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Showing posts with label GIFTED CHILDREN. Show all posts
Showing posts with label GIFTED CHILDREN. Show all posts

From the Publishers of 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter

REDUCE THE PRESSURE. Research published by the American Psychological Association indicates that students have less fear of failure -- and learn better -- when  they're told that failure is a normal part of learning. A researcher pointed out that "teachers and parents may be able to help students succeed just by changing the way in which the material is presented.” Find out more about helping your 2e child succeed in school.
GOT AN ANXIOUS KID? Lots of 2e kids are anxious, according to the parents we communicate with. A brief article in the Kansas City Star by Julia Cook offers tips for recognizing anxiety and ameliorating it. Find them.
IEP. The Wilmington, North Carolina, Star News Online provides an overview of the IEP process, including getting started, following up, and putting the IEP into practice. Read more.
RITALIN DOSAGES. Twice-exceptional kids with AD/HD may be affected differently by different doses of methylphenidate (Ritalin). A study using monkeys recently found that low doses boost cognitive performance, but that while higher doses can reduce hyperactivity they may also impair memory. Find a writeup of the study.
RESIDENTIAL SUMMER APPRENTICESHIPS. The Institute for Educational Advancement offers gifted students the opportunity to participate in residential apprenticeships. IEA calls them "an invaluable and intensive learning opportunity working with teams of professionals in medicine, industrial design, science, law and business at some of the nation's leading universities, corporations, and research facilities." Find out more. (IEA is a non-profit organization that also puts on the Yunasa Summer Camp for the Gifted.)
IN MANHATTAN, at the Quad Manhattan, on the evening of April 9, The Quad will sponsor a workshop on neurofeedback. According to a blurb for the workshop, neurofeedback may be of use to children "with various diagnoses and presenting conditions by allowing them to regulate their behavior and in turn, become more available for learning and other activities." Find out more. 
YOUTUBE is now available through a special portal for schools that limits student access to certain content and allows schools to use only the videos they want. A New York Times article says that YouTube contains many educational videos which can benefit teachers and students when brought into the classroom. Find out more.

From the Publishers of 2e Newsletter

ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION in their children are very common concerns among parents in the 2e community. The Wall Street Journal ran an article about mental health issues in college students and how educators should accommodate them. According to the article, a rising number of students are registering psychological problems with college disability offices. Read the article.
LDs, THE ADA, AND COLLEGE. A woman student was dismissed in 2003 from George Washington University Medical School after repeated warnings that she was not meeting academic standards. Shortly before the dismissal, she sought to establish that her academic performance was related to learning disabilities, undergoing evaluation and receiving a diagnosis of dyslexia and a mild processing speed disorder. She contended the dismissal violated her rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Recently, as U.S. district court ruled in the the university's favor, deciding that the student had failed to demonstrate that her difficulties were from her LD as opposed to study habits and a heavy schedule of extracurricular activities. Read the article.
DOPAMINE, AD/HD, AND MOTIVATION. Scientific American reviewed a study where researchers established a positive correlation between positive dopamine function in the brain and motivation trait scores on a personality test. They also showed a correlation between the CAARS AD/HD symptom test and the motivation score (i.e, fewer symptoms, more  motivation. The conclusion: a disrupted dopamine pathway is associated with lower motivation and with AD/HD. The review does not mention that there are several types of AD/HD, but insofar as the study applies to at least one type it might be of interest to parents, educators, and clinicians who deal with AD/HD children. Find the article.
AN ASPIE'S MEMORY helps him connect with other people now that he's in his teens, according to an essay in the Washington Post. At first it was remembering birthdays... then addresses... then movie release dates... and then being able to connect names, birthdates, and movie releases to amaze family and friends.  Read more. 
THAT'S IT! More next week...

