Customer Reviews

Nonverbal Learning Disabilities at Home: A Parent's Guide

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

 

 

First, you don't need your highlighter for this book! At the end of each chapter, the author does it for you. I found this book informative and helpful.
My favorite chapter was Chapter 7: Managing the Environment, it gives an overview of how hard and confusing life can be for a child with NLD. Great to read again & again if you find you are losing patience with your NLD child. I also often copy the first 6 pages of this chapter and give it to those that work with my child; in the hopes they will have the necessary empathy in working with my child.

I eagerly awaited Pamela Tanguay's Nonverbal Learning Disabilities at Home. It was well worth waiting for! Ever since my daughter was diagnosed with a nonverbal learning disability four years ago I have struggled to understand exactly what it all means. I have attempted to read as much as I can to understand the disability and have often drowned in all the terminology and jargon. I would have had a head start using Tanguay's glossary of terms. Practical suggestions go to the level of detail of waking up in the morning and give a whole new meaning and appreciation for the term "transition". There is practical guidance for all those daily frustrations and preparation for the future in the independent living skills. At the end of each chapter Tanguay provides a summary which I will use often for quick reference. This is essential reading for parents and others involved in the care of children with NLD. As a parent of a child with NLD child I have concentrated my advocacy efforts on school. The recognition of the chaos at home and the many suggestions to reduce it make reading this book extremely worthwhile.

Pam Tanguay writes from considerable experience: she is one of the founders of NLD on the Web, an award winning website which disseminates information about NLD. For the parent wondering if NLD is a framework that fits her or his child, as well as for the parent who wants concrete suggestions about how to support a child with NLD at home, this book is a wellspring of information. The book is formatted to be a companion of sorts; well designed to make it handy for consultation over the years as various issues and challenges are tackled. As well, there is a comprehensive annotated bibliography and a list of organizations and internet resources. As an educator of children and teachers, as well as a parent of a child with NLD, I recommend this book as a 'must read' for both parents and educators.

I must say that my feelings about this book are mixed. I agree that it has some incredibly helpful practical advice. However, this book has such a pessimistic view of NLD children. The social skills section was great in terms of the advice, but it seems to imply that there is no chance that A NLD child will escape her school years without being a loner, a victim, and an unhappy child.

As a background, my 6 1/2 year old daughter has been receiving intervention since she was 3 1/2 (OT, speech, etc.). She doesn't have an official diagnosis of NLD, however, she has most of the characteristics. Her IQ testing revealed a 25 point difference between her verbal and non-verbal skills. The psychologist wasn't ready to give her a NLD diagnosis because her non-verbal test results were still in the high average range (but significantly lower than her verbal skills which are in the very superior range).

I am sure that she uses her high verbal skills to compensate for her difficulty with non-verbal skills.
However, I still find that the early intervention has made a tremendous difference in her life. Yes, I did worry about her social skills alot when she was younger. But, now in the middle of first grade, she is well liked by her peers and has several best friends with whom she is able to play easily and happily for long stretches without any intervention.

We feel that it has helped tremendously to do alot of one on one playdates. And, the OT and speech that she has received for the past three years has improved her body awareness, fine motor skills, and pragmatic speech skills.

Is she perfect, no! We still struggle with her self-help and organizational skills, and she still misses some non-verbal cues in social situations. But, we feel that her outlook is MUCH more positive than presented in the book.

While it is obviously geared towards children with severe NLD symptoms, I still feel that it could have used a more positive and sensitive approach. If I had read this book several years ago - when she was struggling more - I would have been devastated - as it implies that there is little room for growth.

And, three years later, our child is a happy, loving (okay disorganized!!) child. We don't doubt that there will always be new hurdles to mount, but we are confident that she will surmount any obstacles in her path.

Good luck!

Recently our teenager was diagnosed with NLD. This book was recommended to us by a psychologist. We found the book to be extremely helpful in explaining NLD (in plain English) and helping us understand how to deal with the NLD child. The book addresses the needs of parents with either young or adolencent children with NLD. I highly recommend this book as a starting point for parents and educators in learning about NLD.

My only complaint is that Pam didn't write this book when my son was younger. But then we didn't know about Nonverbal Learning Disabilities when he was younger either!

Pam Tanguay has written a book full of good strategies to help parents help their NLD child achieve a happier and more successful life. As NLD children are identified at increasingly younger ages, we are also realizing that the earlier interventions begin, the better these kids can do. Parents of NLD children need as many tools as possible to help their children succeed - Pam Tanguay has given them a whole tool box!

This book is an outstanding handbook for parents and caregivers of children with NLD. Very helpful suggestions that will make life at home far less stressful for the entire family! Great ideas on organizational and social skills. A must read for those who want to better understand and support a child with NLD.

My son was recently diagnosed with this disorder. What a great book. It is a must read. This should be read before Sue Thompson's guide. The terms are described with definitions. The presentation of the disorder is very clear and easy to understand. This is a good starter book for researching the disorder.

I returned the book. It was designed for the child diagnosed at a young age. We were diagnosed at 15. Found other books that were more helpful (also from Amazon) Nonverbal Learning Disabilities by Marieke Molenaar-Klumper, which is more clinical, but a very good book and Helping a Child with Nonverbal Learning Disorder or Aspergers Disorder by Kathryn Stewart, this one less clinical, and more practical. Talk about the similarities and differences between NLD and AD.

I found this book extremely helpful. My 15 year old daughter was recently diagnosed with NLD so I am playing "catch up". For years we thought she had ADD and more recently, mental illness. She was fine socially until middle school and then she just couldn't "keep up" with her friends.
Everything in the book from personal care to academics is so accurate for her. She is however athletic, and, contrary to what the book says, can hit a softball. Just like the author's daughter my daughter is also musical. This is a must read for all parents.