NLD, NVLD

NVLD is not a learning disability in the traditional sense, but rather a life learning disability. It should be considered in terms of a pervasive developmental disability (assumes a severe, chronic disability that is present before the individual reaches the age of 21), rather than a learning disability. It causes substantial functional limitation in areas such as self-care, receptive and expressive language, learning, self-direction and mobility, as well as the capacity for independent living and economic self-sufficiency.
Pamela B. Tanguay, Nonverbal Learning Disabilities at School, 2002

NVLD is a really serious problem. The name is misleading. It is not only a learning disorder. Learning disorder is only one of the consequences.

Mild pervasive developmental disorder, "soft" autism  may be named as a social learning disability or social communication disorder, but these terms appear to be even larger understatements than the term "nonverbal learning disability" for a pervasive developmental disability. These weirdnesses are not only social disorders.

What about your visual-spatial and motoric abilities? I think that they are "real" (literal) NVLD. "Hard" autism tends to "think in pictures". "NVLD" is more or less good in verbal thinking but not so good in visual.

Asperger's population is a blend of some types of higher functioning classic, "hard" (but atypical due to earlier and better language development) autists and non-kanneric "soft" autists. Many of "soft" autists appear to have NVLD to quite different degree.

Hard autism affects really severely theory of mind, ability to cope with changes, verbal abilities. It also gives more extreme social and behavioral problems. Usually sensory integration is profoundly disturbed. It should be really easily noticed.

Soft autism has problematic developmental dyssemia and marked weirdness in emotions and behavior in its core. Often contains NVLD (visual-spatial-motor disorder), to a different degree. Sensory problems are not profound, but also can be problematic.

Problematic developmental dyssemia appear to be a marked symptom of socio-emotional disability such as " developmental autistic pscyhopathy" (Asperger's syndrome). Blatantly dyssemic symptoms (such as very poor eye contact) are signs of really serious mental problem. It is a function of pervasive developmental disability (PDD, such as "full-blown" NVLD syndrome which affects not only visual, spatial and motoric areas, but also social, emotional, behavioral - de facto a type of AS for me) and has to be cured really early, it should be detected at pre-school age!

Most people with NVLD appear to have PDD/AS/ASD for me, but not of "traditional" sort. Pure NVLD has no imapct on social or emotional area (especially in pre-pubertal age), it is just a disability in academic areas ("gives" visual or spatial problems). "Hard", classical autism is in many aspects opposite to so-called (social) NVLD. Hard autism has troubles with language, "NVLD" has strenght in it; NVLD has a weakness in visual tinking, classic autism can give you really strong visual thinking. "Global" NVLD is a pervasive developmental disorder (maybe not in classical terms), "academic" NVLD is more specific, not generalized disability. "Global" NVLD affects emotional, social, behavioral or even sensory areas rather than academic (at least in some cases, which are "high-cognitive autism"). "Global NVLD" has its cognitive profile (found at about 50 - 80% people with AS diagnosis), but it is not only a learning problem or style - it has also marked social communication issues and "bizarrities", which makes this "hypocritical" condition a complex developmental disorder.

"Global" NVLD may not be an academic disability at all. It is a type of "soft autism", not a specific disorder of scholastic skills.

  Maybe even all types of NVLD (also those without social and emotional disorders!) should be categorized in the same category as (especially high-functioning) classic autism. Severe (also non-social) NVLD looks not like a specific develpomental disorder.

  NVLD which can be diagnosed as Asperger's or PDD-NOS is a "pervasive developmental disorder" in all cases, main problems of it are not scholastic skills. It makes people "stupid", weird or even aloof. Specific developmental disorders (learning disabilities) are not destructive in "socio-emotional area", "pervasive developmental disorder" of any degree of severity (from very mild to relly profound) tend to have "socio-emotional" problems as its hallmark.

  Many people with PDDs (especially in USA and Canada) looks to be misdiagnosed as "pure" NVLD.

  NVLD-typed PDD (without traits of classical autism) has such symptoms:

- very poor nonverbal communication (especially expressive)
* very poor eye contact,
* "stupid" or stiff gaze,
* limited and (or) idiosyncratic facial expression and gestures,
* troubles with interpersonal distances),
- paralinguistic and pragmatic issues (are also not uncommon)

- the pattern of interests is odd, they rather not are so profoundly restricted as in classic autism,
- interests are often  atypical, may be "obsessive", repetitive;
- limited and idiosyncratic interests can be found also in social area
- they may have uncontrollable and "loud" laughter at inappropiate situations, but things, which are funny to "neurotypical" person, for then may not always be funny
- they may lack shame in many normal situations and feel indiosyncratic shame
- there may be odd customs, routines, rituals, but there is also lack of marked and somewhat disabling  "classically autistic" fixation about sameness
- Unusual thinking is not uncommon (such as:
* strange, specific, abnormal fears,
* grandiose fantasies,
* "magical" obsessive-compulsive symptoms,
* bizarre ideas)
- the person may look superficially mature and "adult", but is rather very immature and socio-emotionally disabled due to own PDD

  Many methods used to educate children with classical ASDs are unuseful for then, because they have other needs and other way of thinking than "typical" autistics.

  Many people with these symptoms may be diagnosed with Asperger's, which is not wrong; Aspreger's criteria in ICD-10 or DSM-IV may be quite easily meet by some people without more profound traits of  "kanneric" autism.

  Some people with NVLD profile and without "kanneric" traits may be less weird, but also may have social problems, for me they also ave a "PDD", not just a learning disorder.