From the Publishers of 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter

2011 DAVIDSON FELLOWS ANNOUNCED. Eighteen gifted high achievers have been awarded scholarships ranging from $10,000 to $50,000 for their work in a variety of fields. The Davidson Fellows Scholarship program has provided nearly $4.5 million in scholarship funds to 184 Fellows since its inception, according to the Davidson Institute.  Founded by Bob and Jan Davidson in 1999, the Davidson Institute for Talent Development recognizes, nurtures, and supports profoundly intelligent young people, and provides opportunities for them to develop their talents to make a positive difference. The Institute offers support through a number of programs and services, including the Davidson Fellows program and The Davidson Academy. For more information about the 2011 Davidson Fellows, visit www.DavidsonGifted.org/Fellows.
ONLINE EDUCATION FOR AUTISM. An Education Week article explores the value of online education for students with high-functioning autism, noting that it can  alleviate sensory overload, bullying, and other hazards of the real-world classroom. In the article covers pluses and minuses, and quotes 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter contributor Katherine Boser on considerations for when virtual education might be appropriate for a student with high-functioning autism. Find the article.
DBS FOR TOURTETTE'S. Fox News reported on a young man in New York for whom symptoms of severe Tourette's Syndrome were relieved by deep brain stimulation, which involves implanting electrodes to stimulate parts of the brain that are malfunctioning. Read more.
AD/HD ON THE RISE. The Wall Street Journal, reporting on a report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, notes that the percentage of children between 5 and 17 diagnosed with AD/HD has risen to 9 percent, a two-point change from the last measurement over a decade ago. The article also contained an estimate of the costs of such AD/HD to society -- over $42 billion per year when factoring in "health care, education, parental work loss and juvenile-justice costs." Read more.
PARENTS, TEACHERS, COUNSELORS: TAKE HEED. Although you may have already realized this, a new study indicates that boys think discussing problems is a waste of time. This is compared to girls, who researchers found "had positive expectations for how talking about problems would make them feel, such as expecting to feel cared for, understood and less alone." Read more about the study.
A BACK TO SCHOOL HEALTH QUIZ for parents about kids' health showed us that we didn't know lots of things we should have -- such as the maximum weight for a kid's backpack, or which common medicine the FDA has warned against for kids under 2. If you want to find out how much you know -- or don't know -- take the quiz.
AND FINALLY, THIS. Sometimes, after dinner and with the mom out of the house at her aerobics class, the dad and two young boys at our house used to play a game called "Daddy Monster." It was a combination of hide-and-seek, Nerf shoot-em-up, and roughhousing, where the hiding daddy would leap out of closets when the seeking sons approached, then either chase them or be chased and fired upon with Nerf weapons, each round culminating in either daddy being tackled and "dying" on the living room rug, or sons being tossed onto the couch while the monster escaped again. We miss it. Now we find and article in the Chicago Tribune giving parents guidelines for roughhousing with kids and espousing the benefits. Read it.

From the Publishers of 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter

ANOTHER AD/HD DANGER. With our kids in the car one day, we almost ran over a boy whose family we knew to be a hotbed of AD/HD; the boy, on his bicycle, simply rode into the street to cross it without looking for traffic -- or else seriously misjudged traffic. Had we not braked quickly, the results would have not been pretty. Now a study reported in Pediatrics shows that children with AD/HD, compared to normally developing children, do not process the information necessary to safely cross the street. In the study, children with AD/HD chose smaller gaps in traffic to cross within, and had considerably less time to reach the end of the crosswalk before the next car approached, resulting in a more dangerous crossing environment. Read more at US News/HealthDay. 
BOOK DEAL FROM PRUFROCK. In honor of of National Parenting Gifted Children Week (last week), Prufrock is offering an e-book version of their title Parenting Gifted Kids, by Jim Delisle, for $2.99. Sounds like the offer expires soon. Find out more. 
ARE YOU A WORKING MOM? A study indicates that your children are no more likely to have behavioral or emotional problems than kids in families with stay-at-home moms. Read more. 
FEDERAL FUNDING FOR SPECIAL ED. Apparently, long ago, the U.S. government pledged to pay 40 percent of the cost of educating students with disabilities, but the current federal spending is around 16 percent. Now a senator has introduced a bill to make up the gap. No word on how the bill, if passed, would affect 2e students. Read more at Education Week or the site of CEC. 
BOOKS BEGONE. South Korea will replace paper textbooks with tablet PCs, according to recent media reports. The move will allow learners to take more advantage of media-based materials and provide fast access to lots of online information. (In theory, tablets would also offer alternative ways for learners to take in the same information, accommodating those who do better with visually-based or audio-based materials.) Read more. 
HAPPY MONDAY! More blog posts soon.

