NLD vs Dyslexia

My son is also NLD, but not dyslexic. He’s the more typical, early, strong decoder type of NLD. I have several friends, though, who have NLD kids with reading issues. My understanding is that USUALLY with NLD kids who have reading problems, it is the visual/spatial problems that led to the reading problems. So maybe you could look into a behavioral optometrist for help?

I’ve also heard, here on this board about kids who are NLD/CAPD. I don’t know, but it seems to me that if a child had trouble processing sounds, particularly in the case of an NLD kid, whose STRONGEST area for learning is usually auditory, that this might interfere with learning to read too.

It seems to me that your current course of doing some very in-depth testing to try to pinpoint WHY your grandchildren have trouble reading is probably the place to start.

As far as other NLD issues are concerned, we are finding that with the proper interventions early enough, NLD kiddos are managing very nicely. I have to work hard to keep on top of the school system for my son, but he is a bright, happy kid who does well academically, and is holding his own socially.

Karen

Thanks for your response Karen! We are working on the IEP for the youngest currently in public school and we feel rightly so. Until just recently she really enjoyed school, now it is very stressful which if I read correctly is quite typical of NVLD. The school meeting is this week and we have been reading the info on this site re IEP and NVLD, a lot to take in and apply but so important to the children! Most all of Sue Thompson’s CAMS seem so appropriate and we will endeavor to get them in the IEP in an appropriate form. Seems like signing off on an IEP can be risky for the child unless you are absolutely certain that it is the best you can get for the child and that it will be beneficial. TKS .

I always recommend to the parents I advocate for not to sign an IEP unless they are satisfied with it. However, do not forget that you can request and IEP as many times as you see fit in a year. The school is required by law to have them atleast annually, but a parent to teacher can request one at any time to review or change. Don’t be afraid to use your rights.

Can you help me, point me in the right direction, to adequately format input to the initial IEP meeting? Seems almost all of the CAMS in Sue Thompsons article are appropriate for this 8 year old, giving them a copy or directly stating them might be taken the wrong way. We are looking forward to a positive response having good feelings about this particular school, but realize it is not a slam, dunk to meet the needs of all children when you try to acomadate the different types of LD. In any event the child must come first!

You know your child best and if you think the accommodations and strategies that Sue Thompson has in her articles will fit your child, definitely make copies and bring to the meeting. Perhaps, star or highlight the ones you think are most relevant. In the meeting, when they start discussing accommodations, you can tell them you have found some great information on accommodations that fit your child and ask them to have a look. If they don’t bring up accommodations, make sure that you do in a calm and polite manner. My guess is that they will welcome new information because not very many schools are up on Nonverbal Learning Disabilities. Good luck! Let us know how it works out!

We have found that our son’s IEP really needs to be fine-tuned year-by-year, based on his development, and probably most importantly, the teacher mix. I think he could have almost gotten by without an IEP last year with a really wonderful general ed teacher. He only needed a little extra support from the SPED teacher in her class.

This year started with a teacher that was a really, really bad fit. We kept adding things to the IEP, tightening it up, adding service time and it still wasn’t going well. The SPED director and we finally called it quits in Jan. and switched him to another classroom. Funny thing, but now he’s doing GREAT with less SPED time than he had in the old class where he was failing half of his tests.

Don’t be afraid, though, to go back, even after you’ve signed an IEP and reconvene the team if things aren’t going well. You can always amend the IEP if needed.

Karen

We had it written right into our son’s IEP that teachers were responsible for reading the materials provided on NLD. Teaching NLD kids is NOT intuitive, and a teacher who thinks they don’t need this type of support probably isn’t the right teacher for an NLD child.

You don’t need a teacher experienced with NLD to get a good teacher for an NLD child, but you HAVE to have a teacher who is flexible and willing to learn.

Karen