My Daughter, Scout and Nonverbal Learning Disorders
I-Search Project Datha Curtis EDIT 6360/Tallman University of Georgia February 18, 2008
Why this topic chose me
A couple of months ago, I was searching on the Internet for some information about one of my students who has a disability. While searching, I came across some information about a disorder called Nonverbal Learning Disorder. After reading common characteristics of the disorder, I knew it sounded like my daughter, Scout. My husband and I have known that there was something different about Scout since she was about a year old. She would have meltdowns, and it would sometimes take hours to calm her down. She had irrational fears, and her motor skills seemed delayed. However, she was extremely verbal from an early age and had an excellent memory. She was also very affectionate and made appropriate eye contact, so autism was ruled ou by my pediatrician. At first, we blamed ourselves. We thought we just didn’t do things right as new, inexperienced parents. When Scout was three years old, I had my second daughter, Tatom, and I realized that it wasn’t something we did. Tatom was so easy compared to Scout. It made it even clearer that Scout was different and would need extra help in life. After a stressful preschool year, Scout was enrolled in a public elementary school for kindergarten. We began the process of having her evaluated for Sensory Integration Disorder, which is what the teachers and psychologist felt was the appropriate diagnosis for Scout. She never received services the entire year even after diagnosis. Her teacher recommended she be held back for the upcoming school year. Her birthday is in the summer, and I had just received an offer to teach in another county. We decided to hold her back, especially since she was changing schools anyway. It seemed like the right thing to do. We then began the process over again because her evaluation did not transfer over from her other school. She finally received her psychological evaluation at the beginning of first grade. They gave her the diagnosis of Specific Learning Disorder, which is sort of a catch all for disorders that do not fall into the other categories like ADHD, Mild Intellectual Impairment, Other Health Impairment, and so on. We have signed the papers to begin the process for special education services. I have called, sent notes, emailed, and still we have not received a response. Three years and we have received no services to date. In the meantime, I found out about Nonverbal Learning Disorders and saw that it more completely encompasses my daughter’s disability than anything else I have seen. I gave her teacher, who is extremely helpful, some information so she can at least get some help in the classroom until we do receive services. I was given the opportunity to further my education on NLD through the I-Search process.
The story of my search
After doing my topic web and pre-note-taking sheet, I began my search online. I found several websites that were helpful and informative. The first site I found was called Online Asperger Syndrome Information and Support: Nonverbal Learning Disorders. It contained the article that I printed out for Scout’s teacher because it contained specific accommodations and modifications for the classroom and also explained what NLD is. The next site I found was called NLD on the web. It had a lot of information about the technical aspects of NLD. The last website I looked at was NLDline. This website included personal accounts of people with NLD which I found enlightening. Because NLD is still in its infancy as far as available information, I had to order books to find more information about it. I ordered a total of four books – two by the same author. The first book I chose was called Raising NLD superstars. The title itself drew m in because it seemed to have a positive perspective on children with NLD. It was probably the most helpful of all of the books because it gave such a complete picture of the child with NLD and what to expect throughout childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. The next two books were by the same author. The books are entitled Nonverbal Learning Disabilities at home: a parent’s guide and Nonverbal Learning Disabilities at school: educationg students with NLD, Asperger Syndrome, and related conditions. These books divide the needs of the NLD child into two categories: home and school. Each was helpful in giving practical advice on how to handle a number of common situations that occur with children with NLD. The last book was also a parent’s guide called Helping a child with Nonverbal Learning Disorder or Asperger’s Disorder. This book had an excellent appendix with other resources and specific things to ask for in an IEP. After reading all of the information and comparing it to my original questions, I feel a lot more confident about the direction we are taking with Scout. I think that had I had not had this opportunity to really focus on exploring NLD, I could have potentially made costly mistakes with the decisions I am making for my daughter.
What I found
I will address what I found by responding to my main and sub questions:
Main Questions: How can my child be successful with NLD? How will I support my daughter as she learns how to deal with her nonverbal learning symptoms emotionally and academically? Children with NLD can be successful, but their parents must be diligent. They must take on numerous roles such as advocate, facilitator, and social coach. Parents must ensure that their children are receiving appropriate services in school and, if needed, additional services as well outside of the school environment. I am and will continue to make sure that my daughter gets the help she needs. Hopefully, she will begin receiving special education services soon in addition to therapy for her phobias.
What is the best educational setting for a child with NLD? (Public school with specific services, private school, special school for learning disabilities, home school, etc.) This is an individual decision. However, it seems that by middle school, especially in public schools, the needs of the NLD child cannot be met in the typical classroom. My husband and I have decided that home school will most likely be our choice of educational setting for Scout and our other two daughters. We plan on home schooling within the next two years.
Do all of my child’s issues fall within NLD? It appears that all of Scout’s difficulties (motor skills, trouble with math, meltdowns, social awkwardness, phobias) all are characteristics of NLD.
Is her previous psychological evaluation enough to prove she has NLD? NLD is not recognized for purposes of services in special education. Her diagnosis of SLD is sufficient in getting her the services she needs. However, I would like an official diagnosis for future needs that may arise.
What services are available for a child with NLD? This, of course, will depend on the school system and the community. I am in the process of finding out what is available in our community and school system.