From the Publishers of 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter

POLL OF THE MONTH. In our May Briefing, we included a poll question: "Based on the gifted children you know, what proportion would you judge as twice-exceptional?" So far, the results have surprised us. You may take the poll (and see the results for yourself) at the Constant Contact site.
KOREAN AUTISM STUDY. A six-year study that sought to screen every child 7-12 in a South Korean city of almost 500,000 yielded an autism prevalence of 2.6 percent, over double the rate commonly assumed in other parts of the world. Twelve percent of the children with ASD in regular schools in the study had a superior IQ. Researchers asked parents and teachers to complete questionnaires; children scoring at a certain level were then individually evaluated. Read more. Separately, the Salt Lake City Tribune reported that Utah's autism rate has doubled in the past six years; read the article.
ASPIES IN COLLEGE. Read about how colleges are helping those with Asperger's make it through school, including the story of one young college graduate, while able to read medical terminology at age 4, was plagued by meltdowns as a young person. Find the article.
THE GIFTED DEVELOPMENT CENTER has issued its May newsletter; in it are a couple brief articles by Linda Powers Leviton on tactile-kinesthetic learners. Find the newsletter. 
UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARNING is the passion of people at Bowie State University who are applying technology -- for example, image processing --  in UDL so that learners with sensory problems, emotional challenges, or LDs can have "equal access" in education, in both receptive and expressive modes. Find out more.
AD/HD AND EMOTIONAL CONTROL. Having AD/HD might predispose a young person to deficient emotional control, according to a new study. The two conditions appear to run in families. Read about it.
AND FINALLY, THIS. If you "tweet," we suggest using the keyword #2ekids on relevant messages to let others find your post. We include it on our tweets.

From the Publishers of 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter

TODAY, MAY 3RD, IS:
  • National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day, part of an entire week devoted to the topic. Take a minute to consider the mental health of that gifted or 2e kid you know. More information.
  • In the U.S., National Teacher Day. If you have a teacher who's been good for that twice-exceptional child, be sure to let that teacher know. More information. 
IT'S ALSO HEALTHY VISION MONTH. Find out how vision issues can affect a bright kid's school performance, and how vision therapy can help: Hidden Roadblocks: What Parents Need To Know About Vision and Learning.
SCHOOL FOR DYSLEXIC BOYS. The Gow School in New York state enrolls about 140 dyslexic boys in grades 7-12 boys from 22 countries. Seventy-six percent of the school's alumni graduate from college, according to an article about the school; 100 percent are accepted to college. If dyslexia and similar language-based issues plague your gifted son, read the article.
DRUG TRIAL FOR FRAGILE-X, AUTISM. An antibiotic called minocycline is helping some children with fragile-X syndrome better deal with school and its demands. According to the mother of one boy in a small trial of the drug, the boy has changed in ways she hadn't thought possible. Find out more.
SCREENING FOR AUTISM. Researchers have developed a questionnaire for screening babies at 12-month checkups. In a study, the checklist identified about 13 percent of babies as having possible issues. One problem: a high false-positive rate. However, because early intervention is important, such a checklist may be useful. Find out more.
SENG WEBINAR. SENG has scheduled an upcoming webinar with the title "Change Your Story, Change Your Life." To be presented by author Stephanie Tolan, the goal of the webinar is to help families of gifted children "empower themselves and their children, regardless of the educational climate they face." Find out more.
TEENS: DANGER AND SAFETY. Teens perceive threat and safety differently than adults. You know that, but the National Insitute of Mental Health reports on a new study explaining why. (Hint: Teens use the amygdala and hippocampus more than adults in responding to fear.) Read more.
SCIENCE NEWS FOR KIDS, the website, has been relaunched. According to Society for Science and the Public, Sciencenewsforkids.org is the award-winning site published by the Society since 2003 to bring the important content of Science News to students aged 9-14, as well as their parents and teachers. Check out the site.
SHARPBRAINS has published a blog with pointers to dozens of articles that might be of interest to you (and some that might not, because the topics span all ages). However, some articles that might tempt are on plasticity, stress and young brains, the growth of a baby's brain from birth to 5, and more. It looks like we might have pointed to some of the articles in past blog postings, but hey, it's worth a look. 
AND FINALLY, THIS. Seems there's a new fad in the body-piercing set --pointy ears, engineered by cutting of the top of the ear, removing some cartilage, and resewing into a point. We know it's true 'coz we read it in the AARP magazine under the snarky title, "Ah, Youth! Sometimes We Don't Miss It." 

