Elevating Parent Voice: Supporting an Elementary Student with Nonverbal Learning Disability

Some learning disabilities are widely recognized. Others, like Nonverbal Learning Disability (NVLD), are far less understood. Even so, they can have a significant impact on a child’s school experience. This is the story of how thoughtful collaboration and intentional planning, guided by a special education advocate, helped an elementary school student with NVLD finally receive the support she needed to thrive.

Understanding the Child Beyond the Label

When I first began working with this family, their child was a bright, curious elementary student with clear strengths in the classroom. However, those strengths were not fully reflected in her IEP. Like many students with NVLD, she struggled with areas such as math, visual-spatial processing, and applying concepts in the classroom, even when she understood the material verbally.

As a special education advocate, one of my first goals was to help the school team see the whole child. That meant supporting her mom, Amy, in clearly communicating not just concerns, but also her daughter’s strengths, interests, and learning profile. We worked together to ensure that parent input wasn’t an afterthought, it became a meaningful part of the IEP itself.

Bridging the Gap Between the IEP and the Classroom

During our first school year working together, I attended an IEP team meeting in my role as parent advocate after it became clear that services written into the IEP were not being fully implemented in the classroom. Amy had been requesting additional math support for months, but those requests were repeatedly deprioritized and, effectively, unheard.

During the meeting, we carefully reviewed the IEP line by line. That’s when the team realized something important: in-class math support was clearly spelled out in the IEP, but it wasn’t actually happening.

To the team’s credit, they responded openly and collaboratively. Once the gap was identified, services were adjusted to match what the IEP required and what the student needed. With consistent in-class math support in place, the child’s confidence and performance improved noticeably.

Adding Clinical Insight to Educational Planning

Another key step was helping the team incorporate clinical recommendations into the IEP in a practical, school-based way. This child had been evaluated by a well-regarded neuropsychologist in the community. Too often, outside evaluations sit on the sidelines instead of shaping instruction. We walked through the clinical recommendations line by line and considered what needed to be implemented at school, and how. By translating those recommendations into actionable supports and goals, we ensured they meaningfully informed her educational program.

Planning Ahead: Transitions Matter

In the following school year, our focus shifted to prevention rather than reaction. I worked with Amy to communicate proactively with the new general education teacher before the school year began. I use a transition playbook designed to:

• Introduce the child and family to new team members

• Share strengths, interests, and successful strategies

• Flag potential challenges early

• Set the tone for collaboration from day one

A cornerstone of this approach is holding October check-in meetings with the IEP team, early enough to make adjustments before small issues become big problems.

An October Check-In That Made a Difference

At the October check-in meeting, the team came prepared with a draft IEP revision, which included proposed reading goals. Instead of simply accepting or rejecting those goals, we workshopped them together in real time.

We focused on making sure the goals:

• Included clear baseline data

• Were measurable and meaningful

• Reflected ambitious, but appropriate, expectations for her reading growth

By the end of the meeting, everyone felt aligned. The revised goals were stronger, clearer, and better matched to this child’s needs.

Centering Parent Voice

Throughout this process, my guiding principle remained the same: elevate parent voice. When parents feel confident, informed, and supported, they can participate as true partners in the IEP process. This family left each meeting feeling heard, respected, and optimistic about their child’s path forward.

As her mom shared afterward:

“Just getting a minute to sit down and thank you for your expert help at [my child]’s IEP meeting yesterday. I thought it went really well, it was great to see the collaboration re: goal setting. I wanted to let you know how much I value your opinion and your shoulder support. I feel so confident being able to defer to you. I enjoyed watching the way you critically think about the goals and help shape them with the team.”

Moving Forward

This student is now receiving more consistent, well-aligned support, and just as importantly, Amy feels empowered and confident navigating the process. That combination makes all the difference.

For families of children with lesser-known learning disabilities like NVLD, advocacy isn’t about being adversarial. It’s about clarity, collaboration, and making sure the plan on paper becomes support in practice.

Need support navigating your child’s IEP? Partnering with a special education advocate means you don’t have to do this alone. Reach out here.