Month: October 2020

Rushing As a Style

In these more clinical times where most child behavior is ascribed to a “diagnosis” of one sort or another, we don’t often think about rushing as a style.

I know…I know…in modern parlance the word “impulsive” is much more acceptable, as opposed to “rushing through things.”

You may want to ask yourself, though,  “Does my child rush as a style?”  Is this his/her way (manner) of interacting?

If the answer to your question is, “Yes,” then there are implications to understand about this rushing.

If you bring the issue up with any number of professionals or medical specialists, there is almost a kneejerk view that “impulsive = ADHD.”  The child is then “diagnosed,” which leads to putting the child on medication.

As is true with the way we approach most child issues, though, something nags at me that this rushing is more of a style, that is, a way of interacting and less of a legitimate disorder or disability.

To illustrate the effects of rushing as a style, let’s look at 11 year old Logan, a fifth grader I evaluated recently.

Within the assessment there were certain questions or tasks that didn’t require much consideration or reflection.  These were usually factually-based questions that did not need the internal voice to say something like, “Hmmm, let me think about it.”

For example, when I said to Logan, “What month follows June,” or “How many states are in the United States,” Logan answered very rapidly and immediately in perhaps a quarter of a second.

However, for the questions or tasks that required a certain amount of reflection or consideration, Logan continued to answer in less than a split second.

This rushing style did not serve him well, as he was often wrong, even though he had no idea that he was.

Even with the tasks that were “hands on,” such as putting blocks together to make different patterns or to copy a series of shapes and designs, Logan continued functioning extremely rapidly, much to his detriment.

There was no consideration as to whether the task at hand was easy or more difficult.  It was all rush, rush, rush.

This rushing style had a particular impact when it came to the reading comprehension portion of the evaluation.  Logan could answer straightforward factual questions, such as, “How many ducks were on the pond.”

When it came to a question where the answer was not directly stated (“Why did the ducks leave the pond?”), Logan blurted out answers in less than a second that had nothing to do with what he had just read.

By the end of the assessment, I was literally out of breath having experienced this style of Logan’s.

There are no easy answers to this “rushing style,” as it usually comes across as parental nagging, (“Take your time…slow down…stop rushing.”)

Perhaps play a “game” (anything with the word “game” associated with it makes it more fun) to sensitize the child to reduce the rushing.

This could be the, “Let Me Think About It Game.”

In this game put out two cups. One represents questions or problems that can be answered immediately (e.g., factual type of questions) and the other requires more consideration.

Have marbles or coins close by.  Let them assess which cup the marble should go as they do their work.

For example, if the question involves considering or reflecting, a marble goes in the “thinking jar.”  If the child counts to three or so before answering, they get another marble in the jar. Keep track of the marbles and when they reach 100 they get small reward.

Takeaway Point       

Start looking at rushing as a style.  Watch the nagging, but find ways (games) to help the child to slow it down a little.


Copyright, 2020 www.shutdownlearner.com
Questions or topics email Dr. Selznick.  Not in the South Jersey area? For a free 15 Minute Consultation, contact Dr. Selznick: email – rselznick615@gmail.com

To purchase a signed copy of  “What To Do About Dyslexia: 25 Essential Concepts” & Dr. Selznick’s other books and to receive blog updates go to https://shutdownlearner.com.

(***  Please note: Dr. Richard Selznick is a psychologist, clinician and author of four books.  His blog posts represent his opinions and perspectives based on his years of interacting with struggling children, parents and schools.)

The  advice in the blogs and in practice is governed by one overriding principle – “If this were my child, what would I do?”   The goal of the blogs and the website is to provide parents and professionals with straight-forward, down-to-earth, no-nonsense advice to help cut through all of the confusion that exists in the field.)

“A ‘Tin Ear’ for Music”

Years ago I had the privilege of being in an audience of about 500 participants listening to a lecture  on learning disorders from the renowned neurologist, Dr. Martha Denckla.

As Dr. Denckla noted,  “It’s like these kids who are struggling with reading, spelling and writing are not  tuned in to the language –  it’s  like not having an ear for music.”

Exactly!!!!

That statement sums up the underlying issue for the vast majority of children who are called “dyslexic” or “learning disabled.”

They have a “tin ear” for language, that is, how words work, whether it’s how the words go together in a sentence or a paragraph.

   

Let’s look at young, Gavin, age 9, a fourth grader who does not have an “ear” for music.

