What does nonverbal learning disorder look like?
Children with nonverbal learning disorder are often very bright. Young children may even be targeted as gifted due to their mature vocabulary, rote memory skills and apparent reading ability. However, parents may notice early that their children have difficulty with things like interacting with other children, self-help skills or fine and gross motor activities. Parents may suspect that something is amiss early on, but they can’t quite put a finger on it. Children with NLD may manage to go along through their early elementary years handling academic demands fairly well. But as they enter the upper elementary grades or begin middle school, they are left to handle more tasks on their own and things rapidly deteriorate. They get lost, forget to do homework, have difficulty following directions, struggle with math, can’t write an essay and are continually misunderstood by both their peers and teachers. They are accused of being lazy, rude or uncooperative. They are not any of these things-
