Hello from NLDline. Once more, thank you for your overwhelming response to this website. There have now been over 1,000,000 visits to the site from all over the world. The hope is to continue building a national and international NLD database in order to network parents, NLD adults and professionals. Educating the caregivers and associates of individuals with NLD is the prime goal of this website; next is the desire to network those interested in NLD. With these goals comes the desire to gain recognition, understanding and accommodations for the individuals who are affected by this often-misunderstood learning disability. You can be reassured that you are not alone in the quest for NLD information. Please be patient and call back if you have phoned the NLD Hotline (831) 624 3542 and not received a callback within two weeks. If you have emailed NLDline, there is presently a backlog; with patience, your email will be answered. In addition, be looking for new features which will arrive online as time permits. Please remember that NLDline and NLDA are completely separate entities: NLDA is the national NLD organization and can be reached by going to www.NLDA.org.
NLD LETTER AND INFORMATION PACKET
What is NLD? Nonverbal learning disorders (NLD) is a neurological syndrome consisting of specific assets and deficits. The assets include early speech and vocabulary development, remarkable rote memory skills, attention to detail, early reading skills development and excellent spelling skills. In addition, these individuals have the verbal ability to express themselves eloquently. Moreover, persons with NLD have strong auditory retention. Four major categories of deficits and dysfunction also present themselves:
•motoric (lack of coordination, severe balance problems, and difficulties with graphomotor skills).
•visual-spatial-organizational (lack of image, poor visual recall, faulty spatial perceptions, difficulties with executive functioning* and problems with spatial relations).
•social (lack of ability to comprehend nonverbal communication, difficulties adjusting to transitions and novel situations, and deficits in social judgment and social interaction).
•sensory (sensitivity in any of the sensory modes: visual, auditory, tactile, taste or olfactory)
*definition of executive functioning: Neuropsychological functions including, but perhaps not limited to, decision making, planning, initiative, assigning priority, sequencing, motor control, emotional regulation, inhibition, problem solving, planning, impulse control, establishing goals, monitoring results of action, self-correcting. From http://www.behavenet.com/
What is the importance of NLDline? NLDline has been developed in hopes of increasing the awareness among parents and professionals about NLD. Early intervention yields the best prognosis for these individuals, and it is imperative to be educated about NLD in order to intervene at an early age. Also, many individuals with NLD and related neurocognitive learning disorders develop secondary neurobiological disorders - anxiety disorders, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, phobias and depression, as well as suicidal tendencies. Because of the widespread lack of understanding in all fields, many individuals with NLD are misdiagnosed and are therefore not currently receiving appropriate intervention and services.
What is the purpose of
NLDline?
Until Sue Thompson's LDA GRAM articles and book on NLD.came out
(original beta copy "I Shouldn't Have To Tell You!" was
first self-published in 1996), it was almost impossible to find
practical information concerning Nonverbal Learning Disorders.
The response to her book currently titled
The Source for Nonverbal Learning Disorders published by
LinguiSystems, Inc., ($41.95) 800-776-4332, ISBN # 0760601631, has been astounding. Order by visiting the website: http://www.linguisystems.com/itemdetail.php?id=19.
NLDline understands how important it is for families of children
diagnosed with NLD and related disorders, educators who teach children
with NLD, medical professionals working with individuals diagnosed
with NLD, and individuals with NLD who are seeking support, to have
access to as much information as is currently available. In this book,
and others recently published, you will find the support, hope,
affirmation, resources, and encouragement you are seeking with the
information presented at this site and in the links available from
this site.
Where can I go from here? NLDline continues working on a national database to network those parents, professionals and other individuals interested in NLD. You can help by informing NLDline when you find an "NLD-knowledgeable" clinic, neuropsychologist, advocate, tutor, doctor, occupational therapist, speech pathologist, educational therapist or other professional who seems able to help you out. In this way, your referral information can be passed on to the next person who contacts this website from your area. Please feel free to ask questions; e-mailing NLDline is a good way to communicate. Please be patient. This is a volunteer effort and it is hard to keep up with the tremendous amount of e-mail received. If you don't receive an answer within 4 or 5 days, please try again. In the meantime, the INFORMATION PACKET should give you a brief overview of some helpful NLD hints.
Thank you for visiting this web site. And thank you to everyone who has made a contribution to this site and to the understanding of NLD. Intense gratitude is extended to all of the dedicated researchers, especially Dr. Byron P. Rourke and his colleagues at the University of Windsor, whose work in the field of learning disabilities has been instrumental in isolating the NLD syndrome and in formulating the NLD white matter model, and to Sue Thompson, whose articles and book, The Source for Nonverbal Learning Disorders, translated the scientific facts into practical and useful information for the NLD world at large.
PS As you browse through NLDline, remember that there is much still to come. There are many areas that are still under construction, many that will continuously be updated and others that are just being created.
DISCLAIMER: NLDline is designed for educational purposes only. The contents of this website are not medical, legal, technical or therapeutic advice and must not be construed as such. The information contained herein is not intended to substitute for informed professional diagnosis, advice or therapy. Visitors should not use this information to diagnose or treat NLD without also consulting a qualified medical or educational professional.
Updated: 3 20 05