What a Child With Nonverbal Learning Disorder Goes Through

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If a child has difficulty with trying to make sense or understanding or interpreting nonverbal cues such as body language or even facial expressions, there’s a chance that they have nonverbal learning disorder or NVD. Children with this disorder may also exhibit poor coordination. NVD usually manifests itself through a high discrepancy between strong verbal skills and weak motor/visual-spatial/social skills.

Aside from difficulty with nonverbal cues, children with NVD are also clumsy, as they bump into people and objects quite often. They have a hard time tying shoes, writing, or doing anything related to fine motor function. They also cannot interpret certain things that happen without proper labels. Children with NVD also have problems coping with routine changes and following instruction with over a single step. As far as translations to nonverbal cues go, they are very literal.

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Therapists often recommend constant rehearsal for children with NVD to help them move more easily. It’s also more prudent that children with NVD be given more verbal cues than normal, as well as more in-depth and repetitive instructions. And since they tend to ask more questions than other children, it is important that adults or anyone handling children with NVD answer their questions as often as possible.

Dr. Curtis Cripe’s work is one the foundations of the NTL Group's neuroengineering technologies for treating neurodevelopmental delays such as learning disorders. Visit this website for more about Dr. Cripe and his work.