Table Of Contentebook
THE GUILFORD PRESS
NoNverbal learNiNg Disabilities
Nonverbal
Learning Disabilities
Cesare Cornoldi
Irene C. Mammarella
Jodene Goldenring Fine
Foreword by Linda S. Siegel
THE GUILFORD PRESS
New York London
Copyright © 2016 The Guilford Press
A Division of Guilford Publications, Inc.
370 Seventh Avenue, Suite 1200, New York, NY 10001
www.guilford.com
All rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, microfilming, recording, or otherwise, without written permission
from the publisher.
Printed in the United States of America
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
Last digit is print number: 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
The authors have checked with sources believed to be reliable in their efforts to
provide information that is complete and generally in accord with the standards
of practice that are accepted at the time of publication. However, in view of the
possibility of human error or changes in behavioral, mental health, or medical
sciences, neither the authors, nor the editors and publisher, nor any other party
who has been involved in the preparation or publication of this work warrants
that the information contained herein is in every respect accurate or complete,
and they are not responsible for any errors or omissions or the results obtained
from the use of such information. Readers are encouraged to confirm the
information contained in this book with other sources.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Cornoldi, Cesare, author. | Mammarella, Irene C., author. | Fine,
Jodene Goldenring.
Title: Nonverbal learning disabilities / Cesare Cornoldi, Irene C.
Mammarella, Jodene Goldenring Fine.
Description: New York: The Guilford Press, [2016] | Includes bibliographical
references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016029302 | ISBN 9781462527588 (hardback)
Subjects: LCSH: Nonverbal learning disabilities. | Learning disabled
children. | Social skills in children. | BISAC: PSYCHOLOGY /
Neuropsychology. | MEDICAL / Neuroscience. | EDUCATION / Special
Education / Learning Disabilities. | SOCIAL SCIENCE / Social Work. |
PSYCHOLOGY / Developmental / Child.
Classification: LCC RJ506.L4 C66 2016 | DDC 618.92/86889—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016029302
About the Authors
Cesare Cornoldi is Full Professor in the Department of General
Psychology at the University of Padua, Italy, where he also man-
ages a laboratory that provides assessment and intervention for
learning disabilities and developmental disorders. He conducts
research both nationally and internationally on memory, mental
imagery, learning disabilities, and human intelligence. Dr. Cor-
noldi serves on the editorial boards of many national and inter-
national journals and has been visiting professor at a number of
universities, including Columbia University, New York University,
and the University of California, Irvine. He has served as presi-
dent of the European Society for Cognitive Psychology, among
other associations, and is a Fellow of the International Academy
for Research in Learning Disabilities and the Association for Psy-
chological Science. His publications include 300 peer-reviewed
journal articles, 10 books, and numerous widely used Italian
achievement tests.
Irene C. Mammarella, PhD, is Lecturer in the Department of
Developmental and Social Psychology at the University of Padua,
Italy, where she directs a postgraduate course in Developmental
Psychopathology. She conducts clinical practice at the labora-
tory directed by Cesare Cornoldi. Her main areas of research
are nonverbal learning disability, mathematical learning disabil-
ity, the role of working memory in both academic achievement
and calculation, and visuospatial abilities in high-functioning
v
vi About the Authors
autism. The author of many peer-reviewed journal articles,
Dr. Mammarella serves on the editorial board of the Journal of
Experimental Child Psychology.
Jodene Goldenring Fine, PhD, is Associate Professor of School
Psychology at Michigan State University, where she teaches
graduate students and conducts research on autism, nonverbal
learning disability, and dyslexia, using neuropsychological and
neuroimaging techniques. Dr. Fine has lectured worldwide on
the importance of a neuropsychological perspective in educa-
tion, particularly with regard to the identification and treatment
of children with learning challenges. A member of the National
Academy of Neuropsychology and the International Academy
for Research in Learning Disabilities, she served on the editorial
board of Psychological Assessment.
Foreword
Those of us who work as researchers and/or clinicians with peo-
ple with specific learning disabilities have long been aware of a
problem called “nonverbal learning disability” (NLD). This dis-
ability is a subtle one. Dealing with an NLD is like trying to cap-
ture a soap bubble floating in the air; just when you think you are
next to it and ready to burst it, it disappears before you can grasp
it. And just when you think you understand NLD, an individual
appears who does not fit the entire pattern but has some of the
characteristics.
While keeping in mind the complexities of and individual
differences among the brains and behaviors of individuals with
learning difficulties, the authors have identified the major char-
acteristics of an NLD. The deficits in social perceptions and social
behavior at the core of this disability are well documented in this
book. There is evidence of deficits in perceiving facial expressions
and gestures. The prosody or voice modulation of a child with an
NLD is often not quite correct. Problems with developing social
relationships and finding friends are pervasive characteristics.
Cognitive and motor difficulties are also present. Trouble
with handwriting and copying writing from paper or the black-
board, and problems with fine-motor coordination, affect most
of the people with NLD. A possible defining characteristic,
although the evidence is not conclusive, is difficulties with two-
and three-dimensional visuospatial concepts. Problems with
mathematics, especially calculation, are often present. Decoding
vii
viii Foreword
difficulties are usually not present and reading comprehension is
usually fine, but may deteriorate under timed conditions.
Typically, the oral language skills and the ability to tell
imaginative stories are present in individuals with NLD but not
evident in their written work. In assessing people for NLD, it is
important to search beyond their written productions and exam-
ine their oral language skills.
Cesare Cornoldi, Irene C. Mammarella, and Jodene Gold-
enring Fine are aware of the definitional problems regarding
an NLD and the complexities of attempting to understand the
nature of it. They have advanced the field by a comprehensive
and integrative review of the literature and have captured the
major difficulties of people who have this problem. Perhaps the
best approach is not to fit everybody into a single definition but to
consider subtypes with partially overlapping characteristics.
One of the values of this book is that the authors examine
research results in more than group means. They advocate study-
ing individual variation and individual differences. They use case
studies to aid in the understanding of the complexities of this
learning problem. This approach can be quite productive and
can help us understand the value and limits of NLD as a diagnos-
tic category. If some portion of the individuals with NLD do not
show a particular pattern, then it is possible that there are sub-
types within this population, an issue that it is worth considering.
Although the literature on intervention is scarce, the authors
review that literature and provide worthwhile suggestions. A par-
ticularly important feature is that they advocate dealing with the
family, not just the child with an NLD.
There is also an attempt to differentiate NLD from high-
functioning autism and to present research to help clarify the
distinction. This issue is significant for the field.
This book is an important step forward. As the ancient Chi-
nese philosopher Lao Tzu noted, “A journey of a thousand miles
begins with a single step.” The authors have bravely ventured into
new territory. There will doubtless be disagreements and mis-
steps, but this book represents an important step forward.
Linda S. SiegeL, PhD
University of British Columbia
