which is milder?

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Here's a question, is it possible to have NVLD if you are good at working with and seeing how 3-D things fit together (spatial reasoning) and have a fairly good sense of orientation.

I was recently had an assessement for learning disabilities. Even though there where no problems deciding that I definately had a learning disability the assessor could not narrow it down to any specific disorder. He did indicate that the only reason he didn't diagnose me with NVLD was because my spatial spatial reasoning skills weren't bad enough. He also conluded I have some aspergers traits.

What do you think? Has anyone else had any experiences with this?

Sofie, it sounds like you have excellent spatial skills, visual-perceptual skills, and nonverbal reasoning. It really does not sound like you have NLD. Why do you ask? Do you have other symptoms of NLD?

AFter researching NVLD myself (because psych brought it up), I'm thinking the same thing aobut my son. He has an excellent imagionation and thinks in pictures. He is much higher in verbal and he does have trouble finding something right in front of him and is not that great with directions. Also, he has an excellent rote memory sometimes, considers details but doesn't always the big picuture. He has amazing insights and does think in abstact ways.

I'm going to keep autism in the picture for him--just in case. He's only eight-years old, but I don't think the NVLD captures the other pieces of him--especially his odd interests and perseverating.

I think there is quite a bit of overlap in symptoms.

As I mentioned in another thread, there are differences in viewpoint regarding NLD. Some researchers and clinicians believe it is the same as Asperger's, like this guy:

http://www.nldontheweb.org/Dinklage_1.htm

Others see the two symptom complexes as somewhat different.

However, NLD is not a DSM-IV-TR diagnosis. It is a term used by neuropsychologists. A person diagnosed as NLD by a neuropsychologist would likely be diagnosed with Aspergers or PDD-NOS by a psychiatrist or a clinical psychologist.

Just an anecdote: My mom, who is a clinical psychologist, believes I have NLD, but not Asperger's (I asked her about it as a teenager). She is not the one who diagnosed me, but she is aware of the diagnosis, and agrees with it. So it's not always just as clear-cut as looking at the same syndrome from different perspectives. Clearly she sees a qualitative difference.

The papers I have read on the subject suggest that Asperger's and NLD are the same, similar, mostly different, or very different.

Yes, it is possible.

NVLD is about as specific as if a person were to say "verbal learning disability" as a single label (that happened to encompass many different conditions that all affected language in some manner or another), which is to say not specific at all.

You can have strengths in some nonverbal areas and weaknesses in others, same as you can have strengths in some verbal areas and weaknesses in others.

There's nothing about NVLD that says you have to be bad at everything nonverbal.

Actually NVLD is 80% simmilar to aspergers and most of what you mentioned about you son is simmilar to NVLD. It is simmilar to what I do. I have NVLD and obsessive interests too.

'Lost In Space' What makes you think I have excellent visual peception and spattial skills? THere are other areas inwhich my spatial skills and visual perception skills are very lacking. For instance despite my good sense of orientation I am really bad at distinguishing left from right which I know is very weird. I also have also have two other conditions which I know effect my visual perception.

I do have numerous other NVLD symtoms. I have better verbal skills than no-verbal skills, I dont have any problems with spelling, i''m hopeless at maths. have problems visualising things in my mind, don't have very bad social skills and have bad motor skills and co-ordination. I just don't think I agree with the person who assessed me in deciding not to offically diagnose me with NVLD. Everything else I know about my difficulties is just so close to NVLD that it makes me wonder.