Learning with disabilities

• What Causes Learning...
• LD early identification
• Nonverbal Learning...
• Mnemonic Strategies

Nonverbal Learning Disorders There is no question that most did in 1975) that nonverbal learning scholastic accomplishments are measured disabilities "are more debilitating than and defined through language-based verbal disabilities." The specific communication. Yet, it has been found central processing abilities and that more than 65% of all communication deficits that characterize this syndrome is actually conveyed nonverbally. We are are now well defined. Still, nonverbal all familiar with "non-verbal learning disorders remain predominantly communication," but few professionals misunderstood and largely go have been specifically trained to look unrecognized. for deficits in this area. Although A child's earliest mode of communication intelligence measures are designed to should be nonverbal. Both parents and evaluate both the verbal and nonverbal teachers will often suspect that aspects of intelligence, educators tend "something is amiss" early on, but they to ignore evidence of nonverbal can't quite "put a finger on it." Three deficiencies in students. Or worse, they categories of dysfunction present brand students with nonverbal learning themselves: (1) motoric (lack of disabilities as "problem" children. coordination, severe balance problems We are all aware of the important role and/or difficulties with fine language plays in human learning. The graphomotor skills), (2) competence of an individual, in our visual-spatial-organizational (lack of present-day society, is most often image, poor visual recall, faulty judged by their verbal proficiencies. A spatial perceptions, and/or difficulties person who speaks eloquently and has a with spatial relations), and (3) social well-developed vocabulary tends to be (lack of ability to comprehend nonverbal accorded more credibility than an communication, difficulties adjusting to individual who makes constant transitions and novel situations, and/or grammatical errors and demonstrates a significant deficits in social judgment limited vocabulary. A student who has and social interaction). innate difficulties reading, spelling, Early consultation with a school and/or expressing herself stands out in psychologist or family physician most classroom situations. And likewise, typically only serves to dismiss or a student who is a top reader, achieves minimize a teacher's or parent's worries excellent spelling scores, and expresses about this child. More often than not, herself articulately usually does not parents are assured that everything is prompt her teacher to consider a fine; perhaps their child is "just a learning disorder. But, this is often perfectionist" or "immature" or "bored exactly the presentation a child with with the way things are normally done" nonverbal learning disabilities (NLD) or "a bit clumsy." Rarely are a parent's syndrome manifests in the early or teacher's concerns given any credence elementary grades. until the child reaches a point in Nonverbal learning disorders (also school where he is no longer able to called "right-hemisphere learning function given the limitations of his disorders") often go unrecognized and disability and/or, in some cases, the unaided by teachers and other child suffers a "nervous breakdown" (or professionals for a large part of a worse). child's schooling. Overall, there has The child with nonverbal learning been an inadequate awareness of the disorders commonly appears awkward and underlying causes for the difficulties is, in fact, inadequately coordinated in these students encounter in school. both fine and gross motor skills. She There are currently few resources may have had extreme difficulty learning available for the child with NLD to ride a bike or to kick a soccer ball. syndrome through schools or private Fine motor skills, such as cutting with agencies. It is still difficult to find scissors or tying shoe laces, seem to be a professional who understands nonverbal impossible for this child to master. She learning disabilities. These children "talks her way through" even simple are often labeled "behavior problems" or motor activities. A young child with NLD "emotionally disturbed" because of their is less likely to explore her frequent inappropriate and unexpected environment motorically because she conduct, but NLD is known to have a cannot rely upon her kinesthetic neurological rather than a deliberate processing and spatial perceptions. This and/or an emotional origin. child learns little from experience or The NLD syndrome reveals itself in repetition and is unable to generalize impaired abilities to organize the information. visual-spatial field, adapt to new or In the early years, such a child may novel situations, and/or accurately read appear "confused" much of the time (he nonverbal signals and cues. It appears is confused) despite a high intelligence to be the reverse syndrome of dyslexia. and high scores on receptive and Although academic progress is made, such expressive language measures. Closer a student will have difficulty observation will reveal a social "producing" in situations where speed ineptness brought about by and adaptability are required. Whereas misinterpretations of body language and language-based learning disorders have or tone of voice. This child is unable been shown to be genetic in origin, to "look and learn." He does not heredity has not, as yet, been linked to perceive subtle cues in his environment NLD. It is known that nonverbal learning such as: when something has gone far disabilities involve the performance enough; the idea of personal "space"; processes (generally thought of the facial expressions of others; or neurologically as originating in the when another person is registering right cerebral hemisphere of the brain, pleasure (or displeasure) in a nonverbal which specializes in nonverbal mode. processing). These are all social "skills" that are