  The definition of "pervasive developmental disorder" in ICD-10  is not ideal. It should be not about "restrictiveness and repetitiveness", but about severe social impairment and "bizarrity" (which maybe may do not bring any "restrictiveness" and "repetitiveness" in some cases). The best sign of a PDD is seroius impairment of expressive nonverbal communication for me ("profound" developmental, chronic dyssemia). It may make people looking "retard" by itself.

NVLD just HAS to be lumped into "pervasive developmental disorder" cathegory. It would be just. NVLD is a pervasive developmental disability, "life learning disability", not a specific learning disability. When it gives characteristic socio-emotional problems it may be correctly nicknamed as "soft autism". It is not a "specific learning disability". The diagnosis of Asperger's is not wrong in the case of NVLD. AS consists of subtypes, one of them is classically autistic and tend to be severe, other one is NVLDish, which tend to be milder than previous, but still very destructive, there may be also other subtypes of disorders classified currently as AS. Classic autists think in pictures, have many conceptul social problems and not so small sensory dysfunction. "NVLD" is more "hypocritical" than classical autism, it may look rather as just giftedness (especially in VERBAL area) in some cases, not like a developmental delay. Many NVLD people without "hard" autstic traits may be not improperly labelled "autistic", but it is NOT typical developmental autism. I have AS diagnosis, but "social NVLD" describes me quite well, unlike "standard" model of Asperger's, which is very like high-functioning childhood autism. Social NVLD is bookish type of "soft autism". First diagnostic criteria of PDD in ICD-10 or DSM-IV is about nonverbal communication impairment. It appears to be a hallmark of almost all PDDs, from very mild to profound. Mentality of people with NVLD may look like "hybrid" of autistics and neurotypicals (IQ can also vary, but verbal abilities can be really good). They are really odd, blatantly not "psychotypical", but obviously not classically autistic. Learning disability is (or even may be) only one of the consequences of having ths sort of "autism". Classifyng many cases of NVLD as just "learning disorder" is unjust for me, because it definately does not describe problems of people who have it. PDD name describes rather general impact of the disorder to entire life (social, emotional, occupational), may not mean serious developmental problems such as speech and language difficulties, marked sensory dysfunction or blatant restrictiveness. Current definition of PDD in ICD-10 looks wrong for me, there is too much about "restrictiveness and repetitiveness". I feel more closer to NVLDers (especially those with "socio-emotional dysfunction") than to people with HFA or "classic" AS. They may be for me nearly as far as "psychotypical" people. But maybe some people with high-functioning classical ASD have higher level of general functioning than some with "just-NVLD" diagnosis.

It is definately something more than a specific learning disorder. The name "learning disorder" is barely unjust in many cases. It severely underestimates the troubles which are caused by the disorder. NVLD with socio-emotonal impairment should have new, "serious" name. Social communication disorder is also not so good name. SCD is probably often just a (really important) symptom of "autisticity". Communication disorders should not make you "weird" and "odd", but pervsive developmental disorders make you that by definition. Very long bullying due to just a learning of communication disorder is especially illogical. Bullying is always evil, but why someone thinks about a person with just a "lerning or communication disorder" as a person, who is "debilitated", "stupid"? How many people have dyslexia or some speech problems and are really normal, unlike "NLDers"? Many. Changing the name of "NVLD" is for me really important think. I am from Central Europe and maybe I have the biggest interest in NVLD in my country (it may looks like Aspergian obsession ). I was diagnosed as having Asperger's syndrome, but I do not feel as one of "aspies". NVLD is not so much known in my country. People with NVLD will probably be diagnosed with AS or other (milder) PDD here, which is... correct, unlike saying that it is "just learning and communication problem" which is common in Northern America. "NVLD" is functionally and generally (also in the terms of social reception) too close to mild forms of "classical" autism to be not included in PDD category. Many forms of "NVLD" are just types of "soft autism" for me and may be at least nicknamed so. Those with "non-classical" autism shout have significantly less rigid mind (wider interests, but still abnormal themes or strenght are not uncommon; sameness may tends to be rather boring for them, also better central coerence and theory of mind, less apparent sensory problems), which make it "soft" and "elastic" type of "autism", opposite to "hard" and "rigid", which is also more severe by definition.

I name the group of disorders, to which belong for example HFA and "NVLD", "soft" or "bright" autism (especially for not classically autistic disorders, such as "NVLD"), "aucorigic spectrum" (significantly wider and more heterogenous than autistic spectrum from DSM-V), "disorders of "that" type", "realtively mild "pervasive" developmental disorders", ""nerd" syndromes"... They look to give not only social ineptitude, but even "life" ineptitude. They often have strange obsessiveness in them as one of the symptoms. They have more or less "general" intelligence. They rather give serious problems since early childhood, someone with disorder of "that" type is often wieved as "odd", "stupid", "dorks", "weird", "naughty", "hyperactive" and so on. Classic autism is not the only form of "relatively mild PDD"! Dyssemia looks as a really good symptom of them. Severe dyssemia is the "first" criterium of autism or AS in ICD-10. Eye contact tend to often be really poor, especially in children. People with "soft autism" may be not so interested in "neurotypical" human relations, they may be very boring or obsessed about someone or "strange" traits of people, such as specific abnormalities in appearance of the body. They may laugh at very, very inappriopiate situations and do not feel shame when it is normal and beneficial, they may also have "idiosyncratic" shame or disgust (for example to some types of vehicles). They may tend to have some (more or less) hyperactivity, hypokinetic or (and) hyperkinetic behaviors, stimming, sensory problems, OCD symptoms, "strange" thinking and atypical fears, literal interpretations, learning abnormalities, clumsiness. They are ideal victims of school mobbing and bullying.