NVLD and its relation to Asperger's

#Aspergers #NVLD

[chrstopherblighton-sande]

Really fascinating video, I was very surprised that NVLD was first described in 1967, it makes me even more curious as to the rationale for why it has yet to be officially recognised. It really does show the depth of research that still needs to be done into all neurodevelopmental conditions to understand how they are related to one another and the various subtypes. As an ADHDer I share the attentional, focus, organisational and executive functions symptoms as well as the problems with maths/numbers and anxiety, but I don't have any of the social issues, spatial issues (well other than taking a long time to learn to tie knots and shoelaces) or reading comprehension problems. I don't have that IQ split either that I'm aware of.

I agree with you that Asperger's should have remained in the DSM as a distinct category, in order to aid understanding but also to help the process of research too. The way conditions are categorised often leaves me confused to be honest. For example OCD and Health Anxiety -'both' of which I have, are viewed as completely different conditions in the DSM (though not in the ICD-11 where both are categorised as part of the Obsessive Compulsive and related disorders category), whereas to me Health Anxiety is just health-themed OCD! The argument I've seen that says that the difference is that people with OCD are worried about getting ill and people with health anxiety are worried they are ill, sounds like a difference without distinction to me. After all people with sexuality themed OCD are scared they are gay/straight not that they will become gay/straight. Some people with relationship OCD are scared they don't love their partners not that they will in the future not love their partners. Why should a present vs future aspect of a worry serve as a legitimate distinguisher when in 'both' situations obsessions and compulsions are equally present!

Likewise I don't understand how primarily inattentive ADHD absent of all hyperactive symptoms and primarily hyperactive ADHD absent of all inattentive symptoms can both be classed as a single disorder when they have no features in common!

[dmjyjro]

Thank you I was also diagnosed with both ASD and NVLD but at age 39 so I was confused how it all fit together. This was very helpful and clear

[JS]

I was reading about and I believe Non verbal learning disability should be a diagnosis separated.
There are people who don't have Asperger's or autism and even so they have symptoms of non verbal disability.
This may help me understand why I was diagnosed with Asperger's and don't struggle with tone of voice, facial expressions, language (I understand figures of speech) I just don't have non verbal disability, it would make sense a category in DSM for non verbal learn disability

[AsOfYetUnnamed]

I really enjoyed your video. I have NVLD with a 33 point discrepancy, but my arithmetic abilities have always been very good. I think I may also have Aspergers because of sensory issues and special interests. On to part 2!

[FirstmaninRome]

IT TOOK ME SO LONG TO BE ABLE TO WRITE ESSAYS. AS well, my handwriting was so bad I couldn't read it, when I learned to type, and got word possessing typewriter I was writing some of my girlfriends sociology papers. But this problem was so bad that I got 2 technical degrees so I wouldn't have to take English 101 and composition, but since I cracked the problem in college I regretted not getting a batchlors in philosophy, would have been just as useful toe as my electronics and industrial maintenance 2 year degrees, useless, lol

[gmlpc]

It seems there is a lot of overlap between these conditions and also dyspraxia. Certainly my practical skills are very poor. At school I hated art and crafts subjects and did abysmally in them. It's also true that I put very little effort into those subjects but that was largely a response to finding them difficult. I'm less negative about practical skills now - indeed I think they are very important - but I still find them hard and have no-one to learn from and lack the confidence / motivation to learn alone, even with the help of things like YT videos.

My spatial skills and ability to think in 3D have never been good. I always had slip-on shoes as a youngster (maybe I did find tying laces hard and that was the solution but I don't remember) but for a long time I had no idea which foot to put them on and would just guess. I think I even tried to walk in them and others told me to change them over. While I did well in Maths and have always liked working with numbers I was never as good or motivated when maths problems were about solids, perhaps reflecting the 3D spatial problem.

One final thing I'd mention which is liked to n0n-verbal and especially spatial skills is I have no presentational / creative skills. Leaving aside the physical and technical skills I have no idea how to present visual material in an attractive and eye-catching way. Even with verbal work I lack creativity and have little idea how to construct stories or write fiction unless it's derivative of someone else's work. I suppose I am strongest in "fact-gathering" and sifting and analysing data, not in creativity or divergent thought.