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When a child is school struggling, 99.9% of the time the parents get it.  They know there’s something up.  They are looking for validation.

This is where it gets murky.

When the parents raise the question of dyslexia with the school, typically they are told that the diagnosis of dyslexia is conducted by a medical professional and that they should contact their pediatrician (or a neurologist).

The fact of the matter is that pediatricians don’t test for dyslexia, as such testing involves a number of tests that are simply not given by medical doctors.

In spite of this, the pediatrician may send a letter back to the school offering a diagnosis (largely based on the parent’s report) that the child has something like ADHD or dyslexia with the request of a 504 or an IEP.

The school then feels like their hands are tied, since the normal process of determining eligibility was not followed.

It can all be very frustrating and confusing.

If I had my way (which I don’t), simplifying would be the guiding principle.

When a child is falling below the 25^th percentile on a respectable reading measure, that child needs help whether they are eligible for service or not.

Whether you call it “dyslexia” or “eligible/ineligible for service,” struggling is struggling.

Parents need plain language and guidance.

For example:

School to the Parent:  “You’re right.  Your child is struggling.  We gave a good screening measure and his reading fluency is weak and phonics skills are poor.  We don’t diagnose dyslexia, but we see the struggling.  If you want to pursue an assessment for dyslexia, then this is usually done by a psychologist or a neuropsychologist.  In the meantime, let’s get down to business with good remediation.”

I think parents would appreciate statements like that and feel validated and supported.

If the parent does seek an outside assessment, then this assessment should be factored into the school’s understanding of the child.

It would be nice to hear, “Wow.  We see Dr. Smith agrees with us.  The decoding skills are very weak.  Glad we started targeting them.  Let’s keep close watch on the child’s progress.”

Seriously, does it need to be more complicated than this?

Georgia is a lively, spontaneous and friendly 10-year- old student entering the fifth grade.  Cognitive testing placed her between the average to above average range for most of the domains assessed.

Spelling and writing were a different story for her.

Here are some of Georgia’s spelling errors and samples of sentences she wrote to a prompt:

• cook/cooke
• reach/reche
• circle/courkel
• ruin/rowen
• watch/wauch
• explain/espan
•  I whish for my best fierd to live with Me.
• I whish to get a nother dog.
• I love to do hoars backrinding camp and playing with firendes.

In this era of increased involvement with artificial intelligence and other technologies, the question I ask relative to spelling and writing samples like Georgia’s is, does it matter?   Does it matter that she can’t spell or barely write a sentence.

It is my sense spelling and writing issues do not seem to be ringing too many bells of concern at the school level.

Perhaps it’s generational.

To a young teacher in their 20’s or so, something like spelling and being able to write sentences may be old school, so yesterday, something that can be easily remedied.

Why spend time on something like spelling when autocorrect is right there?  Why bother worrying about complete sentences, when “Grammarly” is your technology assistant, cleaning up your sentence fragments, run-ons and punctuation.

What’s your opinion?  Does it matter?

(****This post is dedicated to the memory of Stanley Sterenberg, a dear friend and devoted reader (and commenter) to this blog since the first one was written over 12 years ago.  May his memory be a blessing.  You will be missed my friend.)

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To Contact Dr. Richard Selznick for advice, consultation or other information, email: shutdownlearner1@gmail.com. 

Copyright, Richard Selznick, Ph.D.  2023, www.shutdownlearner.com.

With the arrival of newborn Emmett Gaetano Selznick last weekend, an official new chapter begins in our lives.

As I said a while ago, in a previous blog on grandparenting, I’m going to try and do my best to do what grandparents are supposed to do – spoil and “zip it and clip it” (not easy for me).

As loyal readers of this blog know, I do my best to dispense a range of advice for parents anxious about their child’s struggles.  ( I reflect on the fact (and chuckle to myself as I write this) that  my son unsubscribed to this blog a number of years ago.)

So, let’s raise a collective glass to young Emmett Gaetano and wish him good things.  Here’s hoping he doesn’t give his teachers too much stuff, while he gives his father a hefty dose.  (Hey, like father like son, no?  We certainly got our share in the raising of Emmett’s father!)

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In last week’s post which drew on the perspective that for a couple thousand years adults have been shaking their head  (I know I have) on the out of control (unruly) nature of childhood (“What’s the Matter With Kids” ).

Loyal reader and friend Stan commented on the post:

“Brilliant set of quote demonstrating the timelessness of the antipathy the older generation always seems to feel toward the youth of the day…Perhaps the elders are simply jealous of the youth , energy, vitality and projected length of their future life.  Kudos to the Shut Down-Learner research staff  – they deserve lots of credit (and perhaps a raise?) for digging up these oh-so-appropriate quotations!!!”

Well, Stan, since the writing of these blogs is a labor of love, the staff will have to wait for their raise.

In the meantime, we of the older generation will continue looking at the younger generation through a jaundiced eye, especially with their seeming addictions to screens above all other facets of life.

