Non-verbal Reasoning is the ability to analyze visual information, including, perception of visual patterns / relationships, noticing visual detail, recognizing nuances, and spatial organization to mentally and / or physically rotate geometric shapes. Such abilities are often linked to global thinking for integrating, inferring, and extrapolating information, arranging information / images in one’s mind, visualization, sense of direction, and efficiency in execution / organization of tasks or one’s body in space. Thus, such skills influence performance in a variety of areas, including math, interpreting graphs/charts, making inferences when reading, discerning relevant cues (e.g. in directions, academic material, or social situations), and adjusting to material presented in a way that appears different (e.g. test questions that are arranged differently than on a study guide).
Strong Visual-Spatial: Enjoy building or designing things, architecture, engineering, visualization, spatial estimation, higher level math.
Weak Visual-Spatial: Struggle to provide a description (though may know the concept), may prefer doing rather than explaining, may think in images rather than words, may struggle with verbal conceptualization (terminology, complex wording in text).
Strong Fluid Reasoning: Logical, good at solving problems in novel situations, can extrapolate and apply rules in different situations, distinguish relevant vs. irrelevant.
Weak Fluid Reasoning: May study hard and do poorly on test; do well on math homework and then poor on the test because cannot apply, may remember all the facts when reading, but struggle to apply the knowledge, difficulty adjusting to new situations
Nonverbal Learning Disorders (click to read) by Sue Thompson
Complex system Both hemispheres, but emphasis in right hemisphere: parietal, temporal, fusiform, basal ganglia, thalamus, fronto-parietal white matter, dorsolateral prefrontal |
Preference in Learning
- Pattern analysis/design
- Spatial organization.
- Global thinking
- Problem-solving
- Use of images, diagrams, charts, demonstration
Examples of Test Measures
- WISC-V Block Design
- WISC-V Visual Puzzles
- WISC-V Matrix Reasoning
- WJ-IV Cognitive Visualization
- WJ-IV Cognitive Concept Formation
- NEPSY-II Block Construction
- NEPSY-II Geometric Puzzles
- K-ABC Triangles
- TVPS Spatial Relationships
- TONI-4
Note: this is not an exhaustive list; for more information and training visit https://schoolneuropsych.com