Blog
Opposite & Challenging
In many households there are temperamentally rigid and inflexible children who cause a great deal of distress. With their limited coping skills, such children become quite volatile and reactive to frustration. Jeff and Rose are the bleary eyed parents of three...
“Part I: A Reading Primer”
As we discussed last week (https://shutdownlearner.com/a-primer/) the next few weeks will be primers in major categories of parental concern. This week, in 400 words or less, we offer a primer on reading. Here we go. When you boil it all down, there are essentially...
“A Primer”
In my corner of the universe most of the issues that are brought to me include some variation on the following: Struggling with reading (and writing) Difficulty with attention and what is commonly referred to as “sustained mental effort” Low level “executive...
“Theories & Hypotheses”
When you are a parent in struggling “Child Land,” there are all kinds of theories, hypotheses and explanations as to why children do what they do. These hypotheses are revealed in statements made as to what is behind the child acting a certain way. Let’s listen to...
“No One to Play With: The Social Side of Learning Disabilities”
A book that always stayed with me reminding me of my early days as a psychologist at the Hill Top Preparatory School, a private school in the Philadelphia Suburbs for high schoolers with learning disabilities, is Betty Osman's, "No One to Play With: The Social Side...
“‘What’s Your Mom Gut?'”
As part of the assessment process, I always conduct an interview (usually with the mom) to get an overview of the issues of concern. Typically, there will be multiple disorders that have been raised by other professionals along with the parent diagnosing by Google. A...
“In the Restaurant”
A favorite pastime of mine is watching how parents and their children interact. There’s never a shortage of blog material. For people watching, there’s not much better than cafes and casual restaurants where families tend to congregate. This week I hit a bonanza...
Sitting at the Poker Table
Parents tell me stories. I listen for the wording and try and picture what's being told, that is, who is doing what and how the interaction takes place Just like playing poker, there are often certain "tells," minor clues that reveal the larger the picture. Listen to...
“Top Ten List (of irritations)”
Those of you following this blog for some time know there are some recurring themes. For others newer to these posts, I will help to bring you up to speed with my top ten list of things that pluck my nerves: The LD-Discrepancy Model: Easily the number one issue that...
“Pull the Curtain”
One of my favorite comedic bits is the one from Jerry Seinfeld’s standup where he talks about the difference between flying first and passenger class. As the stewardess brusquely pulls the curtain between the first class and the rest, she has a look of, “If you only...
“Relational Component of Tutoring – the ‘Secret Sauce’ of Success”
One of the “go to“ recommendations I often make following an assessment is for the child to see a tutor if it is at all possible. When done well, tutoring provides many benefits. One often overlooked is the intangible - that is, the relational benefit. Working on...