AS vs NVLD

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
AS vs NVLD
3
Tue, 01-24-2006 - 12:32pm
ok my son was DX last year with NVLD (by the school pychologist)
a friend of mine has a son with AS (she swears my Joey has AS)
by the was Joey is 11, he also has ADD and SID.
IF i am reading correctly a big difference in AS and NVLD is that with AS your chld usually has one special interest and usually is not to interested in other things where in NVLD your child has many interests. Well my sons special interest is Video games and any stuffed character or action figure that is on those games right not it is sonic use to be Crash.
We DO have a appt this spring at the Weisman Center in Madison Wisconsin to have a complete assessment.
What is your opinion on the differences between AS and NVLD.
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-07-2003
In reply to: schwoob
Tue, 01-24-2006 - 9:26pm

Someone on this site turned me onto the book "Bridging the Gap" by Carol Kanowitz who also wrote "The Out-of-Sync Child." Bridging the Gap is all about NVLD (or NLD which is the acronym I've seen more frequently and found info online under). She is a therapist and she also has a ds who has NLD. It was a WONDERFUL read! On pg 71 she writes (I just have a copy of renewable loan from the library):

"Many symptoms of Asperger's and NLD overlap, but there are differences as well. They are similar in that they are both disabilities of the nonverbal type; both children with NLD and children with AS are verbal, often verbose, but they miss out on the nonverbal cues in their enviornment and, as a result, they have social deficits. Two key differences between NLD and Asperger's include the visual-spatial-organizational area (a strength in AS and a weakness in NLD) and a command of verbal language, which tends to be higher in NLD than in AS.

"Both children with NLD and children with AS have difficulty understanding the perspective of another person, but when taught that perspective, children with NLD seem to recall what they've learned and apply it more often and more effectively. Children with AS seem to need more repetition of the social concepts and more practice in the application of those concepts. Children with NLD more commonly want to be in relationship with peers so badly that they have a tendency to be annoying and overbearing in their overtures. People with AS, however, tend to be more aloof, more content with one or two friends, and have a greater tendency toward social withdrawl or isolation.

"One of the diagnostic criteria for NLD is tactile imperceptions. Children with NLD have trouble recognizing objects placed in their hands when their eyes are closed. They also have difficulty identifying letters drawn on their fingers (called finger agnosia) when their eyes are closed. In my clinical experience, I have not found this to be true with the children with AS, but it is always true in the children with NLD.

"Both children with NLD and those with AS are prone to sensorimotor dysfunction, depression, and anxiety. Both have problems organizing their supplies. Children with NLD have difficulty organizing their thoughts, supplies, and time. Children with AS do, too, but they have perseverations, or rituals, where they REQUIRE some objects -- those they care about -- to be placed in a certain order or sequence, or they get upset. Children with NLD don't do this. Both have difficulty demonstrating their knowledge with a pencil. They both benefit from speech/language therapy that helps them organize their thoughts and understand the nonverbal elements of communication. They both benefit from a good sensory diet that allows them to regulate their levels of alertness, arousal, frustration, and motor-skill development."

I hope that sort of answers your question.

Avatar for kingalex
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
In reply to: schwoob
Wed, 01-25-2006 - 7:42am

Okay, that totally confused me. I always thought someone could have BOTH AS and NVLD at the same time; am I wrong? Alex seems to fit both descriptions for various aspects...

Anyone else have a child that fits both descriptions?

Laurie

Laurie

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
In reply to: schwoob
Wed, 01-25-2006 - 1:39pm
thank you for the response and book suggestion
i am going to call the library and order it
vanessa