Nonverbal Learning Disorders

1. Nonverbal Learning Disorders Also Known As: Right-Hemisphere Learning Disorders

2. What is a nonverbal learning disorder? • Nonverbal Learning Disorder Syndrome (NVLD) is a neurological syndrome which renders the individual unable to process nonverbal information. • The assets include early speech and vocabulary, as well highly developed rote memory abilities. • The deficits include impairments to motor skills, visual-spatial organization, social skills and sensory skills.

3. Causes • No direct cause has been found, but the myelination or “white matter” of brain which affects communication of the two hemisphere’s of the brain is damaged • Damage to the central nervous system early in life • Head trauma • Tumor • Seizure

4. Statistics • Dr. Rourke believes that about 10 percent of children who have been identified with learning disabilities have nonverbal learning disabilities. This means that nearly 1 percent of the U.S. population, nearly 2.7 million people, have NLD. • Affects males and females equally

5. Identifying NVLDWhy is it difficult…

6. Motor Skills

7. Visual-Spatial-Organizational

8. Social

9. Can you read a face? • 65% of all communication is nonverbal. Do you know what the person is thinking by looking at their facial expressions?

10. Sensory • Physical sensitivity in any of the sensory modes

11. Clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yk7inZOfv7M

12. Servicing NVLD • Performance IQ test • CAMS (special education services) • Compensations • Accommodations • Assistive technology • Modifications • Strategies • IEP • 504

13. Compensations • Extra time to arrive to and leave from class • Do not place inappropriate expectations on the student • Develop verbal compensatory strategies to deal more effectively with novel situations • Set attainable and worthwhile goals • 90% of interactions must be positive

14. Accommodations • All information should be relayed verbally • Give the student all notes in a typed format • Test answer sheet layouts and the arrangement of visual-spatial math assignments need to be simplified • Paper and pencil tasks need to be kept to a minimum because of finger dexterity and visual-spatial problems. • Adjustments must be made in teacher expectations for volume of written products • Tasks requiring folding, cutting with scissors, and/or arranging material in a visual-spatial manner (maps, graphs, mobiles, etc.) will require considerable assistance • Extended time for tests and homework assignments • Student's schedule needs to be as predictable as possible

15. Assistive Technology • Word processor • Text to speech • Speech to text • Concept mapping software • Phonetic spell checkers with word prediction capabilities • Organizational software/personal information managers • Talking calculators

16. Modifications • Child needs to be in a learning environment that provides daily, non-threatening contact with nondisabled peers • Active verbalization in cooperative learning groups • Peer "buddy" to help guide him through the day • Must be in a predictable environment • Any nonverbal problem solving questions must be modified so they become verbal in nature

17. Strategies • Tell this child everything and encourage her to give you verbal feedback • Verbally teach cognitive strategies for the skills of conversational pragmatics • Observe and expand the coping techniques that the child has already acquired on his/her own • Group the child with "good role models" so that she can label and learn appropriate behavior • Adults should talk their way through their actions, modeling for the child • If inappropriate behaviors are causing problems at school, a functional analysis and behavioral intervention plan detailing a course of action which is designed to be useful and non-punitive in nature may need to be a part of this child's IEP or 504 plan.

18. The End For more information visit: http://www.nldline.com/ http://www.ldonline.org/article/Nonverbal_Learning_Disorders Presentation created by Jessica Ready