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ASPIES IN COLLEGE. NPR aired a story on how some colleges are helping students with Asperger's survive and thrive. Colorado State University, for example, has a program called "Opportunities for Post-secondary Success" that involves mentoring and other services. Find the story. ON TV: LD GOING TO COLLEGE. ABC interviewed an educator who provided advice on steps to take when heading for college with an LD. No transcript, but embedded video is at this site. EXERCISE BALLS AS CLASSROOM SEATS. Some schools have good results allowing students to sit on exercise balls to increase attention, fitness, and even handwriting. Read more about the experiences of some schools and educators. HOW GENIUS WORKS is the title of a "culture special report" in Atlantic. Various creative minds -- TC Boyle, Paul Simon, Frank Gehry, Grant Achatz, and more -- explain the how and the process of creation. Find it. AND FINALLY, THIS. Anyone who's argued with a toddler has likely tried to figure out techniques to shorten the discussion process. A charming video of a father negotiating with his son brought back to us memories of such negotiations. Watch it and laugh.
IDENTIFYING AD/HD. Researchers are getting closer to finding biomarkers that will identify those with AD/HD; up until now, we've used observations of behavior. An article in Education Week discusses two recent studies showing physiological differences between children with AD/HD and without. Both studies tracked hand movements; the second one, according to a researcher, may be a quantifiable measure of the disinhibition of behavior and concentration. Find the article. LANGUAGE AFFECTS MATH? Also in Education Week, an article notes a connection between language skills and the ability to understand math concepts. The connection begins with -- bear with us -- deaf Nicaraguan adults who did not know a formal sign language compared to those who did know such a language, and their respective math skills. Researchers abstracted their findings to kids with certain language disorders along with math difficulties. Find out more. LD: "LEARNING DIVERSITY," not "learning disability." That term cropped up in an article in the Massachusetts South Coast Today. The article was on dyslexia and featured the director of the Sally Borden School at Friends Academy, who provided a snapshot of kids with dyslexia and also of ways to help them read and learn. The author, a developmental psychologist and professor, offers his own advice at the end of the article to parents observing their child's development. Read more. MISSED THIS WHEN IT APPEARED. An article in the Wall Street Journal during January covered the use of electricity in treating mental conditions such as depression, OCD, panic, schizophrenia, addictions, and memory problems. Learn about Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, Vagus Nerve Stimulation, Deep Brain Stimulation, and Cranial Electrotherapy Stimulation at the Journal's site. Separately, you may find links to two additional articles on deep brain stimulation for depression here and here. FROM UC DAVIS MIND INSTITUTE: The January Distinguished Lecturer event was on pediatric anxiety, and is available by video at the Institute's site. Warning: The content looks heavy; read the abstract here. AND FINALLY, THIS. Got a wandering mind, or a gifted kid with a wandering mind? Check out a slide-show feature at ScientificAmerican.com relating a few great achievements that sprang from daydreaming and downtime.