Nonverbal Learning Disorders – Causes, Signs, and Accommodations

In the United States, 3 to 4 percent of children live with some type of nonverbal learning disorder (NVLD), which refers to a cluster of symptoms that impact social interactions, physical abilities, and learning. Like autism, NVLD is a spectrum disorder, and symptoms can range from mild to profound.

Children with NVLD may have difficulty reading non-verbal cues or relaying information in a relatable way. They may perseverate on a specific subject or topic. Children with NVLD also display poor coordination and can have underdeveloped fine and gross motor skills.

Children with NVLD also have notable strengths. For example, many such children are adept at learning new vocabulary and mimicking the language of older people. They also excel in rote memorization and display strong attention to detail. While NVLD is a lifelong condition, learned coping strategies help people with this disorder live productive, fulfilling lives.

As many of the challenges of NVLD are not noticeable until a child is required to complete more complex academic tasks, many children are not diagnosed until around fifth grade. However, some children with NVLD do exhibit difficulties with writing letters and sounding out words.

While researchers continue to investigate the causes of NVLD, some evidence has suggested that the disorder may be related to neurological abnormalities. Children with NVLD have difficulty processing visual and sensorial information, which is managed by the right side of the brain. These abnormalities may occur due to complications during pregnancy or an illness in early infancy. Children with NVLD often have another diagnosis, such as autism or ADHD. They also have a higher risk of developing anxiety. The disorder affects both genders equally.

Since NVLD overlaps with other learning disorders, assessing NVLD requires a professional evaluation. However, there are several signs that can indicate that a child may have NVLD. For example, a child with NVLD can read a paragraph fluidly but will have difficulty identifying the main idea or central theme. These children may also have issues solving math problems that involve several steps or formulas.

Socially, children with NVLD often have strained relationships with their peers. They may misread facial expressions or interpret figurative language literally. Over time, children with NVLD may avoid in-person socializing and prefer interacting through video games, chat, and other types of virtual platforms.

Children with NVLD can thrive with therapeutic and academic support. Physical therapy can improve coordination and balance. Other forms of occupational therapy, such as sensory integration, can help the brain process visual and tactile information.

Play and group therapy give children with NVLD the opportunity to practice socializing with their peers. As these children have strong memories, they can apply the skills they learn from these scaffolded interactions to bond with their classmates.

In classroom settings, students with NVLD can benefit from accommodations such as clear, written directions, adapted assignments, and additional time. Since these students often have difficulty with organization and planning, teachers should provide tools like rubrics and schedules that clearly outline timelines and expectations. Schools should also create a quiet break room or space that is accessible to students at all times.

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Benefits of Wilderness Therapy Programs

An experiential form of therapy, wilderness therapy programs combine outdoor experiences and therapy sessions to provide an encouraging and understanding environment for self-discovery. Wilderness therapy aims to help clients learn how to live within a group, develop relationships, and recognize their capacity for strength.

An effective wilderness therapy program should have trained staff members who are passionate about the welfare of their participants and keeping them safe. Staff members should be experienced in handling unique conflicts and problems that may arise. This enables teens to make mistakes in a controlled setting and gain valuable feedback to move forward. Staff members should also design activities that teach transferrable skills. Even though the program takes place in a natural setting, young adults should learn lessons that can be applied throughout the rest of their lives.

In addition to engaging in outdoor activities, wilderness therapy includes sessions with mental health professionals. The sessions can be conducted in an individual or group setting. Depending on the program, participants can be grouped according to age, different stages of treatment, or similarities of situations. Those who have been in the program longer can provide guidance, mentorship, peer support, and inspiration.

Wilderness therapy uses various techniques to provide content, such as survival skills training and group bonding activities. Wilderness therapy programs can reduce depression, stress, and anxiety among adolescents. A wilderness setting even improves engagement with resistant clients. For example, hiking in nature decreases the occurrence of negative patterns of thinking and brain activities associated with depression, helping adolescents become more open to the therapeutic process. This type of outdoor activity also provides an opportunity to naturally form a therapeutic alliance between the participants and staff members.

In addition to resolving specific issues, wilderness therapy programs strives to replace negative coping behaviors with healthy ones through the development of social and emotional skills. Social interactions play a major role in healthy psychosocial development. When teenagers and young adults master personal growth, they become more prepared to manage and thrive in intense social, academic, and professional environments.

Wilderness therapy programs also improve intrapersonal skills such as self-awareness and self-management. Young adults in wilderness programs learn about their strengths and limitations, gratitude, and optimism. Through challenging adventures, such as boating, rock climbing, and ziplining, wilderness therapy teaches participants to regulate their thoughts, behaviors, and emotions.

Wilderness therapy programs should also be made available to couples and families, as they can serve as a bonding experience. Participating in a wilderness program together can help families with troubled adolescents address their issues, improve their relationships, and heal as a family. Studies show that parent-adolescent conflict is correlated with some at-risk behaviors. Therefore, maintaining a healthy relationship between parents and their teens is important.

Instead of treating young adults and returning them home without adequate preparation, where they can regress into old behaviors, some wilderness therapy programs incorporate families into the treatment process. Educating all of the family members about their impact on family dynamics can set the youth up for success once they return home from treatment.

