Nonverbal Learning Disabilities in Children

Dedication.- Foreword by Margaret Semrud-Clikeman.- Acknowledgments.- About the Authors.- Introduction and Overview.- History of the Concept of NVLD.- NVLD and Subtypes.- The Etiology of NVLD.- Prevalence and Associated Conditions.- Asperger's Disorder and NVLD.- Eligibility for Special Services, Screening, and Assessment.- Screening and Evaluation.- Treatment.- Applying Guidelines.- Interventions.- Final Thoughts.- Afterword by Martin Anthony.- Appendix.- References.

John M. Davis, Ph.D., is currently an Associate Professor at CSU East Bay and chair of the Educational Psychology Department where he also teaches in the Clinical Child and School Psychology Program. He received his Ph.D. from the U. C. Berkeley School Psychology program and did clinical post-doctoral studies at U. C. Davis to become a licensed psychologist. He has a special interest in learning and developmental disorders having been the director of a school and clinic for students with learning disabilities for 12 years, which provided diagnostic and intervention services. His current clinical work is primarily with children and adults with learning disorders. His writing and research interests include articles and book chapters in the areas of mental health consultation, suicide/crisis intervention, and learning disorders. Jessica Broitman, Ph.D., is the President of the San Francisco Psychotherapy Research Group, and Executive Director of its Clinic and Training Center. She received her PhD from the Wright Institute, where she is currently on the faculty and did her postdoctoral studies at Children's Hospital in SF. Currently a psychoanalyst, on the faculty of the San Francesco Psychoanalytic Institute; she has been in private practice since 1980. She has worked with families who have learning disabled children for over 10 years. She is currently involved in several research projects concerning the treatment and understanding of NVLD. As the parent of a child with NLVD she has a special interest in helping professionals and families understand and treat this disorder. Together Dr Davis and Dr Broitman have previously authored articles on NVLD and its subtypes:A Brief Historical Overview of Nonverbal Learning Disorders, The Educational Therapist, Vol. 27, p. 5, 2006, Davis, J.M. & Broitman, J.Nonverbal Learning Disabilities: Models of Proposed Subtypes, The Educational Therapist, Vol. 28, p. 5, 2007, Davis, J.M., & Broitman, J.

From the reviews:

"All in all, Nonverbal Learning Disabilities in Children: Bridging the Gap Between Science and Practice provides the reader with an acceptable overview of the current status of NVLD. Unlike most of the other recent books on the market, which are primarily written for parents (e.g., Burger, 2004; Mamen, 2007; Martin, 2007; Rubinstein, 2005; Tanguay, 2001, 2002; Whitney, 2008) or teens (Murphy, 2008), Davis and Broitman's work is primarily designed for the professional."
- Linda C. Caterino, PsycCRITIQUES, November 2, 2011, Vol. 56, Release 44, Article 7

"The book is meant as an overview of nonverbal learning disabilities for school-based practitioners such as school psychologists, school counselors, school nurses, special education teachers, speech and language pathologists, and occupational therapists, as well as community-based mental health professionals. It is a short book, just over 100 pages, but it does present such topics as history and current status of the disorder, etiology, prevalence, associated conditions, and treatment. ... Davis and Broitman's work is primarily designed for the professional." (Linda C. Caterino, PsycCRITIQUES, Vol. 56 (44), November, 2011)