Am I in the right place? NLD

Hi, we have some parents who are knowledgeable about NLD at http://millermom.proboards107.com - look for SharonF, go there for support on school issues as well.

You can also find info on NLD at http://www.nldontheweb.org/about_nld.htm

http://www.socialthinking.com/

http://www.nldline.com/

What questions do you have? Tell me a bit about your son and your biggest concerns. NLD kids can vary a lot even though they have some similarities in terms of their areas of weakness.

Personally, I don’t find the NLD websites all that helpful once you get past understanding the diagnosis. In fact, I find them depressing, so I tend to avoid them.

Let me know how I can help.

Hello, thank you for replying to my email. Here are some details on my son. He is 10, Grade 5. His main problems seem to be comprehension, math to some degree, organisation, handwriting and social skills. The latter has improved as he has gotten older but although he gets along well with his peers at school, very rarely does he get an invite to someone’s house or to birthdays, and has some issues in the past being bullied. He now has a tutor for math and the special ed teacher at his school is amazing. He tends to rush into things immediately saying he cannot do it but she is patient and will tell him to slow down and look again. Then he realises he can do the task. Since his diagnosis we have seen a remarkable increase in his school marks. We have been told he is bright (well we knew that anyway)just needs a way to get the information out. Later this year he will be issued a laptop plus software for school work.
I have read quite a few books and viewed several websites. I have to say a lot of the time I find it hard to identify my son with the symnptoms mentioned. I don’t doubt he has NLD, that is not what I am saying. There are many symptoms that he just doesn’t have. He plays sports - baseball, ice hockey, golf to name a few, and does horseback riding. He has never been “clumsy” nor had a problem with balance etc., does not have temper tantrums. He is open to learning the new strategies but hates to talk about his NLD. I am just thankful that we opted to have him tested independently and get thing put in place immediately rather than wait for his name to reach to top of the school list (probably a year’s wait). I guess my question is how do we proceed, what are good sites and if anyone has advise on how I should deal with him not liking to speak about his NLD.
Sorry this has been such a long message. Thanks for reading this. Sue

and every kid manifests somewhat differently.

The hallmarks of NLD are visual spatial problems, weak social skills and deficits in motor skills. Many NLDers struggle with attention and organization as well as math, but do very well in verbal domains.

My kid really does meet all the criteria, however, the NLD descriptions I read don’t fully apply to him. His social skills aren’t as poor as described and I actually think if he COULD play sports it would mediate his social issues. He also does not have temper tantrums. Easily frustrated, yes, but even as a toddler, he was never the type to throw himself on the floor and kick and scream. Now, with puberty approaching, he has gotten somewhat moody and mouthy…but show me an almost 11 y.o. boy who isn’t. Lol!

Are there any NLD traits you feel DO fit your son? I’m curious, since you say the descriptions don’t fit, what in his evaluation pointed to NLD? Lots of kids have traits of NLD but don’t fit the full syndrome.

Lots of LD and ADHD kids struggle socially but that doesn’t mean they have NLD. Is it possible he was misdiagnosed? Do you have any test scores you’d be comfortable posting? One thing that often points to NLD (but not always) is a discrepancy of more than 15 points between verbal IQ and perceptual reasoning IQ. The PRI pulls down the overall IQ, but most experts say the verbal IQ is a better indicator of true cognitive function.

I hope I’m helping and not confusing you more! It’s all very complicated.