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.”...
Talkin’ IQ Blues
I’m sure you know the old school expression, that something “sticks in your craw.” Probably not a day goes by where something is not sticking in my craw. The only good that comes of it is I usually get inspired by the stuck craw to generate something to write about...
“But, She’s So Sweet – She’s So Smart”
This week my “Annoy-O-Meter,” which is usually running pretty high (like at a level of 70 out of 100), was up in the high 90s. What pushed it into the upper end of the dial was a run of girls that I either evaluated or met with their parents to discuss their girl’s...
More Questions of An Assessment: Part II
Last week we talked about some of the essential questions to ask of an assessment: Questions of An Assessment: Part I. We emphasized asking fundamental questions first such as: Does my child have a problem? (yes or no) If there is a problem(s), where does it lie? How...
Questions of an Assessment – Part I
In this day and age of ready information at your fingertips, what I find is that parents are frequently armed with confused notions or misinformation that they’ve gotten from all kinds of sources. For example, there frequently is a great deal of confusion or misguided...
Dr. Selznick & Dena Blizzard – Sip Share Advocate Episode 3
On Wednesday 1/9/19, Dr. Selznick once again joined comedian Dena Blizzard on the third episode of her Facebook live talk show, Sip Share Advocate, to discuss essentials for learning disabilities and dyslexia over a glass of wine. View the recorded episode below! ...
The Symbolic Value of Homework
Homework is often a battleground. Refrains such as, “It’s stupid,” “I hate it,” “It’s not fun,” and variations on these themes occur across the country starting in the afternoon, continuing through until about 9:00 at night. Of course there are the dutiful soldiers...
#Dyslexia Book Baby Born
It was a momentous week for me. My fourth book, “What To Do About Dyslexia: 25 Essential Concepts for Parents” arrived. Often, people writing about topics such as dyslexia are writing about their personal struggles that they have grappled with to overcome the...
Practicing an Academy
It may not be the best time of the year to start one, but right after the New Year, how about you try an “Academy” with your child. Some time ago I went to a training given by the psychologist Ray Levy who talked about the use of “Academies” to address challenging...
Part II: Ryan & His “Quasi-ADHD
Last week we talked about Ryan and his “Quasi-ADHD,” inspired by a by 7th grader I had recently met who had been previously diagnosed with ADHD (see Ryan & His Quasi ADD). Ryan was “diagnosed” following an interview with his mom and the completion of a checklist...
Ryan & His “Quasi-ADD” – Part I
Over the last couple of decades ADHD (commonly referred to as “ADD") seems to be pretty casually diagnosed from all I can tell. It doesn’t take much to get “diagnosed.” The parent fills out a rating scale, which usually comes up positive for things like distractible...