Blog
“A Pediatrician’s Perspective”
The following quote is from the Foreword of The Shut-Down Learner: Helping Your Academically Discouraged Child. I have always loved this quote and feel that it timelessly captures the impact that school struggling has upon the child and the family. "I have been a...
“Marla and Her ‘Anger Issues'”
One of my favorite kids, Marla, age 6, came in to see me. Nearly six and going into first grade in the fall, I had tracked Marla since she was three. As the mental health professionals like to call it, Marla’s had issues with, “behavioral self-regulation.” Marla’s...
“wuns a pon a time their was a boy…”
wuns a pon a time their was a boy wgo had no frends so he was always alon But than on day evry thing change His mom gave him a voilinto play it sounded horabel so he said I am never playing this again so one Day he went to in the stor and heard the guy play the...
“504 Realities (Part II) – Raising My ‘IQ'”
In last week’s post we talked about some of the basics involved with 504 Plans (504 Plans - The Reality : Part I ). Remember, that a 504 does not offer any interventions, but accommodations. It is intended to provide equal access to the mainstream to those identified...
504 Plans – The Reality: Part I
Parents will come to me loaded with terms only partially understood, like referring to "504 Plans.". I will hear things such as the following: “We just need to get him a 504. so he can start reading better.” "Yesterday, she had a meltdown in school and no one wants...
Blog #1 from 2009
Started in 2009 upon the release of my first book, The Shut-Down Learner, there have been nearly 600 blog posts completed on a weekly basis over those years.. I thought it would be fun to look back on some of the earliest ones (slightly edited), to see what I was...
“Hemming & Hawing”
OK… Among other disorders that I seem to have, readers of this blog know I have confessed to my “PBD” or “Pushback Disorder.” PBD usually manifests whenever parents tell me something that has a hypothesis (i.e., an opinion) as to why their child is doing or not doing...
“‘Barn Kids’ & the ‘Populars'”
In my ongoing education, this week I learned about the “Barn Kids” and the “Populars.” Mother of 12-year-old Marla explained to me that her 12-year-old daughter was one of the “Barn Kids" and not one of the "Populars." Instinctively, I sort of knew what she meant,...
“Low ‘Oomph'”
"oomph" noun Informal: energy; vitality; enthusiasm. I don’t know how to describe it in more clinical or scientific terms, but there are a bunch of kids I’ve assessed recently who seem to me to lack “oomph.” While “oomph” may be one of those words that are not...
“Nicholas & the ‘Child-to-Mother Sideways Glance'”
Over the last year or so, I’ve noted an interesting trend – I’ll call it the “Child-to-Mom- Sideways Glance.” Here’s how it goes. Take William, age 8, who comes in to meet with me for the first time accompanied by his mother. They sit next to each other perhaps two...
“Common Sense & ‘Passing the Smell Test'”
Last Sunday there was a feature article in the New York Times on the science of reading emphasizing that “science” has confirmed the need to teach children phonics. (Science of Reading - New York Times) While this comes after decades of debate, the article notes that...