When Gavin writes it’s the equivalent of him screeching on the violin. Below are two samples of Gavin’s writing.

In the first sample Gavin discusses how he and his sister have been trying to convince their parents to get a dog.  In the second, Gavin talks about his love of the holidays.  (Note: The upper and lowercase lettering and punctuation are as close to the original as possible.)

me a nd Mi sitter Bine in for a Dog for a year we wunta Dog so s soso Bad leyMy sitt ersay she is going to Do The work wen she is not going to Do the Wrok”

“ever crimus We Do it my Huose and see my family and These Year my House is getting redown so it will be exsided for them to see it and on Thanks giving we to my Mom-Mom and Pop-Pops and my cosans come over to my mom-mom and pop-pops and my mom-mom makes super good food evry year they get Pie and aother deserts and we get a choes and I PikeThe Best Cokeand we get wiped crem with it.  I love Thanksgiving and crismus

A child of above average cognitive functioning on nonverbal tasks, Gavin is not classified in special education and he receives no special remediation.

Occupational therapy  (OT) has been considered by the school for him.  While OT works on strengthening the fine-motor skills, it isn’t intended to teach the concepts of writing

Underneath Gavin’s writing, he doesn’t understand the concept of a sentence, that a sentence expresses a complete thought that starts with a capital  letter and ends with a period.

By fourth grade, about 70% of the children have intuitively internalized these concepts.  They understand the concept of a sentence and its basic components.  They understand that a paragraph represents a singular theme.

The rest have a “tin ear” for the music. Just sending them for fine-motor exercises or asking them to just “write what you feel,” is not doing them a service.

Takeaway Point

Writing deficits are largely deficits in language awareness.  Spelling and writing are the X-rays that we have that such deficits are meaningful and need to be addressed.

Dr. Denckla has it right on the money.


Copyright, 2020 www.shutdownlearner.com
Questions or topics email Dr. Selznick.  Not in the South Jersey area? For a free 15 Minute Consultation, contact Dr. Selznick: email – rselznick615@gmail.com

To purchase a signed copy of  “What To Do About Dyslexia: 25 Essential Concepts” & Dr. Selznick’s other books and to receive blog updates go to https://shutdownlearner.com.

(***  Please note: Dr. Richard Selznick is a psychologist, clinician and author of four books.  His blog posts represent his opinions and perspectives based on his years of interacting with struggling children, parents and schools.)

The  advice in the blogs and in practice is governed by one overriding principle – “If this were my child, what would I do?”   The goal of the blogs and the website is to provide parents and professionals with straight-forward, down-to-earth, no-nonsense advice to help cut through all of the confusion that exists in the field.)

Landscape of Childhood – 17,885 Hours Logged

Let’s say you’re north of age 50 or 55.  Unless there is a boy who is about 8 years or older in and around your world, chances are the word “Fortnite,” doesn’t mean that much to you.

Part of what I do in working with kids is to try and understand their personal landscape, that is, how do they spend their time?  What do they do with themselves?

Boys tell me repeatedly about playing “Fortnite,”  a video game that they say they are “obsessed” with.

That’s how I learned about “Fortnite.”

Let’s take  Nick, age 11, a low motivated,  fifth grader.”  I ask him about his day and what he does when not in school or on-line school.

Mumbling through his mask, he says something to me like, “Play Fortnite.”

In a slightly teasing, mock tone of surprise, I say, “Really?????   I’m shocked.  How many hours do you think you play a day?”

Shrugging  and mumbling, Nick says  something like, “Don’t know.”

(This type of interaction is how many of the sessions go with these boys – pulling teeth does not describe it.)

I don’t let up.  “Come on.  Let’s take a guess.  It doesn’t have to be exact.  On average how much do you play every day?  One?  Two? Three hours?  Four?  More?”

“Maybe about seven, “Nick says.  (Keep in mind his mom is sitting by and she is not disagreeing.)

“Seven hours!!!!!!”  I shout out for effect.  “ Do you know how many days are in a year?”

“No,”  Nick says.

“Well, there are 365 days in a year,” I tell him.  “So, let’s figure out how many hours of Fortnite you play in a year.”

On his phone (yes, an 11 year old has a phone), I have Nick multiply 365 X 7.

Nick tells me the answer –  “17,885 hours,” he says.

I continue with my over the top shock, although I am really not that shocked.

I turn to his mom.  “Mom.  What do you think?  About how many hours does he do anything that would represent something like academic work?”

