Blog
“Missed Opportunities for Practicing ‘The Skill of…'”
So much of a child’s world can be framed in an ongoing series of different skills. For example, some kids have the “skill of” saying hello and greeting someone they meet for the first time. Others may have the “skill of” manners in social interactions by saying...
Talking About You At the Family Picnic
From what I can tell there are two essential types of children in terms of their behavioral repertoire. The first types are the kids who go along with the program. They are flexible. From a young age, you can take them to restaurants, off to the mall...
6 Things to Think About As You Start the School Year.
It's that time of year. You feel the pit in the stomach starting to form again. Here are a few miscellaneous thoughts to keep in mind to try and shrink the pit ever so slightly. What's the focus? Ask yourself what the focus will be in the coming school year. Is the...
Getting Over the Decoding Hurdle
When my kids were little I wasn’t too worried about developmental milestones. There was one developmental hurdle, though, that I was fixated upon - the “decoding hurdle.” Most kids get over the decoding...
“School Struggles” Hits the Stands
To those of you who receive this blog, I am excited to let you know that “School Struggles” came out last week. The book covers a broad scope of potential problems that kids face and that parents struggle with in terms of how to manage them. ...
A Helping of ADHD Mixed With a Dash of Anger
A central principle discussed in the soon to be released “School Struggles,” is the notion of the “Soup Pot Theory” of everything. As I note in School Struggles: “I subscribe to the soup pot theory of practically everything. ...
A Helping of ADHD Mixed With a Dash of Anger: Understanding the Soup Pot
Another principle discussed in the soon to be released “School Struggles,” is the notion of the “Soup Pot Theory” of everything. With the Soup-Pot theory kids are less seen as “this” or “that” (e.g., ADHD or...
Is Your Child on the Smooth Road or Rough Road?
In about three weeks from now my new book, “School Struggles” is scheduled for release. Over the next few essays, I will try and highlight some of the main points of the book. One overriding theme of the book is looking to the smooth road...
Got “The Diagnosis”
Frequently, parents will come in to tell me that they got "the diagnosis" with the emphasis on the word "the" as if there is only one diagnosis out there. Of course, I look puzzled when I ask about "what diagnosis" and they tell me...
Not Into Cats: The Variables of Comprehension Testing
In the last few posts we have been exploring different aspects of assessment. With “NJASK: Don’t Ask” we discussed “Standardized Test Stress Disorder” and with “Assessing Comprehension: Know the Limitations” it was...
Assessing Comprehension: Know the Limitations
Probably the major reason parents seek an assessment for a child centers around concern with reading or reading development. Teachers and special education teams will talk about “comprehension” as if there is a standard agreed upon way to measure...