The success or failure of most NLD children is based on
the environment in which they are required to function. As a result of their
unique problems, it is very difficult for these children to understand the
requirements of a particular situation, as well as how to adapt to it.
Parents generally respond instinctively to the eccentricities of their
children, without giving it much conscious thought. Therefore, the parent of
an NLD child has likely adapted the home environment to suit the unique
needs of their child.
Once she begins school, the child’s life becomes far
more challenging. She no longer understands what is expected of her, and
almost always has tremendous difficulty adapting to the new environment.
Also, coping in multiple settings is quite difficult for this child. In
addition to managing her home environment, she may also be required to spend
a portion of her day in a before and/or after school daycare situation. The
more settings that the NLD child is forced to cope with, the less able she
will be to manage any of them well. Although it may not be possible, the
ideal situation for this child is to have only two settings to cope with –
home and school. If before and/or after school care is necessary, it would
be best to have someone care for her in her own home.
Providing the right environment at home, and insisting
on an equally appropriate one at school, will likely win the parent of an
NLD child the irritating title of “overprotective.”
The fact is that you must be very protective of this child,
and for quite some time. It is important for parents to “hang tough”
when school officials tell a parent that their child is too dependent on
them. The child’s parent(s) is her anchor, and she needs to know that
someone will “protect” her when the need arises.
This chapter will address the environmental issues at
school which need to be considered in order for the NLD child to function
effectively, as well as the appropriate educational placement for this
student. Environmental issues cover things such as the physical layout of
the classroom and school, the cafeteria, lights and sounds, crowds, routines
and schedules, etc.. Placement relates to which educational option you
decide is most suitable for your NLD child. There are basically three
placement options to choose from. The first is the public school system.
This may be either a program for learning disabled youngsters, or a regular
education program. The second option is a private school, whether it is one
that is specifically geared to learning disabled children, or has primarily
a regular education program. The third option is homeschooling, where the
parent is both teacher and program coordinator, and has the freedom to
create an environment specifically designed for their child.
The needs of these youngsters change over time.
Actually, let me correct that. The NLD child’s needs remain constant, but
the demands of a typical school change over time. In a traditional program,
student support is withdrawn at the same time that demands increase, and the
child’s environment becomes more complex. What we normally see in schools
is that, for the early years, there is a considerable amount of
concrete direction, the children are with one teacher for the
majority of their school day, they do everything together, and are always
accompanied by an adult. As children get older, the direction becomes less
concrete, students are with multiple teachers during their school day,
schedules become more complex, and children are expected to be more
independent in the learning process. As support is being withdrawn, and
demands increase, the NLD child will be unable to adapt. She is unable
to respond to the demands of a traditional educational environment after the
early elementary years. Usually the warning signs of her inability to adapt
are fairly apparent by third or fourth grade, and generally quite pronounced
when she is required to transition to middle school, which unfortunately
often coincides with adolescence. It is absolutely critical to accommodate
this student’s needs in order for her to develop both scholastically and
emotionally.
ENVIRONMENT
The unique needs of this child may not be readily
apparent in the younger years, but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t
real. Although she may look like a typical five or six year old, she
is not at the development level of her age mates. It is important to
understand the disorder, and its implications, in order to provide the
appropriate environment for her. Don’t be fooled by this child’s
well-developed vocabulary, or even apparent giftedness. As a society, we
often equate intelligence with language skills. Because of this student’s
early strength in this area, she may appear to be far more able than she
actually is. Remember, she is using her strength (verbal skills) to
compensate for her deficits in other areas. This child’s developmental
disability is a major impediment to her learning and must be accommodated to
meet her particular needs. The following are recommendations appropriate for
this child’s school environment.
Educational Setting
The NLD youngster requires a tremendous amount of
consistency. She needs a highly structured day, which is very predictable.
During the early years, the maximum class size should be between six and
eight children, with fewer children being the ideal. There should be both a
teacher and an aid, so that one of them is always available to assist the
NLD child when she is struggling.