Brain scans of individuals with NLD normally grasped intuitively through often confirm mild abnormalities of the observation, not directly taught. If a right cerebral hemisphere. Developmental child is constantly admonished with the histories have revealed that a number of words, "I shouldn't have to tell you the children suffering from nonverbal this!," this should alert everyone that learning disorders who have come to something is awry because you do have to clinical attention have at some time tell them (everything). The child's early in their development: (1) verbal processing may be proficient, but sustained a moderate to severe head it can be impossible for her to receive injury, (2) received repeated radiation and comprehend nonverbal information. treatments on or near their heads over a Such a child will cope by relying upon prolonged period of time, (3) congenital language as her principal means of absence of the corpus callosum, (4) been social relating, information gathering, treated for hydrocephalus, or (5) and relief from anxiety. As a result, actually had brain tissue removed from she is constantly being told, "You talk their right hemisphere. too much!" All of these neurological insults The child with NLD often develops an involve significant destruction of white exceptional memory for rote material; a matter (long myelinated fibers in the coping skill he has had to hone in order brain) connections in the right to survive. Since the nonverbal hemisphere, which are important for processing area of his brain is not intermodal integration. Hence, current giving him the needed automatic evidence and theories suggest that early feedback, he relies solely upon his damage (disease, disorder, or memory of past experiences, each of dysfunction) of the right cerebral which he has labeled verbally, to guide hemisphere and/or diffuse white matter him in future situations. This, of disease, which leaves the left course, is less effective and less hemisphere (unimodal) system to function reliable than being able to sense and on its own, is the contributing cause of interpret another person's social cues the NLD syndrome (definitely not (because of the vast array of dysfunctional home lives). Clinically, differences in human nature). this learning disorder classification Cumbersome monologues are another trait resembles an adult patient with a severe of a child with nonverbal learning head injury to the right cerebral disabilities. Normal conversational hemisphere, both symptomatically and "give and take" seems to elude her. behaviorally. Teachers complain of a child who "talks Nonverbal learning disorders appear much incessantly" and parents resolve, "She less frequently than language-based just doesn't seem to know when to be learning disorders. Whereas it is quiet!" Owing to visual-spatial approximated that about 10% of the disturbances, it is difficult for this general population could be found to child to change from one activity to have identifiable learning disabilities, another and/or to move from one place to it is thought that only 1 to 10% of another. A child with NLD uses all of those individuals would be found to have her concentration and attention to NLD (or between 1.0 to 0.1% of the merely get through a room. Imagine the general population). Unlike frustration produced when attempting to language-based learning disabilities, function in a complicated and/or new the NLD syndrome affects females as social situation. Owing to her inability often as males (approximately 1:1 sex to "handle" such informational ratio) and incidence of left-handedness processing demands, she will is uncommon. instinctively avoid any kind of novelty. Even though NLD is, by definition, a The importance of identifying and "low incidence disability," there are servicing children with nonverbal indications that, as school assessment learning disorders is especially acute. intervention procedures improve, a Overestimates of the child's abilities higher proportion of children will be and unrealistic demands made by parents identified with the NLD syndrome. The and teachers can lead to ongoing low rate of occurrence (as low as 1 out emotional problems. A favorable of 1,000), is no excuse for the lack of prognosis seems to depend upon early identification and services victims of identification and accommodation. The this devastating impairment currently child with NLD is particularly inclined receive. The symptoms are distinct and toward seriously debilitating forms of display themselves early in a child's internalizing psychopathology, such as development. depression, withdrawal, anxiety, and in The discovery of the NLD syndrome began some cases, suicide. in the early 1970s, with research Dr. Byron P. Rourke of the University of involving groups of children with Windsor and his associates have found learning disabilities identified by that nonverbal learning disabilities discrepancies between their verbal and "predispose those afflicted to performance IQs. It is unfortunate that adolescent and adult depression and 25 years later, even professionals in suicide risk." The child with NLD is the field of education are largely regularly punished and picked on for uninformed about and/or unfamiliar with circumstances he cannot help, without nonverbal learning disorders as these ever really understanding why, and he is disabilities can be much more in turn often left with little hope that devastating to a child than his situation will ever improve. After language-based learning disorders in the amassing years of embarrassing and long run. misconceived unintentional social Since diminished access to and/or blunders, it is not too difficult to disordered functioning of the comprehend how a person with nonverbal right-hemisphere systems impedes all learning disorders could come to the understanding and adaptive learning, it conclusion that his environment is not is fair to say (as Helmer R. 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