title: Case illustration of a boy with nonverbal learning disorder and Asperger's features: neuropsychological and personality assessment.
abstract: I present a case study of a latency-age boy referred for assessment of a nonverbal learning disability/disorder (NLD) who also had features of Asperger's syndrome (AS). I review NLD terminology, presumed brain-behavior relationship, neuropsychological profile, and diagnosis/classification issues. I discuss the challenge of differentiating NLD from AS in relation to the client's pattern of visual-spatial, communication, social-emotional, and behavioral NLD correlates. I integrate neuropsychological and personality assessment data with interviews, observations, prior testing, and input from teacher and therapist in formulating a diagnostic impression. I discuss Rorschach (Exner, 2003) and neuropsychological consultations in relation to subtle language and interpersonal features of the client's communication style. I provide parent feedback at 18 and 24 months posttesting. I discuss implications relative to a model of school neuropsychological assessment that includes the Rorschach test.
authors.affiliation: Department of Graduate Psychology, Immaculata University, USA.
authors.forename: Jed
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yalof
mesh_terms: D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D020817:Asperger Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D003142:Communication; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010552:Personality Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012392:Rorschach Test / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012917:Social Adjustment; D014706:Verbal Learning