Blog
From the Archives: 12-Year-Old Boy Truths
(***Had thought about answering some emails regaring the last few posts, but life got in the way. So I thought I would pull one out from the archives.) -------------------------------------------------------------- Since I was once a 12 year old boy (in the far...
“Help!!!! I Have a Low ‘OQ'”
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 currently in modern usage, I think it conveys an important...
Dyslexia Mythologized: Part I
Not a week (perhaps not a day) goes by where I don’t have parents coming to me concerned their child has “dyslexia.” I will ask, “Why do you think she has dyslexia,” Commonly the response is a variation of, “Well, I think there are these ‘was/saw’ and ‘b/d’...
“Fun Dad Nation”
Every generation creates its own parenting style based on a variety of factors and variables shaping our view of what it means to be a parent. For some time, I’ve jokingly referred to modern dads as a part of “Fun Dad Nation.” These dads are a blast. Involved with...
“Same As It Ever Was…Same As It Ever Was”
Adults often look at the younger generation with a combination of bewilderment and horror over the way they conduct themselves on a day-to-day basis. Shaking our heads quietly (or not so quietly) we wonder, "What's the matter with them? What's the matter with kids...
“The Decoding Hurdle”
Young children face many hurdles that they need to overcome. They come in succession. Getting over one leads to another. Some hurdles are more important than others and are not all equal in their level of importance. One particular hurdle I have been consistently...
“The Number In Your Child’s Head”
Probably not a week goes by where I don’t hear stories of parents frustrated that their struggling child is not receiving any services. At least in New Jersey, this is often because of the child’s overall FSIQ (i.e., Full Scale Intelligence Quotient). Without being...
“Just Use Spell Check…”
For a whole host of reasons that won’t be raised at the moment, writing is difficult to adequately assess, even though there are standardized measures that practitioners and education specialists use in the assessment of writing. I would be willing to go out on a...
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...