After his candid reaction to his father’s acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention propelled him into the spotlight, 17-year-old Gus Walz became one of the most publicized people with a nonverbal learning disorder.
Gus Walz and his father, Tim Walz PHOTO X/ @SkylerforNY
This condition doesn’t mean Gus can’t talk – he does. After hearing his father, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, describe his family as “my whole world” on Wednesday night, the tearful teenager stood up, pointed to the stage and said: “This is my father!” reports People and the LA Times.
Gus is one of the millions of Americans with nonverbal learning disabilities. A 2020 study published in JAMA Network Open estimated that between 3% and 4% of US children and adolescents may have the condition, and another study published this year in Scientific Reports concluded that the prevalence in children could reach to 8%.
The condition, known as NVLD, was first recognized in 1967 and does not yet have an official clinical definition. It is characterized by a significant gap between verbal skills – which are very good – and the types of nonverbal learning that involve visual-spatial processing, such as reading the time on an analog clock, reading a map, and balancing a budget.
These challenges with spatial awareness can create problems with motor skills for children. This can make them clumsy or cause problems with tasks such as tying shoes, using silverware and handwriting, according to the NVLD Project, a non-profit organization that is pushing for the condition to be included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders of the American Psychiatric Association.
What is nonverbal learning disorder
In a way, NVLD is the opposite of dyslexia, according to Scott Bezsylko, who works with neurodivergent students as executive director of Winston Preparatory School.
Reading is not a problem for children with NVLD, who often have a large vocabulary. They are also able to remember facts and memorize things like the times table.
Studies become more difficult towards the end of primary school, when learning is based more on observing patterns and applying concepts. This can cause reading comprehension problems and more advanced math problems.
NVLD also affects higher-order thinking, which is used to organize our thoughts and plan a project that requires multiple steps.
Tim Walz and his wife, Gwen, told People magazine that they noticed differences between Gus and his peers from an early age, and that these differences “they became more and more clear” as he grew up. The two spouses, both teachers, did not specify what these differences were.
Gus was recognized as having NVLD “when he became a teenager”the Walz’s said, adding that he also suffers from attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and an anxiety disorder.
It’s not uncommon for people with NVLD to also have a diagnosis of ADHD, according to the Child Mind Institute. Both conditions can make a child seem disorganized or inattentive; in the case of NVLD, it is because he does not understand the topic being discussed.
What are the characteristics of this learning disorder?
Some features of NVLD also overlap with those of autism spectrum disorders. People with NVLD can be socially awkward because they fail to recognize the meaning of facial expressions, body language, and other forms of nonverbal communication. They may compensate by asking a lot of questions, which can seem annoying.
Visual-spatial processing difficulties can make it difficult for people with NVLD to respect other people’s personal space. In addition, their pattern recognition difficulties create problems in relating past experiences to new situations.
Experts say that such traits can make it difficult for them to make friends. This matches the experience of the Walz family
“Gus preferred video games and spending more time alone“, his parents told People.
Comedian Chris Rock said that when he found out as an adult that he had NVLD, he explained a lot about his past.
Although he is great with words, “I have a hard time with non-verbal signals with people. I always had”Rock said in an interview with Extra in 2021. “They say that 70% of communication is non-verbal. So in my relationships, even with my family or the women I was dating or whatever, there was always something a little off and I couldn’t put my finger on it.”
The causes of NVLD are not clear. Although the deficits associated with the condition involve processes that occur in the right hemisphere of the brain, studies sponsored by the NVLD Project that compared brain scans of people with and without the condition found differences in both hemispheres.
Regardless, the condition does not affect intelligence, and people can learn strategies to compensate for their deficiencies.
Successful interventions may include practicing taking a problem and breaking it down into manageable parts or looking for patterns in complicated texts. As their skills improve, they develop a library of “scripts” that can help them in new situations, according to the Child Mind Institute. If they don’t have a suitable script at hand, they will have experience in creating a new one.
The same approach can also help people with NVLD cope better in social situations, experts say.
Apparently the Walz’s took that advice to heart.
“It’s taken us time to figure out how to make sure we’re doing everything we can to ensure Gus is set up for success as he grows up“, they told People.
Being neurodivergent means that Gus “he’s brilliant (and) hyper-aware of details that many of us overlook”the Walz’s added. “What became so clear to us right away was that Gus’s condition isn’t an obstacle – it’s his secret strength.”
