Anatomical differences between "NLD" and "typical" ASDs

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Here is a link to the page about a research about splenium size of the children with NLD, ADHD, HFA and contol group:

http://scholars.opb.msu.edu/pubDetail.a ... id=1&o_id=

Smaller splenium in children with nonverbal learning disability compared to controls, high-functioning autism and ADHD

Jodene Goldenring Fine; Kayla A. Musielak; Margaret Semrud-Clikeman
(Profiled Author: Jodene G Fine)

Child Neuropsychology. 2014;20(6):641-661.

The current study investigated morphological differences in the corpus callosum in children ages 8 to 18 years old with nonverbal learning disability (NLD; n = 19), high-functioning autism (HFA; n = 23), predominantly inattentive ADHD (ADHD:PI; n = 23), and combined type ADHD (ADHD:C; n = 25), as well as those demonstrating typical development (n = 57). Midsagittal area of the corpus callosum and five midsagittal anterior-to-posterior corpus callosum segments were examined using magnetic resonance imaging. Controlling for midsagittal brain area and age, no group differences were found for total corpus callosum area. This finding indicates that higher functioning children on the autistic spectrum do not have smaller corpus callosi as has been found in previous research with heterogeneous samples. Following segmentation of the corpus callosum, the NLD group was observed to have significantly smaller splenia compared to all other groups. Smaller splenia in the NLD group was associated with lower WASI PIQ scores but not WASI VIQ scores. Children with HFA were observed to have larger midbody areas than children with NLD and neurotypically developing children. Children with HFA and NLD demonstrated behavioral symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity similar to the ADHD groups indicating that corpus callosum differences seen in the NLD and HFA groups are not related to these behaviors. © 2013 © 2013 Taylor & Francis.

Here is another link about it:

http://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2013/shedd ... disorders/

Published: Nov. 20, 2013
Shedding new light on learning disorders
Contact(s): Andy Henion , Jodene Fine
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A Michigan State University researcher has discovered the first anatomical evidence that the brains of children with a nonverbal learning disability – long considered a “pseudo” diagnosis – may develop differently than the brains of other children.

The finding, published in Child Neuropsychology, could ultimately help educators and clinicians better distinguish between – and treat – children with a nonverbal learning disability, or NVLD, and those with Asperger’s, or high functioning autism, which is often confused with NVLD.

“Children with nonverbal learning disabilities and Asperger’s can look very similar, but they can have very different reasons for why they behave the way they do,” said Jodene Fine, assistant professor of school psychology in MSU’s College of Education.

Understanding the biological differences in children with learning and behavioral challenges could help lead to more appropriate intervention strategies.

Children with nonverbal learning disability tend to have normal language skills but below average math skills and difficulty solving visual puzzles. Because many of these kids also show difficulty understanding social cues, some experts have argued that NVLD is related to high functioning autism – which this latest study suggests may not be so.

Fine and Kayla Musielak, an MSU doctoral student in school psychology, studied about 150 children ages 8 to 18. Using MRI scans of the participants’ brains, the researchers found that the children diagnosed with NVLD had smaller spleniums than children with other learning disorders such as Asperger’s and ADHD, and children who had no learning disorders.

The splenium is part of the corpus callosum, a thick band of fibers in the brain that connects the left and right hemispheres and facilitates communication between the two sides. Interestingly, this posterior part of the corpus callosum serves the areas of the brain related to visual and spatial functioning.

In a second part of the study, the participants’ brain activity was analyzed after they were shown videos in an MRI that portrayed both positive and negative examples of social interaction. (A typical example of a positive event was a child opening a desired birthday present with friend; a negative event included a child being teased by other children.)

The researchers found that the brains of children with nonverbal learning disability responded differently to the social interactions than the brains of children with high functioning autism, or HFA, suggesting the neural pathways that underlie those behaviors may be different.

“So what we have is evidence of a structural difference in the brains of children with NVLD and HFA, as well as evidence of a functional difference in the way their brains behave when they are presented with stimuli,” Fine said.

While more research is needed to better understand how nonverbal learning disability fits into the family of learning disorders, Fine said her findings present “an interesting piece of the puzzle.”

“I would say at this point we still don’t have enough evidence to say NVLD is a distinct diagnosis, but I do think our research supports the idea that it might be,” she said.

I think that "NLD" is something more than a specific developmental (learning) disorder. It has to be classified in my opinion in the same class as autism, but in the other class of neurodevelopmental disorders than (for example) dyslexia because it is too complex and too destructive, especially in socio-emotional area.

I think it depends upon the nature of the NVLD--and the nature of the learning disability.

I believe my NVLD is mild; hence, it is less serious in impact than someone who has rather severe dyslexia.

I have rather learning "hyperability" than disablity. Maybe I do not have NLD, maybe just very mild. I have problems with social reciprocity and patterns of activities. I was diagnosed with a PDD, but I suppose than in Northern America I would be diagnosed with just nonverbal learning disorder... NLD itself is not so "idiosyncratic" and "weird".

As far as I know, "nonverbal learning disability" is not a diagnosis in the DSM V. You would probably still be diagnosed with ASD.

My problems in nonverbal learning are not so large. I was often poor on Physics, but wrote my "mature" exam very well when I was about 18,5 years old. I learned how to ride a bike (which has two wheels) before my sixth birthday. I was interested in maps (and still like them), video and computer games and still remember quite much from them, also in visual forms. I do not have gift of excellent visual thinking.

NLD with socio-emotional impairments is a sort of ASD for me, which may be not related to Kanner's autism. Some people with NLD may not have social problems, especially before adolescence. But other with "NLD" have very poor eye contact, fixated interests, routines etc... They have a kind of autism spectrum conditions to me. "Pure" NLD do not give such a "weird" symptoms.

