Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsDefinitionSymptomsCausesDiagnosisTreatment
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Definition
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
Nonverbal learning disorder (NVLD) refers to the lack of certain skills that interfere with a child’s ability to learn. People with NVLD have strong verbal and reading skills but lack others (like math, organizational, comprehension, and social skills) that are essential to learning.
NVLD is not an official diagnosis but one that characterizes specific shortcomings (deficits) that fall outside of the definition of learning disabilities likedyslexia, mental disorders likeattention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or developmental disorders likeautism. Even so, the symptoms of NVLD are frequently confused with those of dyslexia, ADHD, and autism.
This article explains what nonverbal learning disorder is, including symptoms and causes. It also discusses how NVLD is diagnosed and what options there are for treatment.
What Is Nonverbal Learning Disorder?
These include problems with:
What makes NVLD distinctive is that a child can often memorize words and numbers with a high level of skill but be unable to organize them into patterns that enablememory retentionand learning.
Signs of Nonverbal Learning Disorder
Signs of NVLD that are frequently missed include:
What Causes Nonverbal Learning Disorder?
It is estimated that 3% to 4% of people have NVLD. Children are more notably affected, but adults can also have NVLD and not realize it because they may have found ways to “work around” their deficits. Generally, a person with NVLD always has NVLD.
Others contend that it involves the disruption of nerve signals from theright side of the brain(which regulates memory, reasoning, problem-solving, and conceptual thinking) to theleft side of the brain(which regulates motor skills, language, math, and linear thinking), and vice versa. This can lead to an inability to unify these functions.
More research of the condition is needed.
Diagnosing NVLD
The diagnosis of NVLD can be difficult as the symptoms overlap with other conditions that affect learning, attention, and communication.While there is no consensus as to how NVLD is diagnosed, several health authorities have proposed the following criteria:
For example:
Managing NVLD
There is no cure for NVLD and no medications that can improve symptoms. Instead, special accommodations can be made in the classroom to address specific learning deficits. Certain therapies may also help overcome physical or behavioral challenges in children with NVLP.
Classroom Accommodations
Classroom accommodations are changes in the teaching environment that can help a child with learning problems succeed along with their peers.
For people with NVLD, this may include:
Therapies
Depending on the child’s needs, certain in-school or private therapies may be useful for managing NVLP symptoms:
Summary
If your child has strong speech and reading skills but struggles with math, reading comprehension, physical activities, and social interactions, there is a chance they could have nonverbal learning disorder (NVLD). While there are no medications to treat NVLD, there are accommodations and therapies that can help your child cope with and even thrive with NVLD.
10 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.The NVLD Project.What is nonverbal learning disability?Columbia University Department of Psychiatry.Inclusion of NLVD in future DSMs.Child Mind Institute.What is non-verbal learning disorder?Margolis AE, Broitman J, Davis JM, et al.Estimated prevalence of nonverbal learning disability among North American children and adolescents.JAMA Netw Open.2020;3(4):e202551. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.2551Coccaro A, Di Boo MG, Maffei A, et al.Resting state dynamic reconfiguration of spatial attention cortical networks and visuospatial functioning in non-verbal learning disability (NVLD): a HD-EEG investigation.Brain Sci.2023 May;13(5):731. doi:10.3390/brainsci13050731Mammarella IC, Cornoldi C.An analysis of the criteria used to diagnose children with nonverbal learning disability (NLD).Child Neuropsychol.2014;20(3):255-80. doi:10.1080/09297049.2013.796920The NVLD Project.Is it NVLD or ADHD? Why the confusion?International Dyslexia Society.DSM-5 changes in diagnostic criteria for specific learning disabilities (SLD): what are the implications?Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Autism spectrum disorder (ASD): diagnostic criteria.International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards.A teacher’s guide to NVLD: how to support students with nonverbal learning disability.
10 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.The NVLD Project.What is nonverbal learning disability?Columbia University Department of Psychiatry.Inclusion of NLVD in future DSMs.Child Mind Institute.What is non-verbal learning disorder?Margolis AE, Broitman J, Davis JM, et al.Estimated prevalence of nonverbal learning disability among North American children and adolescents.JAMA Netw Open.2020;3(4):e202551. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.2551Coccaro A, Di Boo MG, Maffei A, et al.Resting state dynamic reconfiguration of spatial attention cortical networks and visuospatial functioning in non-verbal learning disability (NVLD): a HD-EEG investigation.Brain Sci.2023 May;13(5):731. doi:10.3390/brainsci13050731Mammarella IC, Cornoldi C.An analysis of the criteria used to diagnose children with nonverbal learning disability (NLD).Child Neuropsychol.2014;20(3):255-80. doi:10.1080/09297049.2013.796920The NVLD Project.Is it NVLD or ADHD? Why the confusion?International Dyslexia Society.DSM-5 changes in diagnostic criteria for specific learning disabilities (SLD): what are the implications?Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Autism spectrum disorder (ASD): diagnostic criteria.International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards.A teacher’s guide to NVLD: how to support students with nonverbal learning disability.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
The NVLD Project.What is nonverbal learning disability?Columbia University Department of Psychiatry.Inclusion of NLVD in future DSMs.Child Mind Institute.What is non-verbal learning disorder?Margolis AE, Broitman J, Davis JM, et al.Estimated prevalence of nonverbal learning disability among North American children and adolescents.JAMA Netw Open.2020;3(4):e202551. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.2551Coccaro A, Di Boo MG, Maffei A, et al.Resting state dynamic reconfiguration of spatial attention cortical networks and visuospatial functioning in non-verbal learning disability (NVLD): a HD-EEG investigation.Brain Sci.2023 May;13(5):731. doi:10.3390/brainsci13050731Mammarella IC, Cornoldi C.An analysis of the criteria used to diagnose children with nonverbal learning disability (NLD).Child Neuropsychol.2014;20(3):255-80. doi:10.1080/09297049.2013.796920The NVLD Project.Is it NVLD or ADHD? Why the confusion?International Dyslexia Society.DSM-5 changes in diagnostic criteria for specific learning disabilities (SLD): what are the implications?Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Autism spectrum disorder (ASD): diagnostic criteria.International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards.A teacher’s guide to NVLD: how to support students with nonverbal learning disability.
The NVLD Project.What is nonverbal learning disability?
Columbia University Department of Psychiatry.Inclusion of NLVD in future DSMs.
Child Mind Institute.What is non-verbal learning disorder?
Margolis AE, Broitman J, Davis JM, et al.Estimated prevalence of nonverbal learning disability among North American children and adolescents.JAMA Netw Open.2020;3(4):e202551. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.2551
Coccaro A, Di Boo MG, Maffei A, et al.Resting state dynamic reconfiguration of spatial attention cortical networks and visuospatial functioning in non-verbal learning disability (NVLD): a HD-EEG investigation.Brain Sci.2023 May;13(5):731. doi:10.3390/brainsci13050731
Mammarella IC, Cornoldi C.An analysis of the criteria used to diagnose children with nonverbal learning disability (NLD).Child Neuropsychol.2014;20(3):255-80. doi:10.1080/09297049.2013.796920
The NVLD Project.Is it NVLD or ADHD? Why the confusion?
International Dyslexia Society.DSM-5 changes in diagnostic criteria for specific learning disabilities (SLD): what are the implications?
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Autism spectrum disorder (ASD): diagnostic criteria.
International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards.A teacher’s guide to NVLD: how to support students with nonverbal learning disability.
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