Blog
Does Your Child Have W.B.D. (aka “Worksheet Burnout Disorder”)?
This week’s post was prompted by parents who brought me reading material their child had to manage in school and with homework. They were concerned that their child, young Brody, a seven-year-old second grader was starting to hate reading. "We don't understand," said...
Bewildering Treatment Options
Treatment options and the range of professional recommendations can be bewildering, not to mention all of the “on the street” opinions. Just like the parable of "The Blind Men and the Elephant, different professionals will identify a part of the “elephant” and...
Impact of Dyslexia
Not sure how many cases of reading disability (dyslexia) I’ve seen over the years, but it’s safe to assume it’s a pretty big number. You would think that assessing another child with significant dyslexia would be pretty, “ho hum” or humdrum, as in "been there done...
Like Giving the Kid the Keys to the Car
It’s pretty safe to assume that most of you out there in parent-land would agree that giving a 10- year- old the keys to the car and letting him/her drive would not be too wise. What about giving a 7 or 8 year old her own cell phone? While it may not be as reckless as...
“Got My Kid On Medication”
Once parents have gotten the “diagnosis” of ADHD, typically medication is offered as the next step. Parents will think the medication will do more than it can do in reality. The goal of the medication is to help the child pay attention and focus better. That’s it! A...
Just Not Smart Enough
When children are assessed for special education typically they are given a test called the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children – V (WISC –V). Within the WISC-V there are seven subtests that comprise an overall score called the Full Scale Intelligence Quotient...
Screen Addictions Part II: Young Jake Sets Us Straight
Following up on last week’s discussion of “screen addictions, I had an informative conversation with young Jake, a recently turned 9 year old. Schooling me on how screen usage goes in his house, Jake offered me a few pointers. “My mom sets a strict limit,” Jake said....
Screen Addictions: Part I
Is it OK for 7 or 8 year-olds to have their own phone? At the risk of sounding like an old-head, when I see kids younger than high school in possession of phones I notice myself questioning it. Recently, a 7-year old girl talked to me about wanting to have her own...
“We Live In a Decaying Age”
Most adults of a certain generation (let’s say north of 50 years) typically shake their collective head in bewilderment over children and the way they conduct themselves. There’s always an undercurrent of, “What’s the matter with kids these days?” I’ve been working on...
#Dyslexia #Dyslexia #Dyslexia
No matter how many times I’ve heard it over the years, I continue to be astounded by the core mythology of “dyslexia,” that it is a problem where someone reads upside down and backward. In spite of the workshops and trainings that have taken place around the country...
“We Got the Diagnosis”
Most struggling children that I know have what I have refer to as a “soup pot of variables" interacting to a greater or lesser degree depending upon a variety circumstances. You know what I mean with the “soup pot.” In the pot, there can be a helping of reading...