by Stanley W. Shura

Created on: January 06, 2008   Last Updated: February 14, 2009

It is with no exaggerated sense of urgency that I am driven to write this piece. I have come upon some serious misinformation, and it is apparently a rather common misconception, that non-verbal disabilities refer to an impairment with verbal processes. This MUST be set straight. Non-verbal learning disorders are not an impaired ability to use verbal language! Non-verbal learning disorders are those in which the ability to use and interpret NON-verbal information is impaired.

A lot has been written on this subject, but perhaps such research and finding are best found in literature and research on Autism and other disorders on the Autistic spectrum - including Aspergers, Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD), Pervasive Development Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS)sometimes or additionally referred to as High Functioning Autism (HFA), Heller's syndrome, also know as Childhood Disintegrative Disorder (CDD), and of course Nonverbal Learning Disability.

There is a huge variety of manifestation of this disorder, and it can be both comorbid with, secondary to or causal of, and/or complicated by other developmental, learning, emotional, and/or psychiatric disorders. No - NLD will not "cause" OCD or Schizophrenia or what have you. I am high-lighting the very prominent overlapping of symptomology and presentation of these "invisible" illnesses and syndromes.

One chief concern, and a hallmark characteristic, is impaired executive functioning. This means that the person will typically have enormous difficulty planning, ordering, organizing, making decisions, multi-tasking, and I will add a personal note that it also can include a very frustrating difficulty dealing operationally with tasks and situations that are not objective, quantifiable, or lacking borders or black and white distinction. Comforting are those things "right or wrong", "yes or no", "left or right". Distressing are all things ambiguous, unclear, subjective, and ultimately misinterprettable.

One compensatory technique is to be very verbose, even precociously so for children, and the accompanying mannerisms, either affected or authentic, which are highly stereotyped to emulate adults. There can also be a tendency to perseverate on items that are of no general interest to most folks - say plumbing; ceiling fans; fantasy and roll-playing games, shows, and accessories; and the seemingly *complete* unawareness (or maybe sometimes even nonconcern) of this boredom and subsequent social isolation.

By far the biggest tragedy facing folks who suffer from NLD is that of being misunderstood, and of misunderstanding their environment as well. Even more frustratingly confounding is the unawareness of said lack in communication - by everyone - and a resulting long (or even never ending) latency in the arrival of any kind of understanding, therapy, or relief.

But the key starting point is to increase understanding. This article sought that purpose by specifically targetting some common misinformation, and highlighting and correcting it. No - words are not the problem for those with Nonverbal Learning Disabilities, Spectrum Disorders, or Executive Dysfunction. They can in fact be a very comforting and indispensible tool.

Oh, yes. For these folks, words can be very comforting indeed!

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