Interesting article on nonverbal LD and social skills...

Karen,

Thanks for that! My son fits the NLD picture in so many ways. The social thing just does not fit. That article helped me to see that.

This article is a nice summary of why just looking at the “split” between V and P scores on IQ tests isn’t enough to diagnosis NVLD; the quality of language, ability to socially connect with peers,to use humor and empathy, and draw inferences from what is read and experienced are very important to the diagnosis.

Sar,

My son was stuck with the lable based on his scores. I think that is the reason for the problems I have had getting the teachers, case managers/school psychs and principals to understand him. Since being dx slightly over 1 year ago he has had 3 different case managers/school psychs and 3 different teachers. Some teachers get him right away. (His latest one thankfully seems to have.) The sped teachers I have experienced seemed trained to find labels. It is a part of what they do. The sped teachers he has had do not get him. It seems that the regular ed teachers he has encountered do not understand the negative aspects of this diagnosis and therefore do not set him up with lower standards. They don’t seem to pre judge him as much. Every single reg ed teacher has pretty much proclaimed him a social star.
He last sped teacher told me that he will do better with the new autobiograhphical books because they have less inference. This same woman said that he could only read as well as he did because he had memorized a bunch of sight words. (I asked for a gray oral reading inventory or similar test which was never done.)His inference is just fine and he reads by decoding. I think that label really harmed him for a time. I am glad he is away from sped and away from that lable.

Glad you liked it. I take so much away from this board I have to try to give something back once in a while! : )

In my case, my son, who in real life is alot like Linda F’s (although on paper they they’ve got different test scores..) does have deficits in all the NLD areas. (fine motor, social) But there is not the level of severity I hear about when I speak with parents of kids who are classicly NLD. And many of his higher order skills are very un-NLD like. Not sure if he’s a mild NLDer who’s also dyslexic, or a dyslexic kid who’s also shy. Not sure if it matters… So we keep researching and reading…

For what it matters, there are kids of all personality types at every IQ level and within all disability categories; but if you know any NVLD kids you can see that over time, the social awkwardness, lack of empathy and insight, and difficulty with puns, and twists of language …these problems persist, almost inspite of academic progress. My husband says his software co. is full of these men…they are great programers, but terrible managers. My two kids have different personality types and the younger one (not LD) is far more annoying…he’s very, very bright and the “Jay Leno” of the 4th grade, hardly loved by the teachers!

My kid too–he has deficits in all areas that you read about with NVLD kids. However, when I read a book for parents of NVLD kids, I didn’t see my kid in it. His deficits are not at that level of severity. But then he, like Karen’s, has the dylexic profile too.

A therapist he has worked with for several years told me he had right brain deficits but not at the level of a syndrome.

Beth

That’s it in a nut shell isn’t it. I think there is a big push by schools and some professionals to fit all kids with learning issues into a syndrome. I know from working as a nurse for many years that syndromes of all types are extremely rare and the exception rather than the rule.