Blog
Brief Tip: Know What You Are Targeting
Many children referred for assessments are related to struggles with reading, spelling and writing. Not knowing what direction to go, parents feel a sense of desperation and need guidance on appropriate next steps. Once the issues are identified, the remediation,...
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...
“But, It’s No Fun…” Homework Shenanigans From the Child Front
Lately, I've had a run on "meltdowny" kids. I know "meltdowny" is not a word, but I bet you get it. These are the ones who without a lot of provocation have a wild storm of a fit. Often it's tied in to something like homework or anything related to the demands of...
Talking to Parents About their Kid’s Stuff: A Play in One Act
The Characters: Mom and dad of seven year old starting second grade after Dr. Selz has evaluated their seven year old child and reviewed some of the findings. Setting – Sitting around a table somewhere in South Jersey. ------------------------ Parents: So, what do we...
“We Can’t Diagnose, But…”
By Wednesday of each week, I find myself in a bit of a self-imposed panic that I haven’t written the post yet for the week and feel the pressure of Friday looming (when the posts come out). What am I going to write about this week? Have I written this before? Is it...
New School Year: 4 Top Tips
You're muttering to yourself that you can't believe the summer has gone by as quickly as it has. You wonder whether you've done enough of the traditional summer activities before it's all gone. And then there is the pit in the stomach. I know you're feeling it. The...
The Tail is Not Wagging the Dog: Part III Parenting Misc.
In this, the third of three blog posts on parenting, we highlight a mindset that can help you with challenging, “emphatic children.” As you will recall from the last two posts Parenting Post I- "Hey Bud", Parenting Post Part II - "Hey, Bud," continued) we do not...
“Come On, Bud” – Parenting Reflections Part II
Last week we talked about a style of parenting that I dubbed, “Come 0n, Bud,” after this style was ridiculed by Bill Mahre in a recent stand-up special. ("Come On, Buddy...") We emphasized that kids are driven by one primary motivation (i.e., pleasure) and that they...
Hey, Bud. How About We Get Ready For Bed
On a recent HBO special featuring Bill Maher, he spent part of his routine focusing on modern children and their parents. Maher said something like, “First of all, where did parents get the idea that they have to negotiate with their kids about everything? I see this...