Blog
IEPs & 504s: A Brief Primer
Parents frequently ask about 504 Plans and IEP’s. Before getting too far into the weeds, I will respectfully ask the parents if they know the difference between them and what they even are. A majority of the time, I get a half shrug, coupled with a “not really.”...
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...
Matter-of-Fact Parenting
Every year I get older the kids stay roughly the same age. So, when I was younger in the business the gap between the average 6 or 7 year old child and me was about 25 years. Now…forget about it…you get the point. The gap is hefty. The reason I am mentioning an age...
“Not in MLA Style”…Really???
I find myself shaking my head a lot in utter disbelief when I talk to parents about what’s happening with their children in school.. I also find myself being more and more outrageous in ways that I would probably not have been in my younger years. This week to a mom...
Syndrome du Jour
Dyslexia was barely spoken of some years ago and now it seems to be front and center on everyone’s mind. I honestly don’t know how it happened, but parents are streaming in worrying and preoccupied with dyslexia. Dyslexia has become mainstream. At its core when a...
“But, Is It Too Late?”
A mom checked in with me recently regarding her 10th grade child who was struggling with reading, spelling and writing. The question on the table was at this phase of his life, what can be done with him? Is it too late to teach him how to read (spell and write)?”...