NEUROFEEDBACK AND AD/HD. Dr. David Rabiner has posted his July issue of Attention Research Update, and it it he reviews a study of the effectiveness of neurofeedback -- a sometimes controversial treatment -- on AD/HD. The results of his analysis? Neurofeedback might be good for some children but not others. About half of the children observed had a significant positive effects six months later. Rabiner concludes that neurofeedback might have benefits for some children, and that its best use may be as part of a multimodal treatment. See his review.
EQUITY AND GIFTED KINDERGARTEN. More on the gifted wars in New York City. Is admission to gifted kindergarten fair, given that some parents evidently spend $1000 on "test prep for their 4-year-olds"? If this subject titillates you, read the New York Times article. In the Midwest, where we live, it's either not a problem or we're traveling in the wrong circles -- although, to be honest, kindergarten is a long time ago for our family.
GOODBYE, GIFTED PROGRAMS. We've posted about Javits, but individual states are looking for ways to save money, some by cutting gifted education programs. Nebraska, for example, may try to save more than $2 million by cutting funds available for programs for high-ability learners. Read more.
KID CAN'T SLEEP? MEDICATE. This month's edition of Sleep Medicine contains an article noting that "insomnia is a major problem among children in mental health treatment and at least a quarter of these patients are given sleep medication." Drugs recommended by clinicians to help sleep include antihistamines, clonidine (officially, a blood pressure medication), antidepressants -- and worse (value judgment). Read more.
WHAT WE WERE AND COULD BE. The Economist, an unlikely source for inspirational stories about human development and potential, published a story about a Micronesian who sailed from Hawaii to Tahiti -- without a map, compass, or instruments (except "a chunky watch"). Instead, he used the stars, the sun, the wind, ocean life, and the water itself to tell him where he was. This article is about the potential giftedness in us all, should we pay attention. Read it.
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