DIET AND IQ. Diet in early childhood can affect later IQ, according to a study reported in Science Daily. In a longitudinal study of kids born in 1991 and 1992, the type of diet at age 3 -- processed, traditional, or health-conscious -- resulted in a a few points of difference in IQ at age 8 and a half. Find out more, and then either flagellate or congratulate yourself for the way you fed that toddler.
KID ON FACEBOOK? Now your gifted kid can use a Facebook app to tell how likely he or she might be to get into a particular college. Find out more.
THINKING ABOUT E-LEARNING for that bright, homeschooled kid? Be prepared to be very involved as parent. That's the message in an Education Week article. Find it.
INTERESTED IN TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION? Education Week has published a newsletter called Digital Directions, billed as "trends and advice for K-12 technology leaders." Read an issue.
EDUCATION NEWS.ORG. Michael Shaughnessy interviews a school psychologist about the nature of gifted kids and the challenges they face in school -- such as peers, bullying, and emotional issues. Find the interview.
PARENTING BOOKS. In 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter, we routinely review books we feel will be of use and of interest to the 2e community. In the Newton Patch, a "hyperlocal" news outlet for Newton, Connecticut, we encountered this paragraph that piqued our interest: "Whether a child is 'spirited,' 'difficult,' 'indigo,' learning disabled, out of the box, food sensitive, hyperactive, obsessive/compulsive, 'explosive,' un-focused, gay, speech-delayed, spiritual, sensitive, 'out of sync,' shy, coping with a parent’s divorce, gifted, or unmotivated -- there is a book available." The writer provides descriptions of some of her favorite parenting books encountered over the years, including titles such as The Edison Trait -- Saving the Spirit of Your Nonconforming Child. Find the list, see if you agree, and  maybe let us know if you have favorite books our community should know about.
AN UPSIDE TO AD/HD. New research indicates that adults with AD/HD are more creative. The researcher attributes it to "a different way of thinking." Read more. 
COLOR AND MOOD. In the decor of Waldorf Schools, first established by visionary Rudolph Steiner in 1919, color plays a very important and intentional part. Now a writer for St. Louis Today interviews a color expert from the Paint Quality Institute on "color psychology." What color should your child's bedroom be? Find out which colors have what effects. Here's a hint: red is probably not the first choice for a child's bedroom.
AND FINALLY: OVER THE TOP? BabyFirst, a cable and satellite channel, has announced the launch of BabyU, which they call "the most comprehensive online learning destination for babies and toddlers under age three." You can find out more at the BabyFirst site. Looks like it's subscription-based.

GOT AN IEP for that bright but struggling child? Here's what Wrightslaw says about the IEP: "The success of your child's education may depend on how well you document what happens during the IEP process." This weeks' issue of Special Ed Advocate covers how to create a paper trail that supports your position. Find it. 
SHARE A SUCCESS STORY WITH CEC. CEC is the Council for Exceptional Children, with activities in both the area of special ed and the area of gifted ed. As part of its advocacy for stakeholders, CEC is looking for success stories from programs such as IDEA or Javits grants. Here's the back story, in words from a CEC solicitation for those stories: "Every year, CEC publishes the Federal Outlook for Exceptional Children, providing an overview of federally-funded programs - IDEA and Javits grants - that impact the lives of children and youth with disabilities and/or gifts and talents. The Outlook is distributed to members of Congress, federal agencies, and other leaders in the education community with the hope that a better understanding of such programs will lead to increased federal funding for special/gifted education programs... Throughout the Outlook are personal stories and photos of children and youth participating in special education, early intervention, and gifted education programs across the country.  These success stories help put a human touch on the graphs and charts that typically illustrate the need for increased funding for programs such as IDEA and the Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Act." So if you have a twice-exceptional child or student who has benefited from IDEA or Javits funding, let CEC know. Read more about CEC's request here. Find a story submission form here. 

BELLYACHES IN KIDS. Are they real, especially in light of normal test results? Such a condition is called "functional abdominal pain, and some parents and clinicians may tend to write them off as imaginary. But a recent article suggests that some children may be especially sensitive to sensations transmitted by the enteric nervous system, which controls the gastro-intestinal tract. Further, such problems may be best treated through the brain -- by guided imagery, hypnosis, or even low doses of SSRI anti-depressants. If your bright child is troubled by bellyaches, check out the article. 

LANGUAGE COMPREHENSION AND THE BRAIN. The neural networks involved in language comprehension have been mapped using MRIs of brain-injured and normal subjects, and it turns out to be complex: "The network included a core region within the left mid-temporal lobe of the brain, and extended to the frontal and parietal cortex in both halves of the brain -- all connected by long distance communication pathways." Future studies will look at the networks involved in talking, reading, and writing. Read more.

