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.”...
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...
Dr. Selznick & Dena Blizzard – Sip Share Advocate Episode 1
On Monday 11/19/18, Dr. Selznick joined comedian Dena Blizzard on the inaugural episode of her Facebook live talk show, Sip Share Advocate, to discuss advocacy issues over a glass of wine. View the recorded episode below! ...
“Better a Diamond With a Flaw…”
For this week’s inspiration we find ourselves looking to some pretty heavy hitters. Voltaire said, “The best is the enemy of the good.” On that same theme, Confucius reminded that, "Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without." Shakespeare, cautioned,...
“Almost Heaven…”
"Almost heaven, West Virginia Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River" ...
Finding That Sweet Spot
Try this as an experiment. Maybe you haven’t done them in some time, but try doing a few push-ups. See how many you can do? None? A couple? 10? 20? Regardless of the number that you can successfully complete, there will be a point where you will hit a wall that...
The “One & Done” Child
There’s a certain kind of a child I see quite often I have come to call the, “One and Done Child.” What are some of the hallmark features of these children? These children lack what the shrink types refer to as “self-monitoring.” That is, they aren’t oriented to...
Modifications? Direct Instruction?
Let’s say I’m a really bad tennis player, but I want to get better. I decide to go to a tennis pro and after sizing me up the pro gives me the following suggestions: Get a tennis racket with a bigger head size so you will miss the ball less Make sure to wear a...
Labeling Missing the Mark
I have never been comfortable labeling children. Labeling a child (or anyone for that matter) always seems so reductionist to me, as if the label could tell the whole story. As a society, though, we have become increasingly comfortable and casual with their use. Not...
The Thing About ADD…
The thing about ADHD (or as it’s called more casually in the public - ADD), is that it’s pretty hard to challenge once the “diagnosis” has been given. There are no legitimate tests that I know of for ADD. Physicians primarily rely on rating scales, like the...
The Waves of Special Education
You may not remember it, but there was a time in American education before IEP’s, 504 Plan’s and “special education.” It was in 1975 that federal legislation was passed, guaranteeing a free appropriate public education to each child with a disability. It was called...