Nonverbal Learning Disorder (NLD)

Learning Disabilities Contributor Anelyse Belsom
Grand Canyon University: SPE 557 July 9, 2014

This paper will discuss students with nonverbal learning disabilities syndrome. Nonverbal learning disabilities NLD will be addressed as to what is NLD and what students are usually have. This will be an overview of how to not only identify students with NLD but how to assists students with NLB. This paper will go over important strategies and inventions that will help students with NLD. NLD has been around for fifteen years. NLD is a disorder that is not mentioned or heard a lot in education. This disorder is mentioned in medical and psychological literature.
In this paper the author will discuss the issues of NLD and why educators should ignore the characterizes and signs of this disorder. Research will show that this disorder could have come from variety of neurological and development conditions.
This could have happened either from a brain injury, untreated disease, or Asperger syndrome. There are strategies to help students that suffer from NLD. NLD is a poorly understood disorder it is a disorder that can be not only be understood but can be helped. With the strategies and inventions that we will be going over in this paper will help students with NLD have a fighting chance.

What is nonverbal learning disabilities? Students who have NLD usually show signs in strong verbal than perceptual cognitive skills, weak pyschomotor, deficiency in math, difficulty in complex tasks and social deficits. Students with NLD do better when information is given to them verbally than shown to them visually. This student can process the information better when the information is being given to them
orally. When this type of student is receiving the information visually the student is unable to receive it cognitively. Where as the information is being given to them verbally then the information will process properly because this student has a strong verbal process. Weak pyschomotor is another trait that students with NLD have(Telzrow & Bonar, 2002). These students usually show signs in having a hard time with playing certain games such as skipping rope or riding a bike. NLD students have a hard time with life skill tasks such as dressing themselves and other self care skills. Deficiency in math is another area that students with NLD have a problem with. Students with NLD usually do well in reading and spelling but math is a huge hurdle they have to accomplish. The symbols and procedures in math are a hard concept for students who have NLD to understand. Difficulty in complex tasks are another problem for students with NLD. These students have a hard time in social setting because of this problem. They usually demonstrate that they have a hard time with problem solving. The problem solving skills also effects poor judgment skills. These students are very impulsive with their behavior and do not have a sense of personal space. A student with NLD has a hard time verbally communicating what the problem is and how to explain what they really meant or need(Telzrow & Bonar, 2002)..

Students with NLD can get the help they need.
If a student with NLD has problems with psychomotor there are things in the classroom to help students with this problem. If the student has an issue finishing a writing task then you can give the student extra time to finish the writing task. If the student has a real issue with writing and the student is good a typing then you can let the student type instead of writing. Another way to help students with psychomotor is to give a them a multiple test instead then an essay test. Teachers need to make sure that lectures don 't have that many note taking tasks. These are a few strategies to help and relieve stress for students with psychomotor problems(Telzrow & Bonar, 2002).. It is important for these students to focus on learning and not be stressed out about tasks that they can not
complete.

Teachers can use these strategies for students that have deficiency in math. Students that have a deficiency in math can use manipulatives to help these students. One way example of a manipulative that a student can use is a calculator. Using a calculator can help students do math problems and learn how to to add, subtract or multiply. Having students memorizing additions problems, subtracting problems and multiplication problems. Direct instruction on math on step by step with verbal instruction. Showing students one on one instruction on math concepts and checking strategies to help students get better and confidence in math(Telzrow & Bonar, 2002).

Students with NLD have issues with problem solving skills. These students need to focus on various social situations. One good way for these students to learn problem solving skills is to role play. Role play is a good way to show students examples of problems that arise in certain situations. By role playing students are able to learn how to take action on their own and to also build confidence(Telzrow & Bonar, 2002). The more practice in role play the more the student is to learn how to do the problem solving on their own.
Another way to learn problem solving skills is to set rules for these student to follow. Setting rules will help students learn what is appropriate and what is not appropriate. This will help set guidelines for student to follow and learn in the process.

Social skills are another issue that students with NLD. Role playing is very important for these students to learn from. These students need direct instruction on how to make appropriate eye contact, how to greet others and to learn other appropriate social skills. It is also important for these students to learn how to make and keep friends. It is also important for these students to learn how to act appropriately act in a work setting. If these students want to succeed in life learning how to act in a working environment is key. Learning how to behave appropriately in a work setting will help them keep a job and live a successful independent life.

The last issue that a student with NLD usually deals with is psychosocial adjustment problems. These students need to learn how to control impulsive behavior and inattention. Students that have a hard time with dealing with this issues and need to learn how to self-monitor themselves. NLD students need to learn how to slow down and be aware of what they are doing instead of just reacting(Telzrow & Bonar, 2002). Another problem these students have is not thinking for speaking. These students need to learn ways to think about what they want to say before just saying it. Students that display these issues need to learn relaxation skills to help reduce anxiety. These students need to learn how to ask for breaks or help when they are feeling stressed out.

The author has gone over what NLD symptoms and characteristics of what to look for in students that may be suffering fro this problem. The author has also gone over strategies to help students that have NLD. The strategies and methods that were mentioned are tools to not only help the students but to help the students learn the proper tools to help themselves outside the classroom. With any student that is having a hard time in school it is the teacher 's job to make sure that students needs are being met. Students that have NLD need strategies and methods to help them so they can focus less on their problems and more on learning(Telzrow & Bonar, 2002). By using strategies on students with NLD this will help these students learn the tools that they need to deal with the world around them.

References

Telzrow, C. F., & Bonar, A. M. (2002). Responding to students with nonverbal learning disabilities. Teaching Exceptional Children, 34(6), 8-13.