Blog
Uncomplicating
When a child is school struggling, 99.9% of the time the parents get it. They know there’s something up. They are looking for validation. This is where it gets murky. When the parents raise the question of dyslexia with the school, typically they are told that the...
“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...
Our Theories & Explanations: #Child
When you are in “Child Land,” there are all kinds of theories and explanations as to why children do what they do. More than another generation, the explanations are tied into medical explanations or what I refer to as “disorder thinking." This type of...
Bright Kids Who Can’t Keep Up: My interview with Dr. Ellen Braaten
Processing speed isn’t a one-dimensional concept. It’s not just about how fast received, or how fast we write or how fast we can process what we’ve heard. It’s really a combination of all those factors. In fact, processing speed deficits can be observed in visual...
“What’s the Ratio?”
In the consulting done with parents regarding their children’s school issues, I often talk about the “ratio,” that is the percentage of parent involvement with homework and other school work. Even though it goes counter to the approach often adopted by parents, I find...