Is there a fine motor skill deficit in nonverbal learning disabilities?

Abstract

Nonverbal Learning Disabilities (NLD) is a specific learning difficulty described by Rourke in terms of neuropsychological deficits in tactile, visual and motor skills, and assets in verbal, auditory, and rote-learned skills. The present study assessed the fine motor skills in 13 children with a nonverbal learning difficulty defined as a verbal IQ > performance IQ discrepancy, relative to 13 age- and reading-matched controls. The study found that children with discrepancy-defined NLD were significantly poorer than controls on a timed pegboard task, and made more errors on a line drawing task. However, the groups did not differ on cutting out performance. Thus, the results are consistent with previous findings that children with NLD show poor performance on pegboard type tasks, although there is no evidence of general poor fine motor skills, in children with discrepancy-defined NLD. There was also no relationship between size of IQ discrepancy and performance on the tasks. Further research is required to clarify whether the children’s fine motor deficits are specific to visuospatial motor tasks.