NLD From the Inside Out: Talking to Parents, Teachers, and Teens about Growing Up with Nonverbal Learning Disabilities [Paperback]

Michael Brian Murphy (Author), Gail R. Shapiro (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 19, 2008 | ISBN-10: 1601455704 | ISBN-13: 978-1601455703 | Edition: 2

Written by and for young adults with NLD - and their parents, teachers, and therapists - NLD FROM THE INSIDE OUT presents useful tips, strategies, and insights into living with this oft-misunderstood learning disability - in the voices of those who experience it.

Product Details

• Paperback: 164 pages
• Publisher: Booklocker.com, Inc.; 2 edition (July 19, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1601455704
• ISBN-13: 978-1601455703
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #50,886 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #46 in Books > Parenting & Relationships > Special Needs > Disabilities

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hands down, the best book I've read on NLD, August 30, 2008

By 

J. Solodar (Massachusetts, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: NLD From the Inside Out: Talking to Parents, Teachers, and Teens about Growing Up with Nonverbal Learning Disabilities (Paperback)

This is a terrific read for parents and teachers of children with NLD, as well as teens and young adults with NLD. It is extremely well written, by a young man who has come to terms with his own NLD, in part by interviewing many others about their experiences growing up with this syndrome. The book is intelligent, honest, and compassionate, well organized, and informative without getting bogged down in too much detail. Best of all, it has a healthy sense of humor about some of the awkward (sometimes absurd, sometimes poignant) situations that are so mystifying to "neurotypicals," which are presented in contributed anecdotes that will resonate with families living with a person in their midst with NLD. If you've raised a child with NLD, you'll find yourself at times laughing out loud and shaking your head in disbelief at some of the vignettes, because they sound so eerily familiar.

Although some of the earliest material that was published on NLD warned that as an NLD child grows up the social/emotional burdens only become more complex, this book demonstrates that in many cases the challenges associated with NLD may actually become less burdensome as kids mature into young adults. This seems to be due to a combination of the eventual maturation of some of the responsible neurological factors, the acquisition of work-around strategies, and the growth in self-confidence that comes from understanding and accepting one's weaknesses.

Murphy acknowledges the academic frustrations and social/vocational challenges of growing up with NLD, but this book and his own example (he's working on a graduate degree now) provide encouragement by showing that self-esteem and social competence can blossom as these young people come of age. While the "wiring" in the brain of a person with NLD may never quite evolve into what is considered mainstream, Murphy has seen his own challenges diminish as a young adult, and many of the young adults interviewed in his book confirm the same.

If parents can get their older children with NLD to read this book, it will be an excellent catalyst for an open discussion with them about some of their earlier and ongoing struggles as well as the progress they've made in the larger (non-NLD) world.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mother of NLD son, March 31, 2009

By 

Cheryl (St. Louis, MO) - See all my reviews

This review is from: NLD From the Inside Out: Talking to Parents, Teachers, and Teens about Growing Up with Nonverbal Learning Disabilities (Paperback)

I'll start by saying I haven't finished the book yet. Of all the books I have purchased since my son's diagnosis, this one I have found a connection with. Many others give clinical aspects, but this hits home with what it's really like for an individual with NLD from their perspective.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Totally excellent!, January 9, 2009

By 

Alanna C. Farnsworth (Windsor, VT) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: NLD From the Inside Out: Talking to Parents, Teachers, and Teens about Growing Up with Nonverbal Learning Disabilities (Paperback)

This is the best book on this subject I've read. It offers an easily understandable portrayal of what it's like to have NLD. The best part, in my opinion, is the back section that offers a letter to give to teachers, outlining what you might need for accomodations. It's worth the price of the book, just for that. Knowing you need help is one thing. Knowing what you need, is another. Very, very helpful.