CREATIVITY, PSYCHOPATHOLOGY. Scientific American teases us by posting part of an article called "The Mad Artist's Brain: The Connection between Creativity and Mental Illness." It turns out, according to a new study, that people who think in a divergent, out-of-the box fashion have lower dopamine receptor activity in the thalmus -- just as do people with schizophrenia. The article quotes the study author: "Thinking outside the box might be facilitated by having a somewhat less intact box.” Find the start of the article. 

GENES, NEUROTRANSMITTERS, AND INATTENTION. Researchers have discovered a gene that could lead to increased inattention by allowing competition between brain networks. Researchers say the gene is neither a cause nor a diagnostic marker for AD/HD, but that the gene's effects on neuronal signaling could help explain AD/HD. Find out more. 
CAFFEINE AND SUGAR WORK? SAY IT AIN'T SO! A recent study shows that caffeine and glucose combined can improve attention and working memory. Does this mean that the proverbial cup of coffee and a donut boost mental processing? Maybe -- glucose is the form of sugar that is "brain food," and it's a component of sucrose, or table sugar. Sucrose is broken down into glucose and fructose in the stomach, and the resulting components rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream in the small intestine. Maybe your AD/HD kid who demands caffeine and sweets has a biological reason. Read more.

LDs AT HARVARD. Most of us would admit that Harvard University students are likely to be pretty bright. But, like students everywhere, some of them have LDs and other conditions that affect academic performance. And, like other universities, Harvard has an office that helps those students succeed. An article in the Harvard Crimson profiles some of the 250 students who take advantage of the office. Read the article. Separately, the Monterey County Herald highlighted several area colleges that "enable the disabled"; find the article. 
NAGC CONFERENCE COMING UP. The annual convention of the National association for Gifted Children takes place Novembef 11-14 in Atlanta, Georgia. The audience consists primarily of educators, but the conference also features a Parent Day. Plenty of sessions usually are relevant to raising and teaching twice-exceptional children. More information.
DAVIDSON INSTITUTE. The 2010 Davidson Fellows received their awards in a ceremony in Washington, DC, in September. In her blog "Gifted Exchange," Laura Vanderkam profiles some of the Fellows. The Institute has also announced that applications for 2011 Davidson Fellows Scholarshipse are available, as are applications for the 2011 THINK Summer Institute. Find out more at the Institute site.

BULK UP THAT HIPPOCAMPUS. Kids who are more physically fit have a bigger hippocampus and perform better on memory tests. The hippocampus is a part of the brain important in learning and memory. Ergo, exercise can lead to better fulfillment of your bright child's potential. Find out more.

SENG WEBINAR. The organization Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted is sponsoring a free webinar "Family Event," intended for parents and children, or students and teachers, to watch together. The purpose of the Family Events: to give gifted children "relateable role models who have experienced great success in navigating the world as gifted individuals and implementing out-of-the-box thinking in their lives." The first event features Phil Gordon, former National Merit Scholar and renowned poker player. The webinar is on September 30 in the late afternoon/evening (or the middle of the night), depending on where you are. Find out more.

NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE. The substantial Magazine section of the Sunday New York Times, which we sometimes skip because we find it intimidating, last weekend featured education. Among the articles:

  • One on the LiveScribe pen that records sound along with what you write; we blogged about this recently (we say smugly)
  • One on the history of classroom technology, from the writing slate onward
  • One on using video games to teach
  • And one on how technology is "redefining what it means to be a student -- or a teacher.
Plus there are lots of other pieces with titles such as "Can Exercise Make Kids Smarter" and "Does the Digital Classroom Enfeeble the Mind?" Be brave and find the Magazine section.

ON HEALTH, AND PUZZLED. We read about a hydration product approved by schools "across the country" for distribution because it is "free of sugar, calories, unnecessary additives and its proven commitment in the fight against childhood obesity." Well, that sounds like water, and indeed the product's name is a take-off on the word. Among the different variants of the product are one which is pure spring water (for the body) and another which is water with oxygen added (for energy). Other variants are for the brain (with electrolytes added) and for power (with magnesium). We wondered why kids would have to buy a hydration product when water was available in school. THEN we stumbled on other news, in the Los Angeles Times, about a bill to require California schools to offer free water with lunch. The problem: perhaps 40 percent of California schools do not provide access to free water where students eat. But will kids drink water that's not a "product" and slickly marketed? And will they drink anything that's not sweet or colored? Find the product website. Find the LA Times article.

TEACHING BRIGHT FUTURE ENGINEERS? NASA has initiated a competition where high school teams will design software to program small satellites as a part of MIT's Zero-Robotics investigation. The first 100 teams to register by September 10th will be selected and then deliver proposals. Twenty of those teams will compete. Find out more.

