Could It Be Nonverbal Learning Disability? An Overlooked LD (with Amy Margolis, Ph.D.)

Nonverbal Learning Disability (NVLD) is poorly understood and frequently seen in children with ADHD. In this hour-long ADDitude webinar, Amy Margolis, Ph.D., explains the condition, how to distinguish symptoms from those of ADHD, and the strategies that can help these children in school and social settings.

Related Resources:

Read: What Is Nonverbal Learning Disorder?

Why Nonverbal Learning Disorder Is So Often Mistaken for ADHD

[Self-Test] Nonverbal Learning Disorder (NLD) in Children

[whitway]

53 and not diagnosed with NVLD until I was 45 and ADHD until this past week. To make matters even more challenging I was dx with MS at 40. All that said I do pretty well in my life both career and personal life. But as someone who aspires to be an Executive within my Company and right on the precipice it more than likely will not happen due to the above challenges. And yet I am doing well and am blessed in spite of it all.

[Lana-oi]

I have the visual spatial disabilities and also ADHD. I’m an adult who has 4 advanced degrees. I am an avid reader but can’t make sense of the sections on IQ tests aimed at recognizing patterns, folding boxes, etc. I have difficulty understanding some graphs and charts and could never learn to sew. I have no sense of direction. I had a lot of trouble with math and science but loved art history. Interesting…

[welcomeization]

I am a very classic NVLD case but also have Asperger's. I have or had all the symptoms in these slides, my verbal was high average as a child but now as an adult it's in the superior range, but performance still depressed. Difficulties with maths, fine motor, severe spatial difficulties, problems with puzzles, social issues, all present. Being autistic I also have need for routines, intense interests, sensory, and very significant social interactive impairment. As a child my non verbal IQ was only 58-72, but my verbal was 99-111. As an adult my verbal is 131-142, but my performance is still only in the late 60s to early 70s range. I also have severe slow processing deficits and a working memory deficit. My reading comprehension as a child was poor but my word decoding ability was very good.

[ReniRaay]

Sadly, as a dutch woman, i had to self diagnose my NVLD. Now i am grateful to have found the 12 step program to overcome my addiction. The tools i learned in 12 step recovery and the support of the fellows helped me very much. If i hadn't be so desperate in my addiction, finding help in the mental health care would have been impossible.

[itsnotakuma]

I have ADD and ptsd, but basically have the opposite to NVLD. I really like this ratio idea, it makes a lot of sense based on the people I know.

[tiyaharris]

This has been the first video I have watched (which is a lot) that actually has most of the information that people wanting to learn about NVLD NEED to know. Thank you for helping!

[camellia]

This is the most helpful presentation on NVLD I have come across. Thank you so much for sharing your expertise.

[tudormiller]

I was diagnosed with Adult ADHD Combined last year. I've always thought I may have NVLD too.

[elizabethbrown]

Really confused by the opening comments and description NVLD. NVLD is a neurodevelopment disorder, not an LD as the name indicates. ADHD may be comorbid with NVLD. But where NVLD is a syndrome and ADHD can be a part of that. NVLD is not a part of ADHD which can stand alone.

Yet in the feeds of groups individuals diagnosed NVLD discuss hyperfixations, selective mutism, and stimming (repetitive actions) as characteristic.

[tiyaharris]

My daughter was diagnosed with ADHD last year but I strongly believe she has NVLD. I have thought since she was very little that there was something special about her. She could speak better then some adults and would carry on a conversation with a LARGE vocabulary at only 18 months old! I would of never thought at her age now in the 4th grade she would be struggling so much in school. It breaks my heart because its like she tries so hard to focus and to learn but she just can not comprehend and its not only at school. A lot of other kids now they are older are beginning to notice she is different and its starting to cause her a lot of anxiety. I can not get the school to evaluate her because she makes "some" progress and I am stuck on what to do. it seems no one will listen. She has every single NVLD symtom . I am broken as a parent not being able to help her. None of the teachers that I have asked if they know anything about learning disabilites and they all say they dont really know anything. I feel like it should be mandatory teachers learn about learning disabilites so they know what things to look for in the classroom so that intervention could implemented early enough.

[tearthangel]

I have spacial difficulties and cognitive impairment

[Lana-oi]

Middle aged adult with ADHD and NVLD but mine is focused on spatial relationships and visual spatial issues

[camellia]

I wonder if it is possible to have both Autism and NVLD.

[luckyj.ferguson]

Limited spacial capacity can be best described as 'tunnel vision without the darkness'. A great way to test, if this is the case, is by having the person copy a page of textbook math questions on paper. If they take a long time doing this, then chances are they keep losing their place and waste time relocating it. An even simpler way is observing if they try to catch an incoming baseball or block themselves from being hit because they can't visually follow the ball. The symptoms sound very similar to Irlen Syndrome (Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome)

[btsgolden]

Pretty sure I have this just from the first minute

[JohnW-hmeg]

This video is extremely difficult to follow. What big picture?