Gus Walz melted hearts at the DNC, putting neurodiversity in the spotlight

Gus Walz, the 17-year-old son of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, stole the spotlight Wednesday night at the Democratic National Convention when he gave his father an emotional standing ovation, tears welling in his eyes while he emphatically declared, “That’s my dad!”

Tim Walz was onstage to accept his party’s nomination for the vice presidency, but Gus’s outburst of pride drew national attention and affection to his enthusiastic teenage son.

In a statement to People magazine, Tim Walz and his wife, Gwen Walz, explained that they noticed that, when Gus was growing up, he preferred spending time alone, playing video games. As a teen, he was diagnosed with nonverbal learning disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and anxiety.

“It took time, but what became so immediately clear to us was that Gus’ condition is not a setback — it’s his secret power,” the couple wrote. They added that he is “brilliant, hyper-aware of details that many of us pass by, and above all else, he’s an excellent son and brother to his sibling.”

What is nonverbal learning disability?

Nonverbal learning disability is a neurodevelopmental condition that causes children to have trouble with visual and spatial tasks or with processing nonverbal cues. The name is a bit of a misnomer, because these children do not have trouble speaking — in fact, they often have average, or above-average, verbal intelligence and tend to do well on many school-related tasks, such as reading a textbook or understanding language.

Problems may become apparent when children struggle with geometry or math, or with understanding nonverbal social cues, said Rick Ostrander, a child psychologist who recently retired from his role as director of pediatric medical psychology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Prudence Fisher, a professor of clinical psychiatric social work at the Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, is spearheading an effort to have the condition recognized by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the official handbook of psychiatric illnesses. She also thinks it merits a new, more accurate name: developmental visual-spatial disorder.

Children with this disability may have trouble visualizing things in their mind, lining up numbers to do math problems or understanding social cues. The problem is that such children otherwise seem very smart, leading teachers or parents to think they are being oppositional. Children can be supported — and provided crucial cues — such as having information written down or being reminded to pay attention, Fisher said.

Nonverbal learning disability, which is sometimes defined using different criteria, has been estimated to affect between 1 and 8% of children.

What is ADHD?

ADHD is a common neurodevelopmental disorder in children in the United States. About 1 in 9 children in the nation have ever received a diagnosis of ADHD, according to a recent study in the Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology.

There are three subtypes of ADHD, according to Ostrander. Some children mainly have trouble with maintaining focus and attention. Others are fidgety and hyperactive. Some have a combination of both of these types of symptoms.

ADHD is often treated with stimulants and cognitive behavioral therapy.

“Some of these kids require behavior modification approaches to help them structure their world a bit more effectively,” Ostrander said. “And that requires parents to work with a therapist around how to create these structured environments.”

Is it common to have multiple conditions together?

Yes. Children with nonverbal learning disability may develop anxiety because they know they are missing something in social interactions. ADHD and anxiety disorder commonly occur together.

Fisher also said that, because nonverbal learning disability is not especially well known and occurs in children who are otherwise intelligent, children can get negative feedback.

“When these kids come in and get tested, it’s often because they start having problems in school: ‘You were so smart in first grade. Why can’t you do this?’” Fisher said.

How should we view these disorders?

Tim and Gwen Walz called the way their son thinks and processes the world a “secret power.” Ostrander thinks it’s positive to see these disorders not as deficits but as strengths and weaknesses.

“We don’t see them as being pathological, as much as they are differences in how people are wired,” Ostrander said.

Maria Town, president of the American Association of People With Disabilities, said in a statement that she fears the possibility of hate or discrimination when a person with disabilities is in the national political spotlight, and hoped people would not define Gus Walz by his diagnoses.

“When Gus showed huge displays of emotion … for his father, he wasn’t shushed or told to be smaller. Instead he was greeted with enormous hugs from a father who is obviously proud of his son, as a parent of any child should be,” Town wrote. “Many disabled people and their family members were deeply moved by this display, which on its face is ordinary but is all too rarely seen on such a national stage.”