NAGC IS MOVING. If you interact with NAGC, know that they'll be moving August 27th and back in business in their new location the following Monday. New address: 1331 H Street NW, Suite 1001, Washington, DC 20005.

SENG WEBINAR COMING UP. They're calling it a "SENGinar," and it will feature Jane Hesslein discussing "What Your Kids Want You To Know: Perspective for Parents and Teachers." The content is based on insights from gifted fifth-graders. Find out more.

COLLEGE ADMISSION AND LD. The Washington Post offered a blog on "navigating admissions with a learning disability," in which the president of Dean College provided seven pieces of advice for parents of college-bound kids with learning difficulties. Find the blog.

GIFTED STUDENT, GIFTED ATHLETE. A former high school co-valedictorian with a 3.55 grade average at Stanford is also the team's star quarterback. The interesting thing: the quarterback, Andrew Luck, is an architectural design major, presumably dependent on good visualization skills, and the job of quarterback would also seem to depend on a talent for analyzing visual patterns on the field. That's our interpretation, anyway. Read more about this athlete/scholar.

"ASPIRE" FOUNDED BY ASPIE. A UK young man with Asperger's, frustrated at not being able to use his degree in journalism in a mainstream job, has launched a magazine titled Aspire which is "specifically written by and for people on the autistic spectrum. Aspire provides a platform for the autistic community to discuss issues which affect them, their supporters and friends," according to an article about the publication. Read more.

DEPRESSION IN PRESCHOOLERS is the topic of a long article in the New York Times Magazine section last weekend. If you want one more thing to worry about in your young person, read the article.

READING PROBLEMS AND SELF-ESTEEM. A retired teacher in Canada who now runs a reading center describes the link between reading problems and self-worth, noting how the end result is often "acting out." Read the article.

We find items for this blog from our own reading, from press releases, and also from aggregators such as CEC SmartBrief, Science Daily, and EdNews.org.

WOULD YOU USE A VIRTUAL PEDIATRICIAN? One of the applications covered in a New York Times article on artificial intelligence (AI) was that of a computerized medical assistant who greeted mother and child, asked questions, understood and interpreted the responses, and decided on the seriousness of the condition. The "assistant" was an avatar on a computer screen. Read the article.

OVERCOMING DYSLEXIA. LD Online Newsletter pointed us to two items about dyslexic achievers -- one the popular actor/author Henry Winkler (ex-Fonze), who read his first book in his 30s and later began writing children's books, the other about Bob Clausen from Clinton, Iowa, who was in his 30s when he learned to read. Clausen spent three years acquiring the skill and has spent the last 30 years fighting illiteracy. Read about Winkler; read about Clausen.

AUTISTIC APPROVED FOR NATIONAL COUNCIL ON DISABILITY. Ari Ne'eman's nomination to the National Council on Disability has been confirmed after being held up for half a year, possibly because of his view that "autism should not be cured, but instead should be accepted and accommodated," according to Disability Scoop. Find out more.

THE DAVIDSON INSTITUTE ENEWS UPDATE for June has been posted at the DITD site. In the news are honors received by a Davidson Fellow and Davidson Academy students at the 2010 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair; notice of the upcoming deadline for applications to the Davidson Academy for 2010-11; and information about the free, nationwide Davidson Young Scholars program for profoundly gifted young people. Find the newsletter.

AUTISM/ASPERGER'S BARNSTORMERS. A team of experts is being featured in a series of summer and fall conferences on autism and Asperger's Syndrome. Among the experts featured at the conferences by Future Horizons are Temple Grandin, Tony Atwood, and Jed Baker. Venues include Seattle, Denver, Wichita, and Dixon, Illinois. (We know where Dixon is. Do you?) Find out more.

RUSHING THE FALL. It's a little early, but the U.S. Census Bureau has released a collection of statistics concerning the 2010-11 school year.

  • The number of students projected to be enrolled in U.S. elementary and high schools is 56 million.
  • The percentage of students enrolled in private elementary and high schools is estimated at 11 percent.
  • About 19 million students are expected to enroll in colleges and universities.
  • And, looking back, per-pupil expenditures in public elementary and high schools in 2007 was $9,666.
Read the press release.

PBS ENCOURAGES INNOVATIVE TEACHERS. Through March 12th, innovative teachers may enter a PBS Teachers contest. If you are a teacher and making a difference, check out the site for prizes and rules. If you know an innovative teacher -- hopefully one who has made a difference with your gifted child -- you might want to encourage that teacher to enter the contest.