It is very difficult for the NLD student when her
primary teacher is replaced by a substitute teacher. She does not understand
the expectations or teaching style of the substitute teacher, and generally,
the substitute teacher does not understand the needs of the NLD student. To
address this situation, there should be one individual identified as a
consistent substitute teacher for the class. The primary teacher should
educate the identified substitute teacher at the beginning of the school
year about the particular needs of the NLD student. Providing this
continuity will alleviate the undue stress placed on the NLD student by
having to cope with a change in circumstances.
As the child progresses through her elementary years,
her need for a relatively small class size continues, as does the need for a
classroom aid to be available to assist her as the need arises.
Unfortunately, this option may not be available. The appropriate placement
for the NLD child may be a regular education class. If so, it is
likely that there will be approximately 22
to 25 students in the class. However, it is important to understand that
every step that is taken away from what this child needs – in this
case, a small number of students - compromises her ability to succeed. If
she is required to participate in a regular education classroom of 22 to 25
students, it is imperative that an aid be in the classroom at all
times, with specific responsibility to assist the NLD child. The aid must be
qualified to teach, since the NLD youngster will often need individual
instruction in a particular assignment.
When the child reaches middle school, which is
generally in sixth or seventh grade, the traditional educational environment
becomes totally overwhelming for an NLD student. It is absolutely imperative
that this student continue to have the same type of consistent, predictable,
highly supportive environment that was required for her elementary
education. Many school systems are able to meet the needs of a one-teacher
class, with a limited number of students, and an aid during the
elementary school years. However, most are not equipped to readily provide
this environment for middle school and beyond. If the school does in fact
provide small class instruction, they are generally designed for either
behaviorally challenged students, or for those who are academically below
grade level. Neither of these situations is appropriate for the NLD
student. She should not be placed in a class with behaviorally challenged
students or those who are performing below grade level in order to meet the
requirement of a small class. Either placement would seriously undermine
this student’s education.
Classroom Setting
In the early elementary years, activities are often
conducted with the children seated on the floor in a circle, which is
sometimes referred to as “circle time.” Since this is not an effective
teaching environment for the child, she will benefit from direct guidance
from an adult. During “circle time,” the NLD child should be seated
directly next to the teacher or aid.
Most classrooms for young children are highly
decorated, providing significant visual stimulation. For the NLD student,
these decorations are serious barriers to learning. What most youngsters
find appealing – pictures on the walls, items suspended from the ceiling,
bulletin boards with work samples scattered about – the NLD child finds
distracting and frustrating. The most effective way to deal with this
situation is to seat the NLD child in the front row of the class, keeping
the front wall clear of distracting material. The blackboard should be kept
clean of any extraneous writing or other material, only having information
on the board that directly relevant to the lesson which is being taught.
The classroom should be arranged so that all of the
children sit at desks, which face forward, rather than being grouped in
pods. The It is important to remember that the NLD student is an auditory
learner, whose related issues must be accommodated. A seating of front and
center is best, with quiet students seated on both sides and behind her. The
NLD child must always be seated facing the teacher, and not be distracted by
the children around her. Desks should not touch each other, as the child may
feel crowded - her personal space invaded. Since this child is an auditory
learner, her hearing is likely acute so that normal classroom noises are
amplified to this child, and far more distracting. Therefore, she should not
be seated next to a fidgety child who is constantly shifting around in his
or her chair, so that the chair/desk make scraping sounds on the floor. Nor
should she be seated near a student who continuously taps a pencil, or makes
other distracting noises which will interfere with the NLD child's ability
to concentrate on what the teacher is saying.
The classroom setting that is required during the early
elementary years remains necessary for the NLD student through middle school
and beyond. The classroom should be arranged with all desks facing forward,
and not touching. The child should continue to be seated front and center,
with quiet students around her. Visual distractions should be confined to
the side and rear walls, leaving the front wall uncluttered, and the
blackboard free of everything except the material related specifically to
the class instruction.
