Lost in Space: Nonverbal Learning Disability

Though Catherine had always been somewhat intense and anxious in her style and approach to people and events, her recent experiences of extreme anxiety, moodi-ness, and outbursts of frustration seemed out of character and much more than “adolescent angst.” She was unable to sleep and experienced tachycardia at night, which fueled acute panic attacks and a chronic cycle of fears about her health. She was exceedingly irritable and difficult to reason with or to help calm down. She constantly complained about her “friends” not being friends at all; they thought she was mean or nosey when she was only trying to be helpful and did not share her interests or listen to her ideas. She became particularly focused on certain kids who irritated her and would obsess about their behavior even when it did not affect her directly. Though she had learning difficulties, she had always been a conscientious student, utilizing the support available from school and getting along okay, but now everything seemed too difficult and she was tired of doing the same thing over and over, especially in math.