The Details

C.J. was diagnosed with a Nonverbal Learning Disorder (NLD). This means that he operates very well in the world of words but struggles with non-verbal cues and more abstract ideas.

Academically, the problems won't really set in for a few years. Learning to read for him will be easy (and he is already well on the road to that). He will struggle with ideas like cause and effect and more complex interpretations of what he reads. In math, he'll be fine until he gets to the higher order geometry and algebra. Luckily, his Verbal IQ is through the roof so he'll be able to compensate by talking through ideas and problems, some of which he already is doing himself.

The real challenge right now is with social interactions. Most estimates show that at least 65% of communication happens non-verbally, through tone of voice or expression. C.J. does not pick up on those cues and this can have a dramatic impact on how he interacts with the people around him. He will need to be trained to recognize what people are telling him without words, not an easy process.

He also doesn't generalize well. So for C.J., a concrete explanation for how to act in the doctor's office will not necessarily translate into his knowing how to act in the dentist's office. Every new situation will be stressful because he won't be able to look back through his memory and make connections to similar situations from before.

The ADHD diagnosis is currently listed as a Rule Out. This means that he has all the characterstics of it (the psychologist apparently spent a lot of time following him around the room during testing) but she was not willing to give him an actual diagnosis. This was because he is young and also because it is unclear how the NLD might be impacting his behavior.

She recommends doing a neurological exam to see if there is an organic cause for the NLD (damage to the executive functioning area of the brain is the most common) and to get more input on the ADHD diagnosis.

I think that is all of it. I'll write more after we have an IEP hammered out.