Day Two – Tuesday,
September 25, 2001
NOW WHAT? - DEVELOPING AN
EDUCATIONAL
PROGRAM FOR THE STUDENT WITH NLD
Sue Thompson, MA, CET
(California, USA)
FACILITATING SOCIAL
SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
IN CHILDREN WITH NLD
and
CONFRONTING THE
SOCIAL CHALLENGES
OF NLD IN ADOLESCENCE
James Loomis, PhD
(Connecticut,
USA)
~~~~~~~~~~
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS AND THEIR
PRESENTATIONS
BYRON P. ROURKE, PhD,
FRSC
(Ontario, Canada)
About the Speaker
Professor of Psychology and a University Professor at The
University of Windsor, and a member of the faculty of the School of
Medicine, Yale University.
Has served as President of the International
Neuropsychological Society, the Division of Clinical Neuropsychology of the
American Psychological Association, the American Board of Clinical
Neuropsychology, and the American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology.
Co-founder and co-editor of three journals.
First recipient of the Research Award of the Ontario
Psychological Foundation for Distinguished Contributions to Clinical
Neuropsychology.
According to the Canadian Psychological Association Awards
Committee, Dr. Rourke’s research into NLD has had a "direct,
positive, and pervasive influence on clinical practice and has significantly
enhanced knowledge of the field."
His latest major work, Syndrome of Nonverbal Learning
Disabilities: Neurodevelopmental Manifestations, provides evidence of
the manifestations of NLD in many types of neurological disease, disorder,
and dysfunction. The workshop will focus on NLD, a syndrome that persists
into adulthood. Emphasis will also be placed on the diagnostic and treatment
process. In addition to describing the clinical features of this syndrome, a
model to explain the syndrome’s dynamics will be described. The model
involves an extension of theoretical tenets, some integration with Piagetian
developmental theory, and some relationships to age-related developmental
changes in neuropsychological test performance.
About the Presentation
Children with NLD exhibit outstanding neuropsychological
deficits in visual-spatial-organizational, tactile-perceptual, psychomotor,
and nonverbal problem-solving skills, within a context of clear assets such
as rote verbal learning, regular phoneme-grapheme matching, amount of verbal
output, and verbal classification. Problems in the linguistic dimensions of
content and function (pragmatics) are especially apparent. Children with NLD
experience their major academic learning difficulties in mechanical
arithmetic and most dimensions of science, while exhibiting advanced levels
of word-recognition and spelling.
The workshop will focus on the NLD syndrome. In addition
to describing the clinical features of this syndrome, a model to explain the
syndrome’s dynamics has been proposed (the "white matter"
model). The model involves an extension of the theoretical tenets of
Goldberg and Costa (1981), some integration with Piagetian developmental
theory, and some relationships to known age-related developmental changes in
neuropsychological test performance.
WARREN ROSEN, PhD
(Chicago, Illinois, USA)
(Dr. Rosen's biographical notes and a description of
his session will be posted soon)
SUE THOMPSON, MA, CET
(California, USA)
About the Speaker
Educational Therapist and Consultant who currently
specializes in training educators and educational therapists to understand,
develop programs for, and provide appropriate educational interventions and
services for individuals with NLD.
In demand as a speaker because of the depth of her
knowledge and the passion she brings to her topic. Sue's presentations are
always engaging and interactive.
Has developed her expertise through over 25 years as a
classroom teacher and special educator in California public schools and
eight years in private practice.
Author of numerous articles on learning and behavior, and
author of The Source for Nonverbal Learning Disorders (formerly I
Shouldn't Have to Tell You!).
Teaches graduate level courses and provides teacher
in-service training, workshops, and presentations for professionals and
parent groups both nationally and internationally.
About the Presentation
NLD are often neglected and are presently less likely to
receive recognition than most other types of learning disabilities. Motor
difficulties, poor visual-spatial-organizational abilities, and social
deficits characterize NLD. Participants will delve into the major areas of
concern, identifying characteristics, the importance of correct diagnosis,
and a developmental profile throughout the lifespan. For the child with NLD,
the demands of school can prove to be overwhelming and may appear
insurmountable at times. Unless the entire school staff is conscious of the
unique neurobehavioral characteristics which impede this student's progress,
and seeks to provide appropriate intervention strategies, this student will
have a very difficult time.
Participants will be presented with instructional
implications for teaching the child with NLD. Current
research will be explored to help develop practical interventions for servicing the child
with NLD.
JAMES LOOMIS, PhD
(Connecticut, USA)
About the Speaker
A University of Michigan graduate (PhD), Dr. Loomis joined
Connecticut Children's Medical Center at its creation in 1996 and is
currently the Manager of Child and Family Support Services where he
maintains a focus on the behavioral treatment and social skills of children
with developmental disabilities.
In addition to his position at CCMC, he is a clinical
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Connecticut School of
Medicine.
About the Presentation
CHILDREN - NLD presents significant challenges to the
social functioning of children. This session will examine the nature of
these challenges and highlight strategies to apply at home, in school, and
in the community.
ADOLESCENTS - During adolescence, NLD can impose a growing
impediment to social development as the peer group becomes more ascendant
and social communication becomes more subtle and complex. This session will
focus on the impact NLD has on social development during adolescence and on
interventions designed to promote optimal social skills.
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