Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

This book was among the first books I read once finding out my 17 year old son had NLD. After many years of struggling with depression, anxiety, etc...he was tested for Asbergers' which came up negative. However finding instead he had NLD. It was a relief to know that there was a reason afterall for all his struggles. I needed to read up on the subject as much as possible to better educate myself on how to deal with the now diagnosed problem. This book was an easy read, very informative and puts NLD in the complete understanding that parents, teachers, and therapists need to know. I ended up passing the book around to family members to read as well as my son so he could better understand himself even! I bought extra copies of it to pass onto his counselors and teachers at school. The more informed they are, the better they can help my son in his last year of High School.They were able to come up with a plan of study and academics based on this book that better helped him...so far it's been a huge difference in his outcome. Read this book first above all others...and as I had found out, his therapists were not as up to date either on this topic. This book was a blessing to us.

Useful book from a unique perspective
This book is from the perspective of young adults who grew up with NLD. It is very hopeful and very helpful. You will learn how NLD children actually experience the world, as stated in their own voices. Parents, teachers, therapists, and friends will learn how they can be most helpful to the NLD child/adult and how to avoid the frustrations commonly associated with these interactions and relationships. NLDers will identify with much of the content and will learn practical methods and tools for managing their world and their daily lives. It is informative, compassionate, useful and appropriate for everyone associated in any way with an NLD child/adult, including and especially the NLD child/adult him/herself.

Just having discovered that my 20-year-old son has NLD (after years of misdiagnoses and other missteps), I bought this book and have found it to be a tremendous resource. It was written by a young man still in his twenties, who was diagnosed only at age 24. This 125-page book is packed with more valuable information than other self-help books three times its volume. I also like how he pulled in actual voices of young people (mostly teens through twenties) to speak of their experiences. He also lists many other resources to explore, and includes worksheets and checklists that look as if they'd be immensely useful to this particular learning disability. I'm quite sure that my son will gain a great deal from owning this book, and will not feel so alone and confused any longer.

Most NLDers are very, very bright people with extraordinary verbal gifts (their way of compensating) and have long been told "If you're so smart, why can't you _____________?" leading to low self-esteem and anxiety. This book offers the hope of a bright future for NLDers.

I am a neurology nurse practitioner w/ a son w/ NVLD...this has been very helpful for him and many of my patients to see that others have this disorder and are able to overcome many obstacles...for the High School or College Student w/ NVLD this is a must read

As a retired educator of some thirty years, and now as someone who is trying to explain NLD to a special person in my life, I read both the first and second editions of the book NLD From The Inside Out. I found both editions to be excellent. The second edition is much like the first, but adds some additional examples and details that make it even more interesting and useful for those needing a great resource to explain NLD to teenagers who can benefit from a better understanding of this particular type of learning disability. The book is so well laid out. It is a gem for parents and teachers who wish to help teenagers understand their NLD, while at the same time helping them recognize that there are many endeavors that they can be extremely successful at. Like anyone else, teenagers with NLD have both their strengths and weakness, and author Michael Brian Murphy presents many compelling reasons and motivational narratives from other teens with NLD as why they should remain optimistic and extremely hopeful about their future. In addition to being a great resource to parents and teachers, this book is also a must read for teens who want to better understand their NLD so that they can lead successful lives despite having this particular diagnosis, and very often because of having this particular diagnosis. Kids with NLD often have many gifts that neurotypical people do not. I have seen that over and over again as an educator and even now as I support one brilliant young man in my life who has the world at his finger tips and is doing great things despite having NLD. After reading this book, I'm even more convinced that NLD need not be an obstacle to success, but when properly understood, can be a launch pad to greater things in life, including very fulfilling careers. Thanks Michael Brian Murphy for writing an inspiring and ground breaking book.

Very helpful book. Written by a nonprofessional, a young man who suffers from the disorder, in an easy to read way. Helped me, as a grandparent, to understand how my granddaughter's brain works.

I have sent a copy to her school.

One of the best books on the subject I have read, am not finished but would like to contact the author when done.