Blog
Reading Comprehension & School Bus Problems: Common Themes
When Kids struggle with reading comprehension, often there is an overlap in "real life” and the way the child interacts in their personal world. In this era of automatically labeling and pathologizing an unwanted behavior as “ADHD,” this overlap is something rarely...
Parent Outrage Quotient
Outrage is an emotion parents often feel when it comes to how they perceive their struggling child is ultimately handled/managed by the school. Part of the outrage stems from a lack of understanding in terms of how the school operates when it comes to the issues of...
That Place on the Bell-Shaped Curve
I regularly get referral questions from parents anxious to know whether their child has a learning disability or or is “dyslexic.” Often the story goes that the child has shown signs of struggling since the early grades and even though the special education team has...
“Where There’s Smoke…”
I recently evaluated an 8 year old third grade girl who had significant reading, spelling and writing issues. Previously evaluated by the special education team and a local hospital, the mom was informed that her child was “average.” Closer inspection of the child’s...
“Suck It Up, Buttercup!”
There are different phases to an assessment that I will do with a child. One of the phases I like the best, is the “informal feedback” portion. That is the point where I’ve gotten a feel for the child and start sharing some impressions with the mom (occasionally the...
Essential Questions of an Assessment: Part II
Recently we talked about assessment and my perspective that there is often endless and unnecessary complication when it comes to assessing kids and their issues (see Assessment Basics). This week I want to elaborate on a couple of points. As I noted, a good...
It’s That Time of Year
Everywhere you go there are reminders. Yep, it’s back to school. There will be all kinds of articles in magazines and on the internet like 10 Tips for Having an Easy, Breezy School Year. Good luck. These articles rarely get to the heart of the matter, the...
Assessment Revisited – Part I
It's that time of year – the time when we sense the summer fading and the press of the school year. With the start of the school year, many of you are considering having your child assessed, but not really sure what is involved or what is its purpose. As is true with...
Dog With a Bone
You know the expression, “He’s like a dog with a bone.” That’s how I feel sometimes in this business. One of the bones that I chew on repetitively and just can’t shake is the notion of the “IQ” being one of the primary reasons a struggling child is not given...
“A Neurologist? She Doesn’t Need a Spinal”
While reviewing her concerns to me regarding her 9-year-old daughter, a mom said to me, “They keep telling me I should go see a neurologist? What for? She doesn’t need a spinal?” I have to admit, when the mom said that I “LOL’d.” She was 100% correct. Troubled by...
Reading Cause & Effect
One of the issues often forgotten in ADHD land is the underlying variable of social judgment and difficulty in being able to “read” cause and effect. Difficulty with reading cause and effect impacts both social and academic functioning. This is one of the reasons I...