questions that remain.
CRG Newsletter Editor
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"Henry" - An Introduction to NVLD
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Henry, a new 7th grader at Summit Middle School, arrived at school mid-morning after an appointment with his pediatrician for his annual physical. He stopped at the office to get a pass, then hurried to Mr. Jones' Social Studies class. He arrived a few minutes late because he went down the wrong hallway and got disoriented. Mr. Jones acknowledged Henry, took his pass, and mentioned that they were going over a chart of the gross national product for Latin American countries in the decade between 1990 - 2000. Mr. Jones called on another student, identified a country and a year, then asked her for the gross national product produced for that year. After receiving the correct answer, Mr. Jones called on Henry. He identified another country and asked Henry to study the chart and then name the year and the correct gross national product. Henry looked perplexed, stared at the chart, but could not come up with the answer and did not want to guess. After a long and awkward silence on Henry's part, Mr. Jones called on another student to provide the correct answer.
Click here to read the rest of the story.
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Understanding Nonverbal Learning Disorders (NLD/NVLD)
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In 1989
Dr. Byron Rourke
published his groundbreaking book, Nonverbal Learning Disabilities: The Syndrome and the Model. Dr. Rourke's research focused on individuals who had difficulty with nonverbal (visual-spatial) learning. He proposed the term "Nonverbal Learning Disability" to describe the challenges faced by people who had statistically significant gaps between their verbal and nonverbal IQ scores, with the nonverbal (performance) scores being weaker. These individuals almost always had greater difficulty in learning and applying math concepts than they did with language arts (e.g., reading and spelling). He also observed that, depending upon the magnitude of their verbal/performance split, they typically had other symptoms in common. Parents would describe difficulties with puzzles, handwriting, drawing, social interactions and anxiety. Dr. Rourke's work has advanced what psychologists and neuropsychologists know about nonverbal learning disabilities.
Click
here to read the rest of the story.
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Diagnosing a Nonverbal Learning Disability
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What is a Nonverbal Learning Disability (NVLD or NLD)?
In general,
NVLD
is characterized by the discrepancy between an individual's verbal (area of strength) and nonverbal (area of weakness) reasoning abilities. Unlike ADHD or a Specific Learning Disorder (SLD), NVLD is not an official diagnosis in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth edition (DSM-5). However, it provides a
framework
to explain areas of strength and weakness to better understand why an individual may be struggling academically, socially, emotionally, or behaviorally.
Click
here
to read the rest of this story.
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NLD in the School Setting:
What Do We Know and What Can We Do?
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In this issue of the CRG Newsletter, we have attempted to provide an overview of the condition known as Nonverbal Learning Disorder (referred to in this article as NLD), the process of evaluation used in identifying and differentiating NLD from other conditions, and to discuss the diagnostic dilemmas of NLD. This article will focus on recognizing symptoms of NLD in the educational setting and addressing students' needs in the classroom or at home.
Click
here
to read the rest of this story.
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NVLD: To Be or Not To Be Real LD
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This article focuses on the confusing status of Non-verbal Learning Disability (NVLD) relative to formal clinical and educational labels. Is NVLD simply a learning disability? Is it more than a learning disability?
Prudence Fisher, Ph.D. is a Research Scientist and Associate Professor at Columbia University in New York. In a recent phone interview, she shared some insights regarding NVLD and how it is diagnosed now and might be diagnosed in the future. Even the acronym for the condition is inconsistent, with some authors using NLD and others using NVLD. This article will use NVLD as the term preferred by Dr. Fisher.
Click
here
to read the rest of this story.
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