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Have you ever come across a child with incredible verbal skills at an early age. The parents will proudly toot their horn. Believing that their kids are gifted, especially if they seem to have acute spelling proficiency along with the verbal prowess. They may show remarkable rote memory skills, and attention to detail. Some may begin to read very early and will express themselves with a very mature aptitude.

They may be just that; very bright children with a high IQ, but these are also symptoms of NLD; non-verbal learning disability. A diagnosis of NLD is not easily reached and often will be missed in early education. Every teacher wants a bright child and these kids do shine in pre-k and kindergarten even on into first and second grade. The key indicators that something is amiss is often detected in the social-interpersonal failures that these kids display. They may show signs of regression in early social skills and take to playing alone more often.

Be aware that an extremely bright child is not NLD. A Child that simply prefers to play alone is not NLD. There are several key symptoms that must register with your child's doctor before a diagnosis of NLD can be made. The short list of symptoms below are key components to the diagnosis of NLD but are not exceptional as single markers. You may not notice all of these in a child at one time and some of them will only appear as the child matures. A pediatrician will observe your child for subtle difference in milestone markers or delays and may note these in his/her file, but It takes an acute eye to see the debilitating hidden cues of NLD.

Ten significant signs that your child may suffer from NLD

1. High verbal, early reading skills and speech acuity.

2. Inability to interpret non-verbal gestures, such as facial cue's that show irony or cynicism

3. Deficit discrepancy in verbal ability and IQ.

4. Socially inept; behaviors seem flat.

5. Unable to grasp jokes or understand metaphor.

6. Appear to be excessively clumsy.

7. Have difficulty lining up numbers on a page to do math or remembering order.

8. Seem to have an audio memory word for word.

9. Interprets expressed ideas too literally

10. Seem lost or disoriented with change in location or environment.

If you agree that your child suffers from three or more of any of these symptoms, share this with an educator or the child's physician for further assessment. Many educators today have express access to resources that can help your child find success regardless of disability.

Learn more about this author, Sandra Gillhouse.
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