Blog
Interview with Betty B. Osman, Author: “No One to Play With: The Social Side of Learning Disabilities”
A number of years ago - time does fly by - I was the host of a podcast show that was a part of The Coffee Klatch Network, Special Needs Talk Radio. In that role, I had the honor of interviewing some of the top names in the field. I thought it would be fun to revisit...
Clogged Fuel Lines and ADHD
By its nature, school places a certain demand on the child throughout the day. Most children throughout their day typically face a number of tasks that they find challenging and difficult to manage. When faced with such challenges many will work through their...
“DADDY’S TIED UP IN TRAFFIC”
Many shut-down learner kids, have great trouble with different facets of language that we often take for granted. Take Emma, age 8. The other night, Emma was told by her mother that her father was “tied up in traffic.” Emma burst into...
A Disconnect in #Dyslexia Land
Young Jack, age 14, a sweet boy who has very significant learning disabilities, couldn’t tell you how much a quarter, dime and a nickel totaled. Yet his mother brought in worksheets showing me that he was being asked to multiply negative numbers such as the following,...
PUTTING FUEL IN THE SHUT-DOWN LEARNER TANK
I know. It’s heading into those dark days. Kids don’t want to get out of bed. Homework’s becoming a misery. As the weather gets colder, the household tension meter is rising. If you can, try if you can to step back a...
LEARNING DISABILITIES IN THE MIDEAST: NOT SO DIFFERENT THAN ANYWHERE ELSE
I know it’s been some time since I last posted. A lot has been going on that has kept me from writing, not the least of which was my taking part in the “TeachME” conference in Dubai on 11/11 & 11/12/09. “TeachME” is...
IQ ADDING TO MY “GQ”
Even though I am a psychologist who does a great deal of testing, I find the overuse of the IQ adds to my GQ (“Grumpiness Quotient”). Why does the IQ score make me grumpy? Children who are in need of service, often don’t receive it...
Basic Reading Skills, Remediation Strategies, & Common Sense
Originally published as "Dyslexia, Reading Disabilities & Common Sense" Many moons ago when I started out, I don't remember feeling overwhelmed by the lack of common sense that seems to exist in the field of helping children with early reading skills. Today, though,...
“Do Your Personal Best All the Time!”
“James must try and do his personal best all the time.” This was the teacher’s evaluation comment of a child I recently evaluated. As soon as I read the comment, I felt my blood pressure rise a bit. I don’t know about you, but I have yet to have a day in my life...
“Thanks for Yelling, Mom! I see the Light!”
Recently, we talked about the notion that a child should be doing his or her homework in a more public area of the house, rather than the child’s bedroom. Let's discuss the tone of the homework activity and how you might manage it as a parent. It would be interesting...
“Go Up To Your Room and Do Your Work”: The Perils
How many households in America each night hear the refrain, “Go up to your room and start your homework?" Recognizing that each household is set up differently, it is hard to make generalizations about how and where a child should be doing his or her homework. For...