Nonverbal learning disorder
| Nonverbal learning disorder | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Developmental visual–spatial disorder, nonverbal learning difficulties, nonverbal learning disability |
| Specialty | Neurology, Psychiatry |
| Duration | Lifelong |
| Differential diagnosis | Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism, bipolar disorder |
| Frequency | Currently unknown, estimated to be around 3% |
Nonverbal learning disorder (NVLD or NLD) is a proposed neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by core deficits in nonverbal skills, especially visual-spatial processing. People with this condition have normal or advanced verbal intelligence and significantly lower nonverbal intelligence. A review of papers found that proposed diagnostic criteria were inconsistent. Proposed additional diagnostic criteria include intact verbal intelligence, and deficits in the following: visuoconstruction abilities, speech prosody, fine motor coordination, mathematical reasoning, visuospatial memory, and social skills. NVLD is not recognised by the DSM-5 and is not clinically distinct from learning disorders.
NVLD symptoms can overlap with symptoms of autism, bipolar disorder, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). For this reason, some claim a diagnosis of NVLD is more appropriate in some subset of these cases.