Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Twice Exceptional Tell me all about non-verbal learning disability

My daughter was just diagnosed with ADHD and NVLD. I know a bit about ADHD, but nothing about NVLD. I'm researching obviously and the psychologist did give us a report, but I'm really hoping for some BTDT from the other parents on here. So, for those of you who have experience with NVLD, what do I need to know? What potential problems are we facing and what can we do to help?

I would like to recommend a fantastic book which I am currently reading. It covers many different aspects of ADHD and NVLD from different perspectives emphasizing this combo along with giftedness. The book is, "Different Minds", by Deirdre V. Lovecky.

My D (now age 16) was diagnosed a couple of years ago with a NVLD. Her NVLD manifests itself primarily in organization issues (I believe another parent out here coined the phrase "the pigpen of paper" that fits perfectly) and slow processing in math (plenty of horsepower for the concepts, just a little slow in getting the work done). It explained a lot about why she couldn't seem to get traction academically compared to her high IQ scores.

Accomodations/adaptions we have used:
- Extra time on math tests. Although her need for this seems to be diminishing as she gets older.
- Her math teacher noticed that she does better with less clutter on the page (she was turning in assignments with one problem per page). The teacher changed her tests so D had a version with one problem per page, and her math grades went up a full grade. D went in and asked her Chemistry teacher for a similar accomodation just today (big step for her to advocate for herself, as she is pretty shy!).
- I talked to her teachers in 9th & 10th grade and asked for a little leeway and extra reminders on organization as she works toward more independence in this area. They were very helpful. This year (11th grade) has gone better. There is hope!

I also belong to a Yahoo! discussion group called Gifted-NLD-AS. Some days I am just relieved as I read the posts on that board that my D doesn't have as many issues as some of the kids there do. But I have found enough relevant info (and posted a few questions of my own) to think it is worth joining.

Can someone tell me how the doctor would go with NVLD vs ADHD alone? I see alot of qualities of each in my DD8...

It seems to be very hard to tease out NVLD, AS, ADHD. There are alot of overlapping difficulties/qualities.

At 10 years old, my son was diagnosed with NVLD by a psychologist based on:

social/behaviour difficulties
disorganization/forgetfulness/inattention
large difference between VCI and PRI (>99th versus around 85th)
low score on the writing portion of the WIAT

However, after doing alot of reading, I didn't feel that the NVLD diagnosis "fit" my son. His social problems are more to do with impulsivity, poorly regulated attention, and a self-centred world view. He does not have difficulty with reading non-verbal clues (body language, facial expression, tone of voice). While is spatial skills are not his strong point, he does well with math. His motor skills are average and he has no significant problems with handwriting.

A year after the first test, we had a full neuropsychological evaluation (teacher and parent behavior ratings, WISC-IV, all subsections of WIAT-II, and NEPSYII which included tests for attention/inhibition, executive function, memory, language and visual-motor integration). From this evaluation we came away with a diagnosis of ADHD-inattentive with EF problems and not NVLD. Our second tester felt strongly that a relative weakness in PRI wasn't enough for the NVLD diagnosis.

In the long run, I feel like it doesn't matter too much what I call my son's difficulties, its more about how to remediate them. We did decide to try ADHD medication after the neuropsych. testing, and DS has responded well.

An addition here, my daughter has tested as "inconclusive" on non-attentive ADHD twice now. I guess that means borderline... but the NVLD was obvious; the testers at the local children's hospital said it was the largest split they had seen to date between VCI and PRI.

One other thing about my kid that I had read somewhere else is common with NVLD kids, and is very true for her is that she has trouble around traffic. She (voluntarily) held my hand in parking lots until she was 14. On a recent visit to a college in a rural area (but on the water), she said it might be a good place for her to go to school -- she will not get run over by a car, and would only be at risk from the sailboats.