Asperger’s Disorder and Non-verbal Learning
Disorder: What are the Issues…..What do I need to know about
it?
When
children have a large discrepancy between their patterns of functioning
within a verbal-linguistic realm, as compared with a visual-spatial
realm, we need to be thinking about the possibility of an Autistic
Spectrum Disorder such as Asperger’s Disorder (AD), or alternately,
a Non-Verbal Learning Disability (NVLD).
In
attempting to distinguish between the two conditions, I rely heavily
both on my training as well as my experience with these two groups
of children who suffer with highly overlapping conditions. Certainly
most Asperger’s children could be diagnosed with a NVLD,
but the inverse is not true. With Asperger’s children, we
need to see a constellation of the factors in the realm of non-relatedness
and “social cluelessness” which need to present in a
fairly distinct pattern, prior to the appropriate diagnosis of
Asperger’s Disorder.
A
psychologist, Byron Rourke, in his book, Nonverbal Learning
Disabilities (The Guilford Press, 1989), discussed NVLD as
characterized by strengths in simple motor, rote verbal memory,
selective and sustained attention for simple, repetitive verbal
material, and strong single-word decoding and spelling skills,
and deficits in the discrimination and recognition of visual detail
and visual relationships, and visual-spatial organization.
Other
aspects of NVLD include difficulties in accommodating to novel
materials and situations also occur. Memory for nonverbal material
is poor and is not readily coded in a verbal fashion. Relatively
poor memory for complex, meaningful, and/or novel verbal and non-verbal
material is typical.
Content
disorders of language are also evident and characterized by poor
psycholinguistic pragmatics. Reading comprehension is much poorer
than is single word reading. Individuals with this syndrome typically
have some social difficulties, as well.
Finally,
children who suffer with a NVLD can develop resultant anxiety
and depression.
This
complex array of symptoms characterizing both NVLD and much of
what we see with children diagnosed with AD, carries significant
implications for academic and social needs.
New
learning of any sort, especially in complex or novel situations,
is especially difficult for children with a NVLD or AD. New learning
experiences must be introduced gradually to such children with
clear and consistent verbal explanations for what is occurring
at every step. Verbal descriptions and elaborations must be repeated
and frequently expanded upon in the initial phases of the learning
process.
Social
implications are also significant. Limitations in the capacity
for intermodal integration result in difficulty appreciating non-verbal
communication signals such as facial expression, tone of voice,
and posture in assessing another’s emotional state or fully
intended meaning of an interpersonal exchange. Failure to “get”
the full social message often leads to social withdrawal, isolation
and depression.
Such
children require a carefully structured, predictable, and uncomplicated
environment in which to sort out familiar information and begin
to assimilate novel information.
A
“language rich” environment, to help label, sequence,
and otherwise “make sense” out of incoming information
is also a basic requirement for new learning to take place.
Often
children who read and spell well are not perceived as having any
unusual educational needs. Remedial personnel are often unaware
of the extent and significance of the child’s deficiencies
and special needs.
However,
these children are very much in need of a systematic, well-orchestrated
program of intervention. These children’s well developed
word recognition and spelling abilities are not sufficient for
them to benefit from traditional instruction, especially in those
subject areas requiring visual-spatial, organizational and non-verbal
problem-solving skills. Instead they need a variety of supports
in order to perform competently.
October
22, 2002
