The Importance of Defining Shared Criteria for the Diagnosis of Nonverbal Learning Disability

Irene C Mammarella

doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.2559

Abstract

The Importance of Defining Shared Criteria for the Diagnosis of Nonverbal Learning Disability

Highlights

Margolis et al[2] aimed to estimate the prevalence of nonverbal learning disability (NVLD) by using 3 large data sets available in the US and Canada
In their research, Semrud-Clikeman et al[3] compared children with NVLD with children who had autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and with typically developing children on several neuropsychological tasks. They found that the children with NVLD had more impairment than did those with ASD or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder on measures of visuoconstructive skills, such as the Visual-Motor Integration Test[6] and the Rey Complex Figure Test, and on measures of visual perception, such as the Judgment of Line Orientation Test.[7]
Mammarella et al[8] used visuoconstructive and visuospatial working memory tasks to differentiate between NLVD and ASD

Summary

Introduction

Margolis et al[2] aimed to estimate the prevalence of NVLD by using 3 large data sets available in the US and Canada. Researchers have made a remarkable effort in recent years to define and study children with NVLD,[3,4] the greater limitation of the study by Margolis et al[2] is that the prevalence has been estimated in the absence of explicit and consistent criteria for the diagnosis of the disorder.[5] The authors used some of the most common criteria previously used in the literature; visuospatial deficits were only estimated by using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale, with a discrepancy between verbal and visuoperceptual indexes.

Results

Conclusion