Other Considerations
Due to this child’s social and communication
impairment, she should not be left unsupervised during unstructured time.
Whether the child is at recess, in the corridors before and after school, or
eating in the cafeteria, an aid should be assigned to observe her. If the
NLD youngster is having difficulty with social interactions, or with
independent skills such as getting hot lunch or milk, the aid should step in
and assist her. NLD students are most vulnerable while in unstructured
settings, and will need assistance for quite some time. Initially, the aid
should be more involved with helping the child, and as she becomes somewhat
more independent, the aid can “shadow” the child, only stepping in when
it is clear that the situation warrants it. Remember that NLD children are
targets for unkind youngsters and bullies and should be protected from
harmful situations.
If this child is required to be transported to and from
school on a bus, arrangements should be made for pick-up in front of the
child’s home. Due to her spatial and social difficulties, this should be
an accommodation that is fairly easy to secure. A parent or other adult
should observe the child while she waits for her bus, to insure that she is
not teased or bullied by other youngsters. The NLD child should have an
assigned seat on the bus, next to a kind child, and close to the bus driver.
The driver should be aware of the NLD child’s disability and prevent any
taunting or teasing of the child while on the bus. An adult should be
available to meet the bus, again with drop-off in front of the child’s
home, or wherever she is cared for after school. If the child finds the bus
ride stressful, she might enjoy listening to a music audiotape or CD during
the trip, allowing her to relax and block out extraneous distractions.
“Specials,” such as library, art, gym, and so forth
are generally less structured than other classes. Often, even in the
earliest school years, children have these subject areas in a specialized
location, rather than in their classroom. It is doubtful that teachers who
only see the NLD child a few times a week, and possibly for only a few
months during the school year, will understand this student’s needs.
Combined with the fact that these classes tend to be less structured than
those in the student’s primary classroom, the NLD child is left in a
vulnerable position. An aid should be assigned to attend these classes along
with the NLD youngster in order to insure that her needs are met, and
provide assistance where appropriate.
To repeat . . . every step that is taken away
from what this child needs, compromises her ability to succeed. If the
child displays unacceptable behavior, whether she is acting out or seems
overly sensitive, the problem is almost certainly with the environment, and
not with the child! Always look
at the appropriateness of the demands and expectations being placed on this
child before assuming that there is a behavior problem. Determine what is
causing the behavior, and then correct it. The behavioral problem will
almost certainly disappear once the environmental problem is corrected.
PLACEMENT
The ultimate decision-maker in the educational
placement of the NLD child is always the parent. The parent knows best what
type of environment is most suitable for their child and compatible with the
family’s personal goals, such as educational philosophy, standards,
values, or possibly religious principles. There are three available options
for educating a child - public school, private school, or homeschool. If you
select a public or private school, it is imperative that the
teachers and other school staff members are supportive, flexible, and
appreciate the pervasive nature of NLD. If they are new to the condition,
they should be receptive to learning about Nonverbal Learning Disabilities. Hopefully,
the educational choice will be selected based on parental preferences, and
not as a result of the public school system’s failure to meet the special
needs of their child. The following provides additional information on the
three available educational placement options, and the implications for the
NLD child.
Public School
It is the right of every school-aged child to receive a
free, appropriate public education, which means that the student’s
education will be provided at the taxpayers’ expense. Generally, this
right is fulfilled through the public school system. The most common
educational programs provided through the public school system are regular
education, and special education. Regular education is provided to those
children who are not considered to need “special” assistance, and
special education is provided for students who have been identified as
needing “special” assistance as a result of a qualified disability,
which significantly affects their ability to learn. Although we generally
think of special education as it relates to learning disabilities and
academics, it also encompasses other disabilities, such as vision and
hearing impairments, physically challenged youngsters, and serious health
problems. It is important to understand that special education is a process,
not a place.