(***Please note:  All blogs represent the opinion and perspective of Dr. Richard Selznick.  Comments and questions are welcomed, but are blocked by the hosting site.  Please email questions or comments: rselznick615@gmail.com)  

Copyright, Richard Selznick, Ph.D.  2022, www.shutdownlearner.com.

To Contact Dr. Richard Selznick for advice, consultation or other information, email rselznick615@gmail.com.

To receive future blog posts, register your email: https://shutdownlearner.com.

In my corner of the universe most of the issues that are brought to me include some variation on the following:

• Struggling with reading (and writing)
• Difficulty with attention and what is commonly referred to as “sustained mental effort”
• Low level “executive functioning”
• Poor Frustration tolerance
• Disconnected/Shut-Down/Unmotivated
• Ignoring Rules/Social Problems
• Parent frustration with the school/special education

There are many other issues that parents may be encountering with their children, but these are the common ones that land on my doorstep.

Over the next few weeks we will weave through these categories with a Selznick Primer of  Struggling Children, while doing my best to offer a thumbnail overview and a few essentials for you to consider

Please understand that these blogs represent my view.  I am not presenting them as absolute truths, but offering my perspective.

It is always my mission to talk to parents, whether through the blogs or face-to-face, in down-to earth, plain language with as little jargon as possible.

It is my impression that there is a great deal of misconception and misinformation out there, and I do my best to try and counter these.

Feel free to disagree, pushback or raise questions.  In fact, I would welcome those, but you need to do this through email (rselznick615@gmail.com), as the comment feature has been disabled because of spamming.  (In future posts related to the category being discussed I  may post some of the questions, anonymously of course.)

If you are a long time reader of this blog and have come along some 500+ blogs later, thanks for staying with me over the years.

If you’re relatively new to these, welcome.

Hope you enjoy the ride.

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***Please note:  Comments are blocked by the hosting site.  Please email questions or comments.  (See below.)

Copyright, Richard Selznick, Ph.D.  2022, www.shutdownlearner.com.

To Contact Dr. Richard Selznick for advice, consultation or other information, email rselznick615@gmail.com.

To receive future blog posts, register your email: https://shutdownlearner.com.

Those of you following this blog for some time know there are some recurring themes.

For others  newer to these posts, I will help to bring you up to speed with my top ten list of things that pluck my nerves:

1. The LD-Discrepancy Model: Easily the number one issue that gets under my skin is the LD-Discrepancy model used in many states (New Jersey being one) to classify children in special education as learning disabled.  If you want a primer on the LD-Discrepancy model, this is a great overview: (https://www.understood.org/en/articles/the-discrepancy-model-what-you-need-to-know). 
2. Pathologizing Childhood: Not all child problems are neurobiological (“brain-based”) disabilities.   Some issues are “out of the head.”  (Perhaps the worksheet is poorly written with dreadful comprehension questions.) 

3. “Diagnosing” ADHD Based on Small Data: Checking a few items (e.g., “Easily distractible”) on something like the Vanderbilt Scales given in the pediatrician’s office is not enough. 

4. “We can’t diagnose dyslexia – you need to see a neurologist.” Parents are reflexively told this when they raise the issue of dyslexia.  Seriously, how many neurologists or pediatricians that you know give a battery of reading, spelling and writing tests necessary to assess dyslexia?  I work in a pediatric department with many specialists.  I don’t know any. 

5. “This or That Thinking:” “I just want to get to the bottom of it,” parents will say.  “I just don’t know if it’s ADD or laziness.”  Truth is it’s almost never,  “this or that.”  With most kids it’s almost always, “this and that and that.” 

6. Dyslexia Nation: How did the array of reading problems all come around to dyslexia?  A child could have a mild problem with reading that can be helped with good tutoring. This does not a dyslexic make. 

7. “The Spectrum:” I’m always puzzled when people refer to “The Spectrum,”  as in, “He’s on the spectrum.”  Which one???  All the issues of concern are on a spectrum.  “The Spectrum” suggests there’s one and one only. 

8. “Hey, Bud” Parenting: I hate to break the news to parents out there, but they are your children.  You don’t set limits with your buddies.  You set limits with children.

9. Overplaying 504 Plans: Listen up, gang. The reality of 504 Plans is that they do not do that much.   They are not meant to offer services, but basic accommodations.     

10. Screen Addicts: I get it.  Times change.  I don’t get the newspaper delivered any more.  I have my phone with me most of the time and am in a froth when I can’t locate it.  With that said, kids care about little else than their screen time.   They are becoming addicted.   We’re not facing it.

 Takeaway Point

OK…once, again, I’ve vented my spleen.  Problem is I don’t feel any better.

Well, it’s still cheaper than real therapy!!!

Copyright, Richard Selznick, Ph.D.  2022, www.shutdownlearner.com.

To Contact Dr. Richard Selznick for advice, consultation or other information, email rselznick615@gmail.com.

To receive future blog posts, register your email: https://shutdownlearner.com.