SCIENCE COMPETITION FOR K5-8. Discovery Education and 3M have announced their 2010 Young Scientist Challenge. For the competition, middle school students residing in the United States are asked to create a one- to two-minute video communicating the science behind a possible solution for one of a list of safety and security issues that are present in everyday life. Deadline is May 27th. Find out more.

KNOW A GIFTED TEENAGE WRITER? That person might be interested in inkpop.com, an interactive writing platform for teens. Here's how the website describes itself: "inkpop is an online community that connects rising stars in teen lit with talent-spotting readers and publishing professionals. Our social networking forum spotlights aspiring authors and the readers who provide the positive springboard for feedback. inkpop members play a critical role in deciding who will land a publishing contract with HarperCollins." The site includes access to popular projects, blogs, and personal profiles by the writers. Find it.

UNWRAPPING THE GIFTED. Tamarra Fisher blogs about gifted webinars coming up, including events from NAGC, SENG, the University of California, Belin-Bank, and the Center for Talented Youth. Read the blog.

NEW EDUCATION BLOG. Education Week has launched a new blog called "Teacher in a Strange Land." In one of her first posts, "Stuff I Used to Think," Nancy Flanagan, a 30-year teacher and one-time Michigan Teacher of the Year, provides a somewhat jaded view on educational issues such as FAPE, the teacher's role, equity, and the mission of public schooling. Find out if your views mesh with hers.

EDUTOPIA VIDEOS ON iTUNES U. We've mentioned iTunes U as a source for educational material. Edutopia is now offering free downloadable video content through the site. Some of the topics include social and emotional learning, case studies of particular schools, and teacher training. Find out more.

AID FOR DYSLEXIC READERS. A professor of digital design has developed a toolkit to to help educators more effectively assist children with dyslexia, The online tool employs sight, sound, and physical movement to increase the reading and retention abilities of children aged 9 to 11 who have dyslexia, according to ScienceDaily. The researcher says, "I want to deemphasize the 26 letters of the alphabet and emphasize the 44 common sounds of the English language. I do so by helping educators employ children's senses, from the visual to the kinesthetic." Find out more.

PROBLEMS FOR THE MIXED-HANDED. Research reported in the journal Pediatrics indicates that children who are mixed-handed, or ambidextrous, are more likely to have mental health, language and scholastic problems in childhood than right- or left-handed children. About 1 in 100 people are mixed-handed. Among the risks: twice the incidence of AD/HD. Read more.

October 28, 2009 -- An Event, Resources, and "Dysrationalia"

GIFTED ONLINE CONFERENCE PRESENTATION. On November 11, 6pm to 8pm, Judy Galbraith will present a webinar through Our Gifted and Talented Online Conferences, OGTOC. Galbraith is the founder of Free Spirit Publishing, which caters to gifted young people. The topic: recognizing and meeting the social and emotional needs of the gifted. A donation is requested. More information about the webinar. More information about Judy Galbraith.

PARENT GUIDE TO RTI -- that's what Wrightlaw's Special Ed Advocate is offering in the current edition of the newsletter. If you have a child who learns differently, chances are you should know about Response to Intervention. Find the newsletter.

ATTENTION RESEARCH UPDATE. David Rabiner's latest newsletter is now posted on his site HelpForADD.com, and in it he reviews a study in which he was involved, one that evaluated the effectiveness of computerized interventions in attention training. The study compared Computerized Attention Training and Computer-Assisted Instruction. The results showed mild improvement in classroom attention immediately following the training, no long-term benefits, and limited effects on academic achievement. Read the report.

HEAD TO THE LIBRARY and check out the November issue of Scientific American Mind for a couple of good articles, neither of which is currently available on the publication's website. One article is called "What Does a Smart Brain Look Like?" and it addresses how the brain's structure influences intelligence and abilities. Seems that an individual pattern of gray and white matter affects specific cognitive skills. For example, more gray matter in a particular brain area might boost spatial intelligence; in another area, it might boost the ability to retain factual information. Males and females have different architectures of these specific areas. The tissues in these specific brain areas may, according to the article, "predict a person's unique pattern of cognitive strengths and weaknesses across a range of mental abilities." Neuroimaging could conceivably help tailor learning programs based on students' individual brain characteristics... The second article in this issue of Mind is about rational and irrational thought, "The Thinking that IQ Tests Miss." The author uses the term "dysrationalia" for the condition of having "the inability to think and behave rationally despite having adequate intelligence." (Sounds familiar.)