For the young NLD child, a regular education program
offered by the town's public school system may effectively meet the
child’s needs. Some youngsters will need additional support services such
as special education and/or related services. School districts manage their
special education programs in various ways. Some schools have self-contained
classrooms for their special education students. Others have full inclusion
programs, where special education students and regular education students
are taught in the same classroom by two teachers – one being a regular
education teacher and the other a special educator. Still other programs
have Resource Rooms, where students spend the majority of their day in their
regular classroom, and go to the Resource Room for special education or
assistance in specific areas, such as reading, math, etc..
Services administered by the school’s speech and
language specialist may be indicated in order to develop the NLD child’s
communication skills (particularly pragmatics). Also, the services of an
occupational therapist may be warranted in order to assist the child with
her fine motor difficulties and self-help skills. Although each child must
qualify for these and other services, they are free within the U. S. public
school system, and if provided, will be incorporated into the child’s
school schedule.
Many public schools have the ability to appropriately
support the NLD child during the elementary school years, where a high level
of structure and direction are the norm. However, most school districts, if
not all, have far more difficulty meeting the needs of this student in
middle school and beyond. The curriculum-driven approach in middle and high
school, where there is a separate teacher for each subject, is
contra-indicated for the NLD student who does best with a single teacher.
The typical environment of 1,000 or more students, class and teacher changes
for each period, complex schedules which often change from day to day, and
the expectation of independent learning, are all inappropriate for the NLD
student.
In order for the public school system to effectively
accommodate an NLD student in middle and high school, they need to be
creative. However, the constraints of their typical educational environment
makes creativity difficult. The advent of charter and magnet schools may be
one answer. Charter schools receive public funding, but are run separately
from the traditional public school. They are managed by groups such as
teachers, parents, or foundations, are free of many district regulations,
and are often tailored to community needs. Magnet schools also receive
public funding, and were originally designed to attract students from
elsewhere within a school district. These schools generally place special
emphasis either on overall academic achievement or within a particular area
such as science, the arts, or technology. Charter and magnet schools are
typically much smaller than regular public schools, and as a result of their
smaller size, are able to be more flexible and creative than a traditional
public school setting. If there are charter and/or magnet schools within the
district, this may be a consideration for the NLD student. These public
educational placement options should be considered when determining the most
appropriate environment for the child, particularly in middle and high
school.
Private School
Private schools are divided primarily into two
classifications – independent schools and parochial schools (those with a
religious affiliation). Within these two categories, are both regular and
special education schools. There are residential schools, day schools, and a
combination of residential and day schools. Private schools are supported
through student tuition, which varies tremendously from school to school.
The choices can be overwhelming, making it difficult to select the
appropriate placement for the NLD child.
As you consider various schools, keep the needs of the
child in mind. Some schools are quite impressive, and we can forget what our
original criteria was. The best placement for the NLD child may not be the
most impressive school. In fact, many of the impressive private schools are
too socially demanding for NLD youngsters. The ideal placement for this
child has the following:
A creative, flexible staff who is knowledgeable about NLD, or
clearly excited about the prospect of becoming knowledgeable.
A physical lay-out that is easy for the child to navigate within
– straight corridors, well-marked doors, etc.
A very small total student population, with 50 or less being ideal,
but no more than 200.
Very small class size, with 6 to 8 students plus a classroom aid
for the younger child, and 10 to 12 students plus a classroom aid for the
older student.
Student continuity – students stay together from one year to the
next, so that the NLD child can develop an understanding of the group
dynamic, and form meaningful relationships.
Teacher continuity - the student has the same teacher(s) for
multiple years, and there are a limited number of teachers working with
the NLD youngster.
A school philosophy of teamwork, and a policy of zero tolerance for
bullying.
