This unique volume explores issues related to working with children who
have nonverbal learning disability (NVLD). It examines how a child's
psychology - thoughts, feelings, beliefs - affects his or her
functioning and learning. In addition, the book addresses how a child's
experiences are processed through individual personality, psychology,
culture, environment and economic circumstances, and family dynamics.
Using these psychological organizing principles, the book describes how
to work most effectively with young patients with NVLD. It offers a new
model and definition for understanding NVLD, emphasizing its core
deficit of visual-spatial processing.
In addition, this book addresses efforts to rename NVLD to
developmental visual-spatial disorder (DVSD). It describes the 11
possible subtypes as including a primary deficit in visual-spatial
processes and impairment in several additional functional domains,
including executive functioning, social/emotional deficits, academic
achievement, and motor coordination. The book highlights the need for
psychologically minded treatment and provides specific intervention
guidelines. It details how to conduct the intake process and create a
treatment plan and team and offers practical suggestions for working
with a patient's family members. In addition, the book addresses the
importance of working with a consistent psychological theory, such as
control mastery theory (CMT). It describes the Brooklyn Learning Center
Model for treating NVLD and offers guidelines for interventions to
support patients academically. The book provides a comprehensive
approach to the neuropsychological assessment of NVLD as well as
examples of visual-spatial, sensory perception, executive functioning,
academics, social/emotional deficits and motor coordination
interventions, and all forms used to gather information from patients.
Key areas of coverage include:
- Definition of nonverbal learning disability (NVLD).
- Efforts toward inclusion in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual
(DSM) and for renaming it to a developmental visual-spatial disorder
(DVSD)
- Guide to general diagnostic testing and assessment.
- Developing a treatment plan and team for NVLD patients.
- NVLD therapy and tutoring priorities.
NVLD and Developmental Visual-Spatial Disorder in Children is an
essential reference for clinicians, therapists, and other professionals
as well as researchers, professors, and graduate students in school and
clinical child psychology, special education, speech-language therapy,
developmental psychology, pediatrics, social work as well as all
interrelated disciplines.
