RWhitney Checklist

NLD Checklist

Along with Areas to evaluate, the follow check list is helpful when reviewing a patient’s file, looking for different test findings from various professionals to see if diagnosis of NLD appears to be an appropriate diagnosis.

Based on Rourke’s criteria:

1. WISC VIQ > PIQ by at least 10 points.	Yes/No
2. Highest of verbal scaled scores from WISC or WISC-R include Two of the following: Vocabulary Similarities Information	Yes/No Score Score Score
3. Lowest of the Performance scaled scores WISC or WISC-R include two of the following: Block Design Object Assembly Coding	Yes/No Score Score Score
4. Target Test is at least 1 SD below the mean	Yes/No
5. WRAT Standard Score for Reading is at least 8 points greater than Arithmetic.	Yes/No
6. TPT Right, Left, and Both hand scores become progressively worse vis-à-vis norms	Yes/No
7. No or very minimal simple tactile imperception and suppression	Yes/No
8. Very poor finger agnosia	Yes/No
9. Very poor stereognosis .	Yes/No
10. Normal to superior grip strength Scores:	Yes/No
11. Mild to moderate impairment on Grooved Pegboard Score:	Yes/No
12. Evidence of a preponderance of somatosensory or psychomotor errors on the left side.	Yes/No
Normal to superior Speech-Sounds Perception and Auditory Closure versus somewhat poorer Sentence Memory and Very poor Phonemically Cued Verbal Fluency.	Yes/No

Scoring NLD Assessment:
9 or 10 yes answers = Definite NLD	5 or 6 of these = Possible NLD
7 or 8 of these = Probable NLD	1 to 4 of these = Low Probability of NLD

Description of information	Where to gather information
1. WISC VIQ > PIQ by at least 10 points. Weschler’s Intelligence Test	Review testing, usually done by psychologist
2. Highest of verbal scaled scores from WISC or WISC-R include Two of the following: Vocabulary Similarities Information	Review testing, usually done by psychologist
3. Lowest of the Performance scaled scores WISC or WISC-R include two of the following: Block Design Object Assembly Coding	Review testing, usually done by psychologist
4. Target Test is at least 1 SD below the mean- Hitting suspended ball with finger as in the Peabody Assessment. Tests timing, eye/hand, motor planning and anticipation	Occupational Therapist
5. WRAT Standard Score for Reading is at least 8 points greater than Arithmetic.	Psychologist or Resource Teacher
6. TPT Right, Left, and Both hand scores become progressively worse vis-à-vis norms – mimicking of hand patterns such as rapidly reversing repetitive hand movements – and performance worsens with repeated trials rather than improving. Use Quick Neurological Screening Test, Sensory Integration and Praxis test	Occupational Therapist
7. No or very minimal simple tactile imperception and suppression – no evidence of tactile desensitization per Sims Weinstein Filament Test	Occupational Therapist
8. Very poor finger agnosia – unable to identify letters drawn onto fingers	Occupational Therapist
9. Very poor stereognosis – unable to identify objects placed in hand with vision occluded. .	Occupational Therapist
10. Normal to superior grip strength- As measured by clinical observation or the Dynamometer	Occupational Therapist
11. Mild to moderate impairment on Grooved Pegboard- Measured with Standardized Groove Peg Board.	Occupational Therapist
12. Evidence of a preponderance of somatosensory or psychomotor errors on the left side. – child had significant praxis deficits (motor planning, ideation and execution), pronounced on left side.	Occupational Therapist
Normal to superior Speech-Sounds Perception and Auditory Closure versus somewhat poorer Sentence Memory and Very poor Phonemically Cued Verbal Fluency. – Articulation and enunciation is good, poor content of speech, poor use of pragmatics	Speech and Language Therapist

-created and compiled by Rondalyn Whitney, MOT, OTR, Author of The Nonverbal Learning Disorder Guide for Teachers, Parents, Employers and Therapists by Rondalyn Varney Whitney, MOT, OTR. Email: Rondaly@aol.com or call 408 557 8598.