Blog
“Dazed & Confused”
"What is meant by the phrase, "Italy was a quilt of city states?" "The government was like a blanket covering city-states of Italy." "The two spaceships, Eagle and Columbia, separate. They orbit in sight of each other one last time. Then the Eagle begins to...
“A Hypothetical Poll”
Let’s take a random group of 100 boys, roughly between ages 10 – 14. You know nothing about them, but their moms are asked a simple poll question: On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being the most negative) how would you rank your son on his taking initiative, organizing...
“‘Come on, Doc. Tell It to me Straight'” (#Assessment)
Whenever I do an assessment I know that in many ways I am swimming against the tide in my approach and perspective. Hopelessly mired in identifying the the “soup-pot” of variables interacting, I rarely see things as one way or another. Parents are typically focused on...
Family Matters #Dyslexia Talk – (Link to the Talk)
I recently had the honor of presenting an overview of dyslexia, shut-down learner and executive functioning to Family Matters: Parent Training and Information Center. Based in Illinois, they have great workshops and material on their site and I would encourage you...
Follow-Up to “ADHD? Perhaps”
In last week’s post we noted that there were many factors that can lead to erroneously hypothesizing that a child has ADHD/ADD. https://shutdownlearner.com/adhd-perhaps/ There were a number of comments posted. Dr. M., a developmental pediatrician, reminded us to...
ADHD? Perhaps.
Practically every week I hear an array of concerns regarding distractibility and inattentiveness. There's always the question of, "Does my child have ADHD/ADD" lurking. While talking to parents I try and broaden the narrative, reviewing other factors that may be...
Fillin’ the Cracks
Anxiety over your child’s school-based problems can start very early. A mom recently contacted me after reading The Shut-Down Learner. “My son is drowning in school. Do you think he could be a shut-down learner?” After asking a few more questions, I was struck by the...
Sharks & Minnows – Part II
Last week we talked about the law of the playground (and the jungle), that in spite of well meaning attempts to extinguish the phenomenon of “sharks” picking on the "minnows,” the law of the playground persists (Sharks & Minnows (Part I). Picking up on the...
“Sharks & Minnows”
Out in the playground, in the lunchroom and on the school bus – really in every possible school situation – group dynamics are always at work. There will be those in the group who are more assertive (sometimes aggressive), and those who are not. Many will be in the...
“Boy, You’re in Hot Water”
Recently, 8-year-old Marty showed some signs of misbehavior when his mom exclaimed, “Boy, you’re in hot water now.” Marty started having a meltdown, screaming and crying, “I don’t want to be in hot water!!!!!!! I It will hurt me!!!” Seven-year-old Marissa became...
“Brief Tip: Getting Clear on Remediation”
Most children referred for assessments are related to struggles with reading, spelling and writing. Parents feel a sense of desperation and don't know what direction to go. Once the issues are identified, the remediation, unfortunately, can be a bit scattershot. This...