Blog
“We’re Not Doctors…We Think You Should See a Neurologist”
Oliver, age 8, has difficulty behaving in his third grade class. They were told by the school, "We're not doctors, so we don't know why he's doing these things, but we think you should see a neurologist." The last statement is code language. Here's the translation -...
Parent New Year’s Resolutions 2013
The more miles I have logged in working with children and their parents, the less definitive I find myself. There are few absolutes when dealing with kids and the complexity of variables affecting them. Variables such as the child’s...
There Will Be Rage
In light of the terrible tragedy in Newtown Connecticut, it is worth reminding ourselves of a few things. I talk to parents all of the time about the “smooth road” vs. the “rough road” that kids travel (see “School Struggles”...
Parent Badgering Factor Running Too High?
Its December. Were into the second quarter of the school year. The dance is in full swing. All across America each evening this dance is being played out in millions of homes. Its the Dont You Have Homework To Do?.No I Did It in School dance. With this dance the...
ADHD: The Trouble With Boredom
When was the last time your kid came home and said, “Mom, guess what, I got a really cool worksheet today!!!” My guess is it has not happened to date. Frankly, the worksheets that I see (and I see tons of them) can be pretty dreadful...
Dyslexia: The Misnomer
dys·lex·i·a [dis-lek-see-uh] noun Pathology . Any of various reading disorders associated with impairment of the ability to interpret spatial relationships or to integrate auditory and visual information. Much of my professional life is spent...
Watching Movies
When I listen to kids and parents talk about things that go on, there are times when I find myself feeling a bit cranky about what I am told. Here’s one story told me lately that increased my cranky meter. A kid in high school kid told me about an...
The Problem-Solving Voice: Is it too quiet?
Those of you who have read my stuff or know of the work that I’ve done with kids over the years, know I can be a bit “decoding obsessed.” This is primarily because I have witnessed the legions of struggling decoders (usually dyslexics)...
The Thing About Dyslexia is…(part 1)
The thing about dyslexia is almost everyone gets it wrong. As proof, try this experiment. Ask anyone you know the question, “What is dyslexia?” I would wager that 90% (perhaps 100%) will say… “Isn’t that when you read upside...
“It’s Miller Time”
Miller Time: “After a long hard day's work you come home, grab a Miller Lite out of the fridge and enjoy a few cold ones.” That’s what the Urban Dictionary defines as “Miller Time.” If you are old enough to remember...
And An Angry River Runs Through It
If you have a shut-down learner style teen (especially a boy) you know the scene – not handing in homework consistently, not getting started on tasks, poor follow through, lots of video game playing or cell phone activity – that fun package. Typically...