Midway through his keynote speech accepting the Democratic nomination for vice president on Wednesday night, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz turned to his family and said, “Hope, Gus, Gwen, you mean my world. I love you.”
His son Gus rose to his feet and, clapping with overwhelming emotion and pride, repeated, “That's my dad!” The crowd at the Democratic National Convention erupted in applause, and social media soon erupted, either because of the pure emotion of the moment or because people wanted to express pride in having a neurodevelopmental child, or in being neurodevelopmental themselves.
In a speech centered on gun control, reproductive rights, being good neighbors and supporting one another no matter what divides us, this special moment between father and son sparked a conversation that doesn't often feature in the political arena.
Here's what you need to know:
How is Gus Waltz doing?
According to his parents, the vice presidential candidate's 17-year-old son suffers from ADHD, anxiety and a non-verbal learning disorder.
This nonverbal learning disability, which Gus's father calls his “secret power,” affects millions of Americans, and although it affects 3 to 4 percent of the population (both children and adults), it is less understood than Gus' other diagnosis, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.
According to the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), it's estimated that more than two million children and adolescents in North America may have a nonverbal learning disorder. Here's what you need to know about this little-known, yet not uncommon, condition.
Despite the name, children with nonverbal learning disorders often have good language skills and not just speak — their challenges have to do with processing nonverbal and visual information, Marcia Eckardt, a licensed psychologist who specializes in autism spectrum disorders and anxiety disorders, told Psychology Today.
It's the difference between having a conversation and absorbing the details of that conversation.
opinion:Gus Waltz loves his father, Tim, and it would be weird if you didn't appreciate that.
How does this disorder manifest itself?
Children and adolescents with nonverbal learning disabilities tend to struggle in at least one of the following areas:
- Vision and spatial awareness
- See the big picture
- Social Communication
- Mathematics Concepts
- Executive Functions
The best way to think about visual and spatial deficiencies is to imagine a child being asked to draw a shape like a cube or an octagon. A child with a nonverbal learning disorder may not be able to accurately produce this shape from memory. It's also possible that the child is struggling with how to navigate the space around them. They may move in a somewhat awkward manner.
An inability to see the big picture, or have difficulty understanding higher-order thinking, can manifest itself in an inability to communicate the theme of a story. A student may not understand the key points of a teacher's lecture and instead end up writing down everything the teacher says.
Children with nonverbal learning disabilities may not understand facial expressions during conversations, may miss social patterns that other children naturally pick up on, or may not understand what appropriate behavior is.
Children with nonverbal learning disabilities tend to be good at math, up to a point. These children excel at rote learning, a memory technique based on repetition, but as math concepts progress, they may have difficulty recognizing patterns, as well as social communication.
Finally, problem solving is a cornerstone of executive function: Children with nonverbal learning disabilities may not be able to break a problem down into smaller parts or even work out the steps needed to accomplish a task.
What is ADHD?
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder is characterized by difficulty maintaining attention, being easily distracted, excessive energy, and poor self-control.
It has become an umbrella term to describe conditions with multiple degrees of disability, with wide variation in symptoms, and to include people who may be able to manage it with treatment over time.
Images from Wednesday's Democratic National Convention drew an outpouring of support
As the third night of the Democratic National Convention ended, parents tweeted pictures of their kids with the caption, “This is my Gus Waltz.” Others shared a heartwarming photo of Tim and Gus Waltz embracing each other on the national stage, praising the couple for being so open about their emotions.
Some saw themselves in Gus Waltz, and many took to social media to share their own journeys towards acceptance of their unique learning disabilities.
Gus Waltz's image also sparked insensitive reactions
Conservative commentator Ann Coulter saw the emotional venting as an opportunity to ridicule the family: In a since-deleted tweet, Coulter shared a GIF of Gus Waltz at the Democratic National Convention and called it “weird,” an apparent reference to Tim Waltz promoting the idea that MAGA people are “weird.”
Closer to home, Jay Weber, a radio host at 1130 WISN-AM, tweeted: “If Waltz [sic] “If he doesn't represent the modern American man then our country is screwed. 'Let me introduce you to my son, Gus. He's a crybaby asshole. His mom and I are so proud of him.'” The since-deleted tweet was screenshotted by Milwaukee County Council Supervisor Shawn Rowland and shared to hold Weber accountable.
Weber apologized for the tweet and said he was unaware that Gus Waltz had a disability.