Diagnose a Student with a Non-Verbal Learning Disability

Parents and teachers have become aware of the different kinds of learning disabilities found in school-aged children. As educators have been able to adjust to the needs of these students, school administrators have made it imperative that their institutions become more equipped in dealing with such learning disabilities. Sadly, the commonly observed learning disabilities are limited to those of the verbal kind. These disabilities are easier to diagnose because of the more observable and measurable symptoms that a child will manifest.

Because 65% of all communication happens non-verbally, it is important that learning disabilities involving non-verbal communication and strategies must be diagnosed early in life. However, children who do not have difficulty with language and verbal skills are not seen as being susceptible to any learning disabilities, and this is not necessarily true. What must also be observed are the other pertinent skills that may indicate a Non-Verbal Learning Disability (NLD). Children suffering from NLD have poor social skills, are physically inept and have difficulty with math and visual-spatial processes.

There are five basic skill development areas that manifest symptoms of NLD. These are:

1. Tactile perception. Though the learner is able to discern the appropriate response, there is no real appreciation of the textures of how things feel. The learner can say that silk is smooth but is unable to realize it, or that skin is supple but doesn't have a genuine appreciation and will merely echo what has been learned through rote memorization, that all silk is smooth and all skin is supple. Inability to make intelligent decisions based on tactile perception can be life-threatening.
2. Psychomotor coordination. Most basic skills are dependent on psychomotor coordination. Jobs are dependent on a mastery of such skills, as even in playtime among children. The lack of motor skills coordination will prevent the learner from enjoying the basic functionalities of adult life, like driving a car, playing ball or cooking.
3. Visual-spatial organization. Spatial organization deals with our ability to determine distance between objects, like crossing a street or a bridge. Failure to properly assess distance between objects will result in the inability to operate machinery necessary for daily life, like driving or playing sports, or even working in factory or office.
4. Non-verbal problem solving. This refers to the ability to monitor and assess whether an effort is successful or not. A basic life skill, non-verbal problem solving is a key skill that adults utilize the most when trying to get things done in the workplace.
5. Inability to appreciate incongruities and humor. A stand-out student who knows the multiplication table by heart and can spell any word thrown his way, but stumbles when presented with a joke, may be an NLD sufferer. Most emotions, humor and behavioral activity registers in the right hemisphere of the brain, the so-called non-logical part. A balance in both hemispheres is crucial to survival, thus the inability to tell a joke or appreciate one is tantamount to being an outcast in society.

Once you notice problems in these areas, do not hesitate to bring the child to a specialist for proper assessment and diagnosis. Early detection will help in dealing with the areas of difficulty and give the child a brighter future as an adult who has overcome these problems.