From the Week of June 29th

SAY IT AIN'T SO! Seems like as long as we've been doing 2e Newsletter we've reported on the yearly battles to maintain Javits GT education funding in the U.S. budget. We assumed things would improve with the new administration, but NAGC reports that President Obama's 2010 budget eliminates the token amount ($11 million) that is the benchmark for the program's funding. If you're not tired of advocating for this funding, go to NAGC's site to see what you can do.

SPREADING THE WORD, ONE MEDIA OUTLET AT A TIME. The site of News Channel 5 in Tennessee has a piece introducing the concept of "twice exceptional" to its audience. We can't claim any of the credit for it, but it's great to see spreading awareness of the challenges faced by our gifted, LD kids. Find the article.

VALEDICTORY TIME. Find out what's on the mind of seven gifted high school students in New York City as they prepare to get on with their lives, courtesy of The New York Times. Of note: four of the seven are from immigrant families. One student's response to a question about how it feels to graduate and embark on the rest of your life, answerable in one word, said: "Finally?" Read it.

2e IN CANADA. At the Canadian Parents website is a forum called "Gifted and Learning Disabilities?" Not sure why the question mark is there, maybe forum members are still not convinced it's possible (any answers on that from Canada? :-) ), but we know our Canadian friends are eager for 2e news and resources in their fair country. Find the forum, which is a subset of a "Bright and Gifted Children" area.

PLACEBO IN KIDS CHANGES CAREGIVER BEHAVIOR. Science Daily reports a study showing that parents and educators who assume a child is receiving stimulant medication for AD/HD tend to view those children more favorably and treat them more positively -- regardless of whether the children were actually medicated. So instead of "seeing is believing," we have "assuming is believing." Find the article.

MORE NEWS as the week goes on...

From the Week of January 11th

BRAIN RESEARCH PROGRESS REPORT. The Dana Alliance has published the 2009 Progress Report on Brain Research, highlighting recent work in a variety of fields, some of which might be of interest to those who raise, counsel, or educate twice-exceptional children. Among others, the report includes sections on brain research entitled:

  • Perspectives on Substance Abuse
  • The Quest for Better Schizophrenia Treatment
  • The Obesity Problem
  • Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury [from a perspective of war-induced TBI rather than childhood TBI]
Also included is a roundup with a page or two each on topics such as OCD and treatment with SSRIs; autism genetics; and deep brain stimulation, along with a mention of its use in treating Tourette's. All sections, including the roundup, are available in html or PDF form on the website of the Dana Foundation. And while you're there, check out the other resources offered online, starting at the home page.

MONEY FOR IDEA. Here's the headline from a CEC (Council for Exceptional Children) Policy Brief: "Economic Recovery Package Proposes Historic Infusion of Money to IDEA." Part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act includes "unprecedented increases for IDEA Grants to States" and other programs. Through CEC's website you can, as CEC urges, "Take Action Now to Show Your Support!"

THE FINE ART OF CONVERSATION. An NPR story describes a young man who can tell you pi to 100 digits but, like many kids with Asperger's, doesn't do well with chitchat. The story describes a course developed at Baltimore's Kennedy Krieger Institute that helps kids with mild autism improve their social skills. Find the article.

DON'T LIKE DRUGS for AD/HD? An article this week in US News and World Report describes how behavioral therapy and parental retraining can be alternatives to meds. Now, we have always thought that the American Way involved getting results instantly, preferably from an aerosol can or a pill. But if you don't believe that, read the article. (As of this posting, there were 10 reader comments posted for the article, including some relating parental experiences with twice-exceptional children with AD/HD and one that labels pediatricians who prescribe meds for AD/HD as "drug-dealers.")

GIFTED STUDENTS AS "SPECIAL NEEDS." Steven Pfeiffer, a professor at Florida State, says that gifted children require just as much attention and educational resources to thrive in school as do other students whose physical, behavioral, emotional or learning needs require special accommodations. Pfeiffer also acknowledges what those in the 2e community know -- that gifted students can often be perplexing and challenging. According to Florida State, a key area of Pfeiffer's research has been finding ways to best identify children who are gifted. He has developed a "Gifted Rating Scale" measuring aptitude in intellectual ability, academic ability, creativity, artistic talent, leadership, and motivation. Read the news release.

READING RESOURCE FOR THE "PRINT DISABLED." The non-profit organization Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic offers the nation's largest collection of audