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eLearning Series: Learning Disabilities
The Bottom Line On Learning Disabilities
( 50 articles in this series )
Asperger
Syndrome (AS) vs
Nonverbal Learning Disorder (NLD)
Part of the autism spectrum disorders, Asperger
Syndrome (AS) is a type of developmental disorder. This particular
group of neurological conditions is usually accompanied by
repetitive thought and behavior patterns and degrees of communication
and language impairment. Unlike most children with autism,
Asperger children will retain their early language skills.
Unlike children with Nonverbal Learning Disorder, Asperger
children don’t have a problem with other forms of communication.
They have other types of learning disabilities that include
speech as well as other areas. AS children tend to be very
obsessive on a particular object or topic they have interest
in and stay fixated on only that. They will actually know everything
there is to know about their topic of fixation and will talk
about little else. In contrast, a child with NLD will know
how to verbalize anything to which is being discussed.
Children
with Asperger Syndrome tend to have repetitive routines
or rituals and have peculiarities in their speech and language. They have a tendency to be emotionally and socially inappropriate
and have difficulties interacting positively with peers. Many
AS children have problems with nonverbal communication, but
it isn’t the same as NLD children. It isn’t that they cannot
understand anything other than verbal. They tend to not be
able to see outside of themselves. They do share the same motor
control issues and clumsiness of NLD children, though. The
largest reason for Asperger children’s isolation is their narrow
interests and poor social skills. Their inappropriate and eccentric
behavior can make making new friends hard, even though they
will approach others. Compounded by the obsession on only one
topic or interest makes peer socialization limited and may
also cause others to withdraw from wanting to play with them.
Many AS children will also experience motor skill developmental
delays that make riding a bike, playing on outdoor climbing
equipment, or playing catch very hard to learn.
Nonverbal
Learning Disorder (NLD), also called Nonverbal Learning
Disabilities can often times go undiagnosed and not be noticed
well into a child’s school career, unlike AS. A child
with a nonverbal learning disability cannot understand other
forms
of communication and has a hard time reading and retaining
information. Because of their extraordinary gift of verbalization
they are often thought to be gifted, unlike AS children. Their
disability is not recognized until after a few years in school
and sometimes later. Like AS children, NLD children can have
problems relating to peers and don’t take to change well. They
are capable of playing many types of games and have a variety
of interests as long as the rules are repetitive and verbally
given. They tend to also have the same clumsy nature and difficulty
in motor skills, especially the finer ones. Children with Nonverbal
Learning Disorder tend to be great in school in the first few
grades where constant verbal clues and instruction are given.
Also, during those grades most teachers are actively involved
with their students and they are not left to do things on their
own.
Once schoolwork becomes more independent as the school years
progress, the NLD child will start to loose control of what
they know. They have no idea what to do with out verbal instruction
or constant verbal clues. Reading is not understood and they
cannot find where they are just by familiar landmarks. These
children have a hard time retaining learned material and are
often late or get lost. Unlike AS children that might take
more time to learn these skills but are capable with much less
trouble. AS children can read and write if they are interested
or made to interested in a subject. It is their solitary interest
that holds them back, not inability to process other forms
of communication as with NLD children. NLD children are also
labeled as disruptive, rude, lazy, and difficult. This not
true they actually work hard and try to learn as much as possible
but their disability robs them of the ability to comprehend
anything nonverbal. AS children have been labeled the same
but their difficulty lies in their inability to see beyond
the one interest they have. So their concentration leaves and
they cannot stay focused. There are many similarities between
NLD and AS, but there are several differences. They may appear
outwardly similar but the underlying issues that cause them
are very different and they require a totally different set
of treatments for rehabilitation.
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