Non-Verbal Learning

Disabilities
Submitted to: Dr. Ghada Assaad
Samia Chatila
Educational Psychology
1/13/20
Table of Contents

Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 2
Definition .................................................................................................................................... 2
Thesis Statement ......................................................................................................................... 2
Literature Review............................................................................................................................ 2
Causes.......................................................................................................................................... 2
Symptoms .................................................................................................................................... 3
Differences in brains of children with nonverbal learning disability .......................................... 3
Intervention ..................................................................................................................................... 4
Assessing deficits ........................................................................................................................ 4
Teaching the missing skills ......................................................................................................... 4
Using scripts ................................................................................................................................ 4
Social learning ............................................................................................................................. 4
Parental Role ............................................................................................................................... 4
Encouraging exploration ............................................................................................................. 4
Conclusion ...................................................................................................................................... 5
References ....................................................................................................................................... 5

1
Introduction
Learning refers to the higher and most complex cognitive functions in the brain and it should be
no surprise that many children have problems acquiring the basics of reading, writing, and math.
These temporary learning problems are frequent and reflect normal maturational variability.
specific learning problems indeed do occur unexpectedly in primary school, but more and more
data are now available that show that learning problems can already be identified at an earlier
preschool age.
Definition
A learning disability is usually defined as an unexpected, specific, and persistent failure to
acquire efficient academic skills despite conventional instruction, adequate intelligence, and
sociocultural opportunity. In the non-verbal learning disability, the brain-based condition is
characterized by poor visual, spatial, and organizational skills; difficulty recognizing and
processing nonverbal cues; and poor motor performance.
Nonverbal learning disorder (NVLD) or nonverbal learning disability, is a neurological condition
marked by a collection of academic, and sometimes social, difficulties experienced by children
of average or superior intelligence.
Thesis Statement
Non-verbal learning disorder has various causes and symptoms. On the other hand, many
researchers worked on different ways for the treatment of NVLD.

Literature Review
Nonverbal learning disorder (NLD or NVLD), may be the most overlooked, misunderstood, and
under-diagnosed learning disability. The brain-based condition is characterized by poor visual,
spatial, and organizational skills; difficulty recognizing and processing nonverbal cues; and poor
motor performance.
It is considered highly rare, though the high incidence of missed diagnoses makes it difficult to
estimate its true impact. NVLD affects girls just as frequently as it does boys, and tends to run in
families, like most other learning disabilities.
NLD and anxiety tend go hand in hand, because of the inability to understand and connect with
parents, teachers, peers, and spouses. Young children with NLD are usually good at hiding or
compensating for their challenges. But once puberty hits, NLD can cause serious trouble,
teenagers with the condition often develop extreme anxiety over their inability to connect with
their peers. (FRYE, KARANZALIS, M.S.,2019)
Causes
Nonverbal learning disorder is thought to be related to a deficit in the right cerebral hemisphere
of the brain, where nonverbal processing occurs. Over time, the child may develop systems,
including rote memories of past experiences, as a guide for how to behave in new situations
rather than responding to specific social cues.
Brain scans of individuals with NLD often confirm mild abnormalities of the right cerebral
hemisphere. Developmental histories have revealed that several children suffering from

2
nonverbal learning disorders who have come to clinical attention have at sometime early in their
development: (Rourke, 1995)
1. Sustained a moderate to severe head injury.
2. Received repeated radiation treatments on or near their heads over a prolonged period of
time.
3. Congenital absence of the corpus callosum.
4. Been treated for hydrocephalus.
5. Had brain tissue removed from their right hemisphere.
Symptoms
NLD varies from person to person and is not defined as a separate condition in the Diagnostic
and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. However, commonly reported symptoms include the
following: (Q.U.I.L.T.S, 2002)
1. Has trouble recognizing nonverbal cues such as facial expression or body language.
2. Shows poor psycho-motor coordination; clumsy; seems to be constantly “getting in the
way,” bumping into people and objects.
3. Using fine motor skills, a challenge: tying shoes, writing, using scissors.
4. Needs to verbally label everything that happens to comprehend circumstances, spatial
orientation, directional concepts and coordination; often lost or tardy.
5. Has difficulty coping with changes in routing and transitions.
6. Has difficulty generalizing previously learned information.
7. Has difficulty following multi-step instructions.
8. Make very literal translations.
9. Asks too many questions, may be repetitive and inappropriately interrupt the flow of a
lesson.
10. Imparts the “illusion of competence” because of the student’s strong verbal skills.