What is the prognosis for adolescents and adults with NLD? Just as with any child, there are no guarantees, but children with NLD can be successful. They can go to college, have families, careers, and anything else that they desire with the proper support of family and professionals. Scout does not seem to be as severe as some cases that I read about, so I am hopeful that she will be able to cope with her disability and lead a happy and fulfilling life.
How does one deal with NLD in the home? (Coping skills, discipline) Patience is the key. Children should not be disciplined for something that directly results from their disability. Instead, they should be taught (verbally and explicitly) how to handle the situation in the future.
What modifications and accommodations can be made for children with NLD? Some of the accommodations and modifications include: limiting written work, verbally explaining every (spell things out), giving extensive help with visual/spatial activities and those involving fine motor skills (or eliminating them entirely), more time on assignments, avoid subtleties in giving instruction – be direct and explicit.
Will my daughter need additional help outside of a school setting? Most likely, Scout will need therapy for her phobias. Also, if she is home schooled, she will need occupational therapy for her motor skills. As issues arise, she may need other help as well.
How I will apply what I found to my question
First, I am going to continue the process of getting my daughter special education services. I will give them a list of requested services and modifications and accommodations. Then, I will look into child therapists to consult about my daughter’s phobias. Also, I will begin implementing some of the suggestions for the home environment to make things easier at home such as organization, better routines, etc. I will also give my daughter opportunities to socialize while giving her specific directions on how to interact socially. Then, I will begin looking into the legal and logistical ramifications of home schooling a child with NLD. We will also be home schooling our other two daughters if we home school Scout, so we will need to look into how to home school multiple children as well. I will also look into activities that are suitable for children with NLD such as horseback riding or tennis. I will continue finding out as much as I can about NLD in the hopes of helping Scout reach her full potential.
Scout and Nonverbal Learning Disorders
To those who know and care for our daughter, Scout, this is a packet of information to help you better understand her disability:
As you know, Scout is very sweet and affectionate. She loves people and smiles all of the time. She can express herself very well verbally and has an excellent memory. Those are her strengths. Unfortunately, Scout also has some obstacles that often get in the way of her academic and social success. This packet is to help you help Scout overcome those obstacles. Please read through this packet at your convenience and use this information when you are dealing with Scout.
Thank you, Slade and Datha Curtis
What is NLD?
Most of our communication is nonverbal. For children with Nonverbal Learning Disorders, they have trouble deciphering these nonverbal messages. Nonverbal Learning Disorders affect the right hemisphere of the brain and symptoms include difficulties with fine/gross motor skills, visual/spatial connections, abstract ideas, good verbal and reading skills, phobias, anxiety, trouble with reading comprehension, and inability to read social cues. NLD is related to Asperger’s and Autism and contains elements of Sensory Integration Dysfunction (hypo or hypersensitive to sounds, sights, touches, or other sensory stimuli). Children with NLD experience difficulties with writing, clumsiness, balance, lining up numbers to do a math problem, slow to become familiar with new physical locations, difficulty remembering faces, but has a good memory (remembers a conversation nearly word for word), strong verbal skills, takes things very literally, and does not learn from social situations.
What characteristics does Scout have that are inherent to NLD?
Scout has most of the traits above except she seems to have a good memory for faces and seems to do fairly well on reading comprehension. In school, her biggest difficulties have been with math and physical education. She also has trouble with writing, though she has improved significantly. Socially, Scout may not always know how to act appropriately. She cannot learn from observation. She must be told how to interact with others. Specifics are key in dealing with Scout. Do not assume she should know better. Scout’s psychological evaluation supports a diagnosis of NLD. We are working on having further evaluations to confirm the diagnosis.
How can Scout be successful in the classroom and home?
Ideally, Scout should have the following accommodations and modifications:
For physical activities:
To avoid meltdowns (for home and school):
Other information and suggestions: § Phobias and anxieties are secondary characteristics of NLD. The stress related to not understanding the world around the child causes them to develop anxiety and phobias – both social and specific.
What can we expect for the future for Scout?
Scout can and will be successful if we all work together to teach her how to cope with her disability. People with NLD can go on to lead happy and successful lives. They can go to college, have a career, and a family if they choose. However, we cannot deny that Scout has many hurdles that she must overcome in order to reach her potential. It is our hope as parents that we can develop a support system that will give Scout every opportunity to succeed. Thank you for reading over this information. Please keep this as a reference when trying to help Scout. As we find new information, we will pass it on to you if we feel it is merited. Thank you for your time and assistance. We appreciate all that you do!
References
NLD on the Web. (2006). Retrieved January 29, 2008 from http://www.nldontheweb.org.
NLDline. (2006). Retrieved February 3, 2008 from http://www.nldline.com.
Rubinstein, M.B. (2005). Raising NLD superstars. Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Stewart, K. (2007). Helping a child with Nonverbal Learning Disorder or Asperger’s Disorder. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications.
Tanguay, P. (2001). Nonverbal Learning Disabilities at home: a parent’s guide. Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Tanguay, P. (2002). Nonverbal Learning Disabilities at school: educationg students with NLD, Asperger Syndrome, and related conditions . Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Thompson, S. (1996). O.A.S.I.S. Online Asperger Syndrome Information and Support: Nonverbal Learning Disorders. Retrieved January 29, 2008, from |