Remember that although this is considered to be the
ideal placement, each step taken away from the ideal will
significantly compromise the education of the NLD student. Remain
open-minded and flexible in looking at various placement options. You might
unwittingly pass on a school that would have been an ideal situation for
your child. For instance, you may determine that a special education school
is the appropriate placement for your child. However, the school under
consideration may be geared to more left-hemisphere learning disabilities
such as dyslexia, have a large student population, and assign multiple
teachers to your child. You may have rejected a local Christian school
because your family isn’t terribly religious, and they don’t have a
special education program. However, they have a very small school population
of under 50 students, a caring and supportive staff with a philosophy to
recognize and support the uniqueness of each child, a zero tolerance for
bullying, and require uniforms (allowing your child to fit in by looking
like all of the other students) . . . a little gem of a school that could
have easily been overlooked. It is important to consider all possible
educational placements, because it is unlikely that you will find a perfect
situation. First identify the most critical components, and then locate a
school that most closely fulfills the criteria.
Generally, it is best to do
the initial school research without directly involving the NLD child. She
may become overly anxious about the prospect of change. On the other hand,
if she is in a situation which is causing her extreme distress, it may be
reassuring for her to know that there are alternatives to her current
placement. Some private schools will accept a mid-year transfer, but most
prefer, or require, that a student transfer at the start of a new school
year. When considering a school, it is very important to have an on-site
interview with the Director, a tour of the facility, and observe classes
while they are in session. Above all else, trust your instincts!
Once the school search has been narrowed down to one or two potential
placements, it is time for the NLD child to visit. No amount of research
will replace the NLD student’s impression of the proposed environment.
Only she can truly determine whether or not she will be comfortable there.
The most important criteria for her will be whether or not she feels
accepted and safe.
Homeschool
Homeschooling is an educational option which is
exploding across the United States, and gaining in popularity around
the world. Many parents who elect to homeschool their children do so for
reasons other than a developmental or learning disability. However, it is
often a viable option for NLD youngsters, and should not be discarded
lightly either as a temporary solution while a long-term program is being
developed, used in conjunction with a traditional educational program, or
for an extended period of time.
Parents are justifiably concerned with how they might
handle the challenge of homeschooling their child. Homeschooling is legal
throughout the United States. Laws and regulations vary by state, and
interpretations of the laws vary between school districts. The State
Department of Education can provide information on state laws and local
regulations. Some homeschool families prefer the convenience and security of
having a prepackaged curriculum, while others choose to make their own
decisions about what is important to learn, and what materials they will
use. Many colleges, universities and vocational institutes across the nation
are accepting homeschooled students, and more will follow as the homeschool
population continues to grow.
In most situations, the parent(s) of an NLD child will
be faced with consideration of alternative education options at some point
during their child’s school years. For many, this happens at the point of
middle school, when the demands of a traditional school overwhelm the NLD
adolescent. The important parental consideration is to remain open to all
available options if their child’s educational environment can’t be
sufficiently modified to meet her unique needs.
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Summary
Once the NLD child reaches school age, her
world becomes incredibly difficult to manage. It is absolutely
critical to accommodate this student’s needs in order for her to
develop both scholastically and emotionally.
Coping in multiple settings is quite difficult
for this child. The more settings that she is forced to cope with,
the less able she will be to manage any of them well.
The child uses her strengths, verbal skills and
rote memory, to compensate for her many weaknesses. Her well
developed vocabulary may present the erroneous illusion that the
child is far more capable than she actually is.
The components of a successful
environment/placement for NLD students, regardless of age, include:
Nurturing environment for the little ones, weaning to
supportive rather than independent for the older students.
Small building, student population and class size.
Teacher and classroom paraprofessional/aid.
Limited number of teachers and class changes.
Continuity of teachers and students.
High level of structure, predictability, and routine.
Caring staff, accepting students, and zero-tolerance for
bullying.
Reduced visual and auditory distractions.
Supervision and assistance for social and spatial
challenges.
There are various educational options to
consider, from the public school system, including charter and
magnet schools, to private schools, both independent and parochial,
and finally, there is homeschooling. Although traditional public
schools may be able to appropriately support the NLD child in the
early to middle elementary grades, they are less able to do so in
middle and high school.
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