The NVLD Puzzle

Social and spatial deficits lead to misdiagnosis of Autism or ADHD

Strong verbal skills prevent identification of this disability

School services are not typically provided for NVLD

NVLD is not recognized as a disability by Individuals with Disabilities Act

Children that struggle in social settings and have difficulties with spatial awareness, yet excel in verbal abilities may have Non-Verbal Learning Disability, but are often undiagnosed. The following are key traits that help solve the puzzle of NVLD:

  • strong verbal abilities (well-developed vocabulary, remembers minute details to stories, learns lists of facts easily);
  • deficits in nonverbal communication (reading facial expressions & body language); and
  • weak visual-spatial abilities (difficulty completing puzzles, following spatial directions, building with blocks).

Non-Verbal Learning Disabilities

  • Large vocabulary with strong verbal skills
  • Attention to detail, but misses the big picture
  • Strong decoding skills, but poor reading comprehension
  • Poor fine motor skills (using scissors, tying shoelaces, pencil grip)
  • Sometimes weak gross motor skills (throwing a ball, riding a bike, etc.)
  • Lack of spatial awareness (difficulty with physical directions, appears clumsy)
  • Difficulty with organization, planning, and activities that require multitasking
  • Difficulty staying focused
  • Great auditory learner, but trouble recalling visual information
  • Struggles with peer relationships and forming friendships
  • Difficulty reading social cues (body language, often stands too close to someone)
  • Difficulty interpreting social interactions and working in groups
  • Fears new situations and has trouble understanding them
  • Struggles interpreting nonverbal communication (facial expressions, voice tone)
  • Doesn’t understand idioms, humor, sarcasm; is a concrete thinker
  • Struggles with organizing essays; handwriting is laborious and messy
  • Trouble understanding charts and diagrams, like maps and graphs
  • Difficulty with abstract math skills (fractions, geometric shapes, word problems)

A child with NVLD is often considered by others as ‘spacey’ or a ‘smart aleck’ because of their concrete interpretation of language, thus has difficulty maintaining relationships as demonstrated in this child’s story.

NVLD Project: University of Michigan Medicine

Diagnosis of Non-Verbal Learning Disability

When having your child evaluated, a diagnostician will look for a discrepancy (significant difference) between perceptual reasoning (Performance IQ) and verbal comprehension (Verbal IQ), as measured by intelligence tests. Students suspected of having NVLD should also be assessed in five areas although they may not exhibit weaknesses in all of these areas: visual and spatial awareness, higher-order comprehension, social communication, math concepts, and executive functions. To obtain an accurate diagnosis, find a neuropsychologist or education psychologist familiar with an array of childhood learning disabilities to conduct the evaluation.

ADDitude Magazine offers a twelve question self-test screener to determine if your child is struggling with traits of NVLD.

NVLD is not ADHD, ADDitude Magazine

TIP:

NVLD is often mistaken as ADHD; however, the two are not the same. Kids with NVLD are struggling to interpret and understand the world around them, whereas those with ADHD are learning to adapt to the structure of the world they live in. Approximately 93% of our communication is nonverbal, such as body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice, yet those with NVLD must use their strong verbal skills, the other 7%, to navigate socially. As a result, ADHD medical treatments such as Ritalin, Focalin, and Adderall do not work for these children. Furthermore, NVLD is not the same as Autism (Asperger’s) although some symptoms overlap. It is important to find a diagnostician that is knowledgeable and understands NVLD when seeking an evaluation for your child.

Spatial Perception Difficulties

  1. Reduce novelty in a situation by reminding students of strategies they used to handle similar problems or similar circumstances.
  2. Specific verbal instruction for understanding a part/whole relationship.
  3. Reduce amount of visual stimulus on a page.
  4. Provide feedback about why difficulties arise, in a positive manner.

Attention Difficulties

  1. Use frequent eye contact to check if a student is listening.
  2. Repeat a predetermined ‘alerting’ word to cue student that instructions are coming next.
  3. Offer movement breaks & objects to fidget with while studying.
  4. Situate seating with limited visual distractions.

Motor Difficulties

  1. Use explicit instruction (with repetition) when teaching a motor skill.
  2. Provide handwriting instruction such as Handwriting Without Tears.
  3. Provide keyboarding instructions such as Type to Learn.
  4. Employ an Occupational Therapist.

Executive Function Difficulties

  1. Provide samples/models of how to solve new problems.
  2. Develop steps to take when approaching an unfamiliar problem.
  3. Practice learning the material in many different ways.

Writing Difficulties

  1. Teach student to use graphic organizers (concept maps, flow charts, outlines, etc.).
  2. When necessary, allow students to type written assignments or even use voice recognition software such as Talk to Type instead of handwriting.

Associated Math Difficulties

  1. Use language to describe every step explicitly creating a script to follow.
  2. Always show sample problems on top of the worksheet (or a test).
  3. Use consistent spatial arrangement of items in math problems; use graph paper.

NVLD: Interventions

  • Keep the environment predictable and familiar by providing structure and routine.
  • Prepare your child for changes, giving logical explanations.
  • Be logical, organized, clear, concise, and concrete; avoid jargon, double meanings, sarcasm, nicknames, and teasing; state your expectations clearly.
  • Be very specific about cause and effect relationships.
  • Have your child use the computer for schoolwork.
  • Help your child learn organizational and time management skills.
  • Teach non-verbal communication (facial expressions, gestures, etc.). Help them learn how to interpret others’ reactions.
  • Locate a small-group social skills training program.
  • Encourage your child to develop interests to build their self-esteem & relate to others.
  • Talk to your child in private after you have gone with them to a group activity; discuss how to improve interactions with other kids.

Child Mind Institute

NVLD Project provides videos of experts discussing and explaining NVLD; lists of teaching interventions; plus other videos, books and toolkits to assist with academic and social success.

ADDitude, What is NVLD

Understood, About NVLD

Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities provides plenty of articles to increase awareness and understanding, as well as provide guidance on how to teach and work with students with NVLD.