People with Kanner ("classical") autism tend to have less trouble with non-verbal things than verbal things. In relative terms, they tend not to have NVLD.

Autism should be mainly about socio-emotional impairment, not about verbal or nonverbal learning disorders. Am I "weird" because of NLD? Because of anxiety disorders? I do not want to name people with ASD as "weird", but symptoms of NLD should be less bizarre than symptoms of ASD. Bizarrity, pecularity is my large problem. Why I am so odd?

Autism is well known as an impairment in language processing, as well as a "social-emotional" impairment.

I don't know how to answer the question, because it implies that learning disabilities are somehow less impairing and that may or may not be the case. My daughter has ASD, but I imagine there are people with severe learning disabilities who are more impaired than she is, depending upon how you look at it. Her social deficits are mild and largely compensated for (except when she loses the ability to compensate), but her academic strengths are remarkable. I would imagine she would fair much better than a child with a severe learning disability, at least in an academic sense.

My son has been diagnosed with NLD. His neurologist classifies NLD as on the spectrum, and not a straight LD, and he says that most of his colleagues who have a degree of expertise feel the same way. I do think that there are "brain origins" for NLD, and I do think that NLD and AS are often interchanged when perhaps they shouldn't be.

I have never been able to succinctly put into words what I think the difference is, but it goes somewhere along the lines of this: AS has strengths in math/engineering/etc, whereas NLD struggles. NLD have less impairment socially and have greater "desire" for relationships, but are still impaired. NLD is more likely to be coupled with motor planning and proprioceptive issues (clumsiness, late to learn motor skills etc).

I am always pleased when they are able to find differences to enhance our understanding of how the giant umbrella of "ASD" breaks down. I think there are more than one subtype of ASD and more subtypes of ADHD than are currently recognized. When we can reliably parcel them out, we will be able to better understand which interventions might help, which might be useless, and which might be harmful. The research confound of lumping unlike subjects into the mass header of "ASD" can be minimized and research results will be more meaningful.

Thanks for sharing the research, even though I didn't know how to answer your question.

My desire for relationships is idiosyncratic and limited in my opinion. I had weird obsessions about female classmates as a child in elementary school. It was stupid. I do not feel so strongly attached to my parents or siblings, I might feel more attached to some Aspies from Polish AS forum. Now I like contact with people who are smilar to me much... I have limited need of being loved or accepted, I do not bother about it so much. I have marked nonconformism. I liked maps, video games, make own graphs, have an engineer degree, but it is was not strictly technical field of study. I rather do not like fiction literature so much, even science fiction. Maybe it is too "boring" for me. I had very poor eye contact when I was younger. I appear for me to have sluggish cognitive tempo, I may have schizotypal disorder. My birth weight was 2150 g (according to this percentile chart (http://www.infantchart.com), it is at 0,2th percentile) and body length from head certificate was 53 cm (even when we subtract 6 cm from it, weight for length percentile would be still very low (0,2th) (http://www.infantchart.com/infantweightlength.php)). But I do not have language delay or problems with grammar and syntax. Scholastic abilities are my large strength. I would name my disorder as a type of developmental autism, but definately not "Kanneric" one.

In new versions of ICD and DSM "NLD" should be classified with autism in one category, but not in the same category of developmental disorders as dyslexia or dyscalculia. Current use of the term "NVLD" is not acceptable for me, because "NLD" appears to have own socio-emotional profile.

Learning disorders do not affect socio-emotional area by itself. NLD is a "pervasive developmental disorder", but not necessary a PDD from ICD-10 definition.

Clinical Information

A category of developmental disorders characterized by impaired communication and socialization skills. The impairments are incongruent with the individual's developmental level or mental age. These disorders can be associated with general medical or genetic conditions.
Broad term for disorders, usually first diagnosed in children prior to age 4, characterized by severe and profound impairment in social interaction, communication, and the presence of stereotyped behaviors, interests, and activities. Compare developmental disabilities.
Group of disorders characterized by delays in the development of socialization and communication skills; typical age of onset is before 3 years of age; symptoms may include problems with using and understanding language; difficulty relating to people, objects, and events; unusual play with toys and other objects; difficulty with changes in routine or familiar surroundings, and repetitive body movements or behavior patterns; autism is the most characteristic and best studied pdd; other types of pdd include asperger syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, and rett syndrome; prefer nts where possible.

http://www.icd10data.com/ICD10CM/Codes/ ... 0-F89/F84-

Very high functioning ASD may be less impairing than many types of "NLD". "NLD" appears to impair not only cogntive area, but often also social, emotional, activity, somatic areas, so for me it s a sort of something which I called "aucorigia" and "polymixia" (they are "mainly" socio-emotional developmental disabilities). It is too "general" disturbance to be called just a "learnng disability/disorder".

The social worker at my son's school says that it is not. I have heard NLD and NVLD used lately to describe people who have social and pragmatic speech disorders, but it seems there is a lot more to it. In the DSM V, though, there is SCD, or Social Communication Disorder. This disorder is now being diagnosed to people who have social and communication issues similar to ASD without the limited interests and repetitive behavior (or at least not enough to qualify for an ASD diagnosis).

I might (even) not qualify for SCD from DSM-V. I am not so literal... I do not like American terminology for "socio-emotional developmental disorders". I would classify people such as I as having pervasive developmental disorders, not just learning/social/communication issues. I have problems with obsessiveness, bizarrity, some sort of "dysreciprocity". Cognitive skills are my appreciable strengths in my opinion. PDD should be mostly about developmental "pecularities", such as social communication problems, tendency to one-sided contacts, "weirdness", obsessions, cognitive problems and "rigid-mindedness", marked sensory problems have not to be necessary (but they are often present in individuals with PDD, in severe PDD they tend to be really serious).