Recent developments in the application of the nonverbal learning disabilities model

Abstract

Since the original work of Myklebust et al., the concept of a syndrome of nonverbal learning disabilities (NLD) has undergone considerable development and expansion, most notably in the work of Rourke. These authors have proposed a model of white matter dysfunction, predominantly in the right cerebral hemisphere, which is thought to underlie the cognitive and behavioral impairments seen in individuals with NLD. Recent research has focused on assessing the applicability of Rourke's conceptualization of the NLD syndrome and the white matter model to various neurologic, neurodevelopmental, and genetic disorders. This paper highlights recent investigations of the NLD model with respect to velocardiofacial syndrome, Klinefelter syndrome, high functioning autism, neuro-fibromatosis type I, and metachromatic leukodystrophy, and also provides a brief discussion of recent conceptualizations of the NLD model in the broader context of disorders of social and emotional functioning, and of other novel avenues of NLD research.

What’s new in autism?

“…children with severe specific language impairment (SLI) may have pervasive communication deficits and fulfil the criteria for PDD-NOS. The same is true for children with so-called nonverbal learning disorder (NLD) [92,108,109], where the phenotypical links with ASD are imprecise, and aetiological links are even more questionable. The diagnostic overlap between PDD-NOS and other neuro-developmental disorders also requires that clinicians seeing children with ASD/PDD have sufficient knowledge of other neurodevelopmental disorders in order to guarantee adequate differential diagnosis.…”