Mom notes they fight all the time about school work, but it goes nowhere.  She says, “At best he maybe puts in about a half-hour, three or four days a week – nothing on Friday, Saturday or Sunday.  He never reads.”

Turning back to Nick I say, “OK, so your mom says you put in maybe two hours a week on average with school stuff. There are 52 weeks in a year.  So, let’s multiply 52 weeks X 2 hours on your phone.  What’s your answer?”

“104.”

17,000+  hours vs. 104 and parents want to understand why things are not going so well.

It’s simple math.

Takeaway Point

Get out your calculators.

Set your boundaries.

Set the limits.


Copyright, 2020 www.shutdownlearner.com
Questions or topics email Dr. Selznick.  Not in the South Jersey area? For a free 15 Minute Consultation, contact Dr. Selznick: email – rselznick615@gmail.com

To purchase a signed copy of  “What To Do About Dyslexia: 25 Essential Concepts” & Dr. Selznick’s other books and to receive blog updates go to https://shutdownlearner.com.

(***  Please note: Dr. Richard Selznick is a psychologist, clinician and author of four books.  His blog posts represent his opinions and perspectives based on his years of interacting with struggling children, parents and schools.)

Disorder or Immaturity? A Confession

Sometimes this blog serves as a bit of a confessional, providing  a forum to voice some concerns regarding the issues that emerge while working with struggling children and their parents.

So, with that in mind here’s a confession. Sometimes I honestly don’t know when a child’s struggling is related primarily to immaturity (i.e., they are not ready and need more time) or whether their struggling is a legitimate disorder/disability.

This dilemma is particularly predominates when the child is between four and seven years of age, that is,  from pre-K to second grade.

(As I write this I hear the chorus calling out behind me.)

“Well, Mr. Big Shot.  You’re the doctor.  That’s why we are coming in to see you – to tell us what it is.  What do you mean you are not sure if it’s immaturity or a disorder? Stop rubbing your head! What’s the matter with you???”

I try talking back to the chorus.

I tell  them things like, “It’s never clear cut.  There is usually a ‘pie chart or a soup pot of variables.’”

At that point the chorus gets louder.  They are almost screaming, “‘A soup pot of variables!!!!!’ What does that mean??? Does she have it or not?  Does she have a learning disorder????  Does she have dyslexia???  And what about ADHD?  She pays attention to nothing!!!!  Isn’t that ADHD?”

Relentlessly badgered by the chorus, I think of Chloe, age 7, a child I recently evaluated who doesn’t read very well or stay on task without a lot of reminders.

Chloe’s teacher vaguely spoke to the mom about her not paying attention very well in school, with the implied suggestion that she might have ADHD, always with the caveat that “We are not doctors.  We don’t diagnose.”

After running Chloe’ through a bunch of tests, I  had one overall impression.

Chloe struck me as immature.

“Immature????,”  the chorus cries out.  “Are you kidding me?”

Yes, I push back against the chorus.  I tell them that Chloe’ seemed more like a five-year old-rather than seven in her manner and way of interacting – that her preoccupations came across as a bit babyish.

The problem there is no test to quantify “babyish,” such as a “Maturity-Immaturity Scale.”

It’s the same with the disorders, like dyslexia or ADHD.  Even though there are more objective tests involved in the assessment, there is no X-Ray or blood test to say,  “Has it  or Doesn’t have it.”

It’s still a weighing of variable to tilt the scales one way or the other.

Takeaway Point

I am sticking with the view that the Chloe’s needs time and perhaps some tutoring to help her mature and improve her skills.

“Back down, chorus. I’m going back to rubbing my head.”


(***  Please note: Dr. Richard Selznick is a psychologist, clinician and author of four books.  His blog posts represent his opinions and perspectives based on his years of interacting with struggling children, parents and schools. The  advice in the blogs and in practice is governed by one overriding principle – “If this were my child, what would I do?”   The goal of the blogs and the website is to provide parents and professionals with straight-forward, down-to-earth, no-nonsense advice to help cut through all of the confusion that exists in the field.) )

Copyright, 2020 www.shutdownlearner.com
Questions or topics email Dr. Selznick.  Not in the South Jersey area? For a free 15 Minute Consultation, contact Dr. Selznick: email – rselznick615@gmail.com

To purchase a signed copy of  “What To Do About Dyslexia: 25 Essential Concepts” & Dr. Selznick’s other books and to receive blog updates go to https://shutdownlearner.com.

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