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Addiction and Why Getting Help

Addiction is a result of a powerful compulsion to do certain things excessively. It often arises from a need to escape from an upsetting situation. People facing addiction have difficulty controlling repetitive behaviors to the extent that they become harmful to themselves and perhaps others. Addiction may develop from relatively innocent or common social habits to more destructive compulsions that trigger a self-perpetuating process.

The feeling of pleasure derived from these activities is a form of escapism for a person who may be going through a difficult time. However, this moment of pleasure can trigger a more powerful need to repeat the activity all over again. In some cases, people suffering from addiction are unaware of the problem, nor do they realize its effects on their lives and those around them. If the addiction is caused by trauma, such as an accident, mental health issues, or a past event, people may find it difficult to break out of the addiction on their own and need more support from others.

One of the most common addictions is drug abuse. This is an unhealthy dependence on a recreational or prescription drug. It is characterized by an immense physical and psychological dependency that develops when continuous use prompts changes in the brain. Gambling, which involves placing something of monetary value at risk to win money or prizes, can also develop into an unhealthy habit or addiction, leading to poor health along with financial crisis.

Some people also develop addiction characterized by compulsive sexual activity and thoughts. Their urges become challenging to control, causing issues with their relationships. Alcoholism is another form of addiction that arises from a repeated intake and dependence on alcoholic substances. Excessive alcohol consumption long term can also lead to tissue damage and disease.

Internet addiction is becoming common with the advent of technology and the accessibility of mobile phones among people of all ages. It is an impulse control issue wherein people develop unhealthy attachments to online friends and the virtual worlds they create. Internet addiction can have a substantial negative impact on people’s well-being, physical and mental health, relationships, and social lives.

For many people, stopping a habit is challenging. It takes time, patience, and support from loved ones who do not pass judgment. In some cases, people suffering from addiction can only recognize its harmful effects when the addictive substance or behavior is suddenly unavailable or has resulted in a significant life consequence. While some people may recover from an addiction without support, others will need help in the form of specialized addiction treatment. In general, the sooner the person receives treatment, the more successful they are in recovering from the addiction.

The first step to seeking help is to speak to someone trustworthy about their feelings. People can talk to their partners, family, friends, or a doctor. Since people deal with forms of addiction differently, the treatments should also be tailored to their individual needs and situation. Usually, addiction treatment combines medication and therapy designed to promote abstinence and help people manage the physical and emotional consequences of the addiction. The treatment can also include aftercare support such as self-help groups and regular therapist check-ins. These programs are designed to help people manage potential triggers and cope with life after recovery.

What Is Integrative Therapy?

Integrative therapy is a treatment approach that selects techniques from various therapeutic orientations to suit the client’s particular needs. Therapists that use this approach believe that there is no single approach to treat each client in all situations. Instead, each client needs to be considered independently, and therapy techniques must be tailored to their specific challenges and personal circumstances. By customizing the therapy to the individual, integrative therapists work to improve the efficiency and efficacy of the treatments to produce the most significant effects.

Integrative therapy aims to promote healing, ensuring that a person’s physical, mental, and emotional health are maximized to their full potential. The success of the therapy depends on the therapist’s ability to be attentive, empathize, and inspire hope in their clients. Meanwhile, clients must be committed and open to self-exploration to identify the factors in their lives that are causing problems.

The therapist-client relationship is also critical to the success of integrative therapy. Therapists must approach the therapy sessions in an interpersonal, intentional, and nonjudgmental manner to establish a supportive and cooperative interaction with their clients. They must practice deep and attentive listening without distorting understanding.

Integrative therapy helps clients face certain situations authentically without forming an opinion, expectation, or attitude beforehand. This allows them to focus better on the fears that limit their psychological freedom. It also enables them to recognize triggers causing disruptive patterns of behaviors. With this awareness, therapists can empower their clients to set goals and practice new behaviors to act beyond their limitations and discover greater life satisfaction.

There are different types of therapy available. The most effective therapy will always depend on the person, their situation, and the problem being treated. One of the most common types of therapy used in integrative therapy is cognitive-behavioral. This approach focuses on changing how people think.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy suggests that the negative thoughts that people experience directly affect their psychological well-being. It is also based on a core principle demonstrating that people can learn better ways to cope with psychological problems to relieve their symptoms. To change behavioral patterns, cognitive-behavioral therapy uses strategies to help clients face their fears instead of avoiding them, use problem-solving skills to cope with difficult situations, and develop a greater sense of confidence.

Meanwhile, psychodynamic therapy uses techniques to help people understand the motivations and forces affecting their behavior. These techniques include dream analysis, free association, and transference. Like psychodynamic therapy, psychoanalytical therapy looks at how unconscious thoughts and perceptions developed through childhood affect current behavior and thoughts.

Humanistic therapy is another form of therapy used by integrative therapists that focuses on helping people understand what will make them happy and what they must do to reach their full potential. Mindfulness is also becoming increasingly common in integrative therapy in recent years, helping people focus on the present moment instead of worrying about the past or panicking about the future.

One of the benefits of integrative therapy is its ability to help people overcome negative patterns of behavior caused by fears, phobias, and anxieties. Integrative therapy can be equally effective for treating mental health issues such as addiction, grief, depression, low self-esteem, and trauma. It is also useful in improving the daily functioning of children living with autism and other learning difficulties.

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