Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s Son Brings Attention to a Little-Known Learning Disability
On the third night of the Democratic National Convention, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz took the stage to accept the vice-presidential nomination. However, it was his 17-year-old son, Gus Walz, who captured the nation’s attention when he stood up during his father’s speech and proudly declared, “That’s my dad,” followed by a heartfelt, “I love you, Dad.”
In a subsequent interview with People magazine, Gov. Walz and his wife, Gwen Walz, revealed that their son was diagnosed with a nonverbal learning disability (NVLD) during his teenage years, a condition that remains largely underrecognized and misunderstood.
What is nonverbal learning disorder?
Nonverbal learning disorder (NVLD) is a neurological condition that primarily affects a person’s spatial-visual skills and nonverbal communication abilities. A 2020 study estimated that as many as 2.9 million children and adolescents in North America may be living with NVLD, though many remain undiagnosed.
“These individuals are very intelligent and articulate well verbally, but they are typically clumsy with motor and spatial coordination,” said Santhosh Girirajan, the T. Ming Chu professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at Penn State, in an interview with NBC News. “It’s called a learning disorder because there are a lot of cues other than verbal cues that are necessary for us to keep information in our memory.”
Challenges faced by those with NVLD
People with NVLD often struggle with tasks that require visual-spatial skills, such as reading maps, following directions, identifying mathematical patterns, and navigating physical spaces. Social interactions can also present significant challenges, as the ability to interpret body language and social cues is often impaired.
“Body language and some of the things we think about with day-to-day social norms, they may not be able to catch those,” Girirajan explained.
Unlike more commonly recognized learning disabilities, such as dyslexia, the signs of NVLD typically don’t become apparent until adolescence. During the early years of schooling, when education focuses largely on memorization and basic skills, children with NVLD often excel. However, as they grow older and social interactions become more nuanced, difficulties emerge.
Laura Phillips, senior director and neuropsychologist at the Learning and Development Center at the Child Mind Institute in New York, noted, “But as you get older, there’s a lot more subtlety, like sarcasm, that you have to understand in social interactions, that these kids might not understand.”
Phillips added that adolescents with NVLD, who usually possess average or above-average IQs, often seek help for related issues such as anxiety or depression—common among those grappling with the disorder.
Misdiagnosis and the need for recognition
NVLD is sometimes misdiagnosed as autism spectrum disorder due to overlapping symptoms. However, as Amy Margolis, director of the Environment, Brain, and Behavior Lab at Columbia University, pointed out, the underlying neurobiology of NVLD is distinct from that of autism. Margolis is part of a group of researchers advocating for the condition to be renamed “developmental visual-spatial disorder,” to more accurately describe its effects.
Margolis also emphasized the importance of getting NVLD recognized by the DSM-5, the diagnostic manual used by healthcare providers. Without official recognition, it can be challenging for individuals with NVLD to access the resources they need, such as specialized educational support.
“Without an officially recognized diagnosis, it’s hard for parents to understand how to seek information, and then communicate to other people what kinds of things might be challenging for their kid,” Phillips said. “Widespread awareness is key to helping these families navigate NVLD.”
The Walz family’s openness about Gus’s condition is shedding light on NVLD, a disorder that remains largely in the shadows. As awareness grows, there is hope that more children and adolescents like Gus will receive the understanding, support, and resources they need to thrive.