Another telltale sign: Despite their verbal proficiency, those with NLD — particularly children
— often exhibit poor reading comprehension. “A child with NLD may miss the forest and the
trees because of his intense focus on the leaves,” says Priscilla Scherer, R.N. “After reading a
book about the Civil War, for instance, the child might be able to name and describe each
battlefield — yet fail to recognize that the conflict was about slavery and federalism.”
Differences in brains of children with nonverbal learning disability
"Children with nonverbal learning disabilities and Asperger's can look very similar, but they can
have very different reasons for why they behave the way they do," said Jodene Fine, assistant
professor of school psychology in MSU's College of Education.
Children with nonverbal learning disability tend to have normal language skills but below
average math skills and difficulty solving visual puzzles. Because many of these kids also show
difficulty understanding social cues, some experts have argued that NVLD is related to high
functioning autism.
The researchers found that the children diagnosed with NVLD had smaller spleniums (The
splenium is part of the corpus callosum, a thick band of fibers in the brain that connects the left
and right hemispheres and facilitates communication between the two sides) than children with

3
other learning disorders such as Asperger's and ADHD, and children who had no learning
disorders.
The researchers found that the brains of children with nonverbal learning disability responded
differently to the social interactions than the brains of children with high functioning autism, or
HFA, suggesting the neural pathways that underlie those behaviors may be different. (Michigan
State University, 2013).

Intervention
There is no single recommended treatment plan for nonverbal learning disorder. With any
learning disorder, however, children are best served by early intervention and support. After
observation and an initial assessment to determine a child’s specific needs, school-based
professionals can put a plan into place for both social and academic accommodations necessary
for improvement.
Assessing deficits
A very successful curriculum for kids with NLD, assessment is the first important step. Each
student with NLD must be assessed in five areas: visual and special awareness, higher-order
comprehension, social communication, math concepts, and executive functions. Most kids, and
most of their parents, come into the school not understanding what makes it so difficult for them to learn.
Once kids get a clear idea of their learning profile, they feel both relieved and empowered.

Teaching the missing skills

Once a child’s individual NLD symptoms are identified, she is put together with other kids who
have the same core deficits. That also has a positive effect on students. For the first time they are
in class with other students who are very much like them. Each of their teachers in each subject
area will address those deficits in the same way, using the same instructional language.
Using scripts
Classwork focuses on taking things that might appear unstructured to students and finding the
pattern. Other kids do this intuitively, but kids with NLD must be taught these patterns, and then
use them to understand new or complicated things.
Social learning
Social communication is also based on knowing the script, and social skills must be taken just as
seriously as academics. Teachers should take situations, analyze them, help them to understand
what really happened, do it over and over again and again until they internalize the pattern.
Parental Role
Parents can follow these same strategies at home when their child is having a disagreement with
a sibling or having a problem with a chore. When the kid is being rigid, parents tend to think
they’re being oppositional, or disrespectful. But often they’re not understanding, and they’re
having the same reaction to a misunderstanding you might have.
Encouraging exploration
When kids who have NLD find themselves in situations they don’t have a script for, it can be
scary and challenging for them. They are likely to act impulsively or incorrectly or withdraw.
But protecting them too much from failure can ultimately undermine their potential. In order to

4
help them learn to handle novel situations with poise it’s important to give kids opportunities to
try and fail. They need to practice exploring new situations, engaging in problem solving.
They’ve got to be allowed to struggle, and stumble in a situation where they have support. They
have to learn to recover from failure. (Caroline Miller)

Conclusion
Nonverbal learning disabilities (NLD) impact the ability to learn from and use nonverbal
information. Kids with NLD have trouble understanding the “big picture.” They may also have
problems with reading comprehension, math, and implied meaning. NLD children show many
symptoms and can be clearly diagnosed, but everything can be exponentially improving. Parents
must understand their child and help them be independent and understand their selves using
many mentioned strategies. In addition to the most important role, the school, it must have a
well-developed curriculum and trained teachers to deal and help such kids.
Further research in this field may be a full curriculum for nonverbal leaning disabilities children
and a more detailed biological study to help understand the child in need.

References
1. What Is Nonverbal Learning Disorder? By DEVON FRYE, LINDA KARANZALIS, M.S.
ON NOVEMBER 5, 2019
2. Byron Rourke's, 1995
3. LDA of California and UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute “Q.U.I.L.T.S.” Calendar 2001-2002
4. Michigan State University. "Differences in brains of children with nonverbal learning
disability." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 20 November 2013.
5. How Can We Help Kids with Non-Verbal Learning Disorder? By Caroline Miller