Non-Verbal Learning
Disabilities:
An Emerging Profile
by Caryl Frankenberger, EdM
A body of literature on non-verbal learning disabilities
(NVLD) has emerged within the past ten years. In an attempt to clearly define
this "syndrome," Rourke (1985, 1989), among others, has spent years
researching, describing, and differentiating this subgroup of learning
disabilities from others that are more commonly known and better understood. He
describes the NVLD syndrome as a cluster of neuropsychological, academic, and
social-emotional characteristics that reflects primary deficiencies in
non-verbal reasoning. These deficiencies include but are not limited to weak
visual-spatial and visual discrimination abilities, poorly developed
organizational skills, difficulty making inferences and reasoning abstractly,
significant problems with mathematical reasoning, and limited social competence.
The term NVLD should not be interpreted literally.
Students having non-verbal learning problems may encounter difficulty with
language-based tasks. Communicating through language requires such skills as
organization, comprehension, use of prosody, and flexible thinking, and it is
these aspects as they apply to language that may be problematic for these
students.
While a number of weaknesses have been documented in an
attempt to clarify the NVLD profile, so too have a number of strengths, many of
which are apparent during a child’s first few years in school. Rourke (1985,
1989) suggests that, early in their school careers, these children excel in rote
verbal learning such as that required for reading and spelling. Mastering the
phonetic code is quickly accomplished and automaticity is attained within a
short period of time. Short-term memory abilities are usually well developed and
the NVLD child often encounters success learning content material that requires
memorization.
These children decode text with relative fluency.
However, they often struggle with those aspects of reading that require
organization and higher level reasoning. Difficulty placing events in order,
understanding cause-and-effect relationships, and failing to comprehend the
subtleties and nuances of the language result in a concrete interpretation of
text. In addition, NVLD students often lack flexibility. They approach tasks
rigidly and do not readily use learned information to facilitate the acquisition
of new material. This, coupled with lesser developed concept formation abilities
and poor problem-solving skills, leads to their having difficulty transferring
learned information to new situations. Because these skills are necessary for
comprehending more sophisticated text, NVLD students often encounter the
greatest difficulty as they enter high school where they must organize and
assimilate greater amounts of new material.
Similar kinds of reasoning and organizational skills are
necessary for the successful completion of math and science courses. NVLD
students often have problems with directionality, aligning numbers, carrying
tasks through to completion, attending to visual details such as mathematical
signs, and understanding spatial concepts. Furthermore, fine motor skills are
not always highly developed and, consequently, manipulating a pencil, forming
numbers, and writing all can interfere with the successful completion of
assignments.
Because these students frequently experience success in
courses requiring memorization of material, they tend to master math facts
quickly and are adept at memorizing theorems for geometry. Working with angles
and following lengthy calculations through to completion can be difficult,
however. While certain facets of science can be learned through rote memory, the
NVLD child frequently encounters difficulty with more sophisticated non-verbal
reasoning requirements.
One of the hallmark characteristics of NVLD students is
the difficulty they have learning from their visual environment. It is quite
common to find that a large discrepancy exists between Verbal and Performance IQ
scores on the WISC-III. Low Performance IQ scores reflect, among other things,
difficulty with the analysis and synthesis of visual information regardless of
whether it is concrete or abstract. NVLD children do not readily attend to
visual details and frequently misinterpret those on which they do focus.
Difficulty identifying and comprehending various types
of visual information not only impacts a student’s performance but has
significant ramifications on the development of positive peer relationships.
NVLD children have particular difficulty in this area, as they struggle to
comprehend social cues and the nuances of social interactions. Difficulty noting
and understanding facial expressions, body language, and emotions can place
these children at risk for establishing meaningful and productive friendships.
In addition, they do not always understand cause-and-effect relationships or
anticipate the consequences of their actions, all of which create problems as
they try to adjust to rapidly changing social demands.
In order to compensate for these difficulties, NVLD
children characteristically establish a pattern of routinized social skills. For
example, they may feel uncomfortable entering a group and might compensate by
using a standard introductory comment. This is the child’s way of breaking
into a conversation, and it might be followed by a stream of verbiage which has
little to do with the topic at hand. These children may have difficulty
monitoring their language, which often results in speaking excessively,
interrupting conversations, and talking out of turn. They are frequently
perceived as being socially inappropriate because of these behaviors.
As with any population, not all NVLD children display
all of the behaviors just described. Similarly, the degree to which these areas
of difficulty impact a child’s performance is extremely varied. The majority
of these children respond positively to structure, clear expectations, and
consistency at home and at school. In a supportive, highly structured
environment, NVLD children can learn strategies to compensate for their learning
problems. The following are suggestions for creating an effective learning
environment:
1. Break tasks down into
manageable parts and provide explicit step-by-step directions. This is
especially important when new information is being introduced as well as when
reading comprehension and math tasks are presented.
2. Teach "verbal
feedback" strategies. NVLD children tend to be highly verbal; asking them
to repeat directions or salient information will reinforce concepts presented,
provide structure, and help ensure that all steps of a task are understood.
3. Provide outlines that are
clear and not visually overwhelming. Written outlines facilitate organization
and alleviate the frustration of copying from the board or taking copious
notes. As students become accustomed to working with outlines, they should
gradually be held accountable for writing their own. This is especially
important for high school students who need to move toward independent
notetaking.
4. Provide direct instruction
in social skills. Teach students how to recognize and understand facial
expressions, body language, and emotions. Social competence can be taught
through role playing, but can best be addressed through a curriculum designed
to teach social cognition. Provide students with opportunities to interact
with younger children in order to encourage leadership roles and instill a
sense of responsibility.
5. NVLD children have difficulty
anticipating or understanding the consequences of their actions and are often
punished without having a clear understanding of the reason. Avoid punitive
measures and replace them with constructive criticism and clear, consistent
expectations.
In an appropriate educational and social environment,
NVLD children should have numerous opportunities to make progress. Although this
progress may be slow initially, with time and effective strategies these
children can establish positive and meaningful relationships and achieve greater
success in school.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
References
Rourke, B. P. (Ed.) (1985). Neuropsychology of
Learning Disabilities. NY: Guilford Press.
Rourke, B. P. (1989). Non-Verbal
Learning Disabilities: The Syndrome and the Model. NY: The Guilford Press.
~~~~~~~~~~
About the author - Caryl
Frankenberger is the head of Frankenberger Associates, specializing in psycho-educational evaluations and independent school placement.
She is an active consultant to schools, has directed and coordinated training
programs for teachers, gives workshops on learning disabilities to schools and
organizations and is a popular presenter at conferences. In addition, Caryl has
several publications dealing with learning disabilities and related topics.
Frankenberger Associates: 39 Touro St., Newport, Rhode Island 02840. Tel.
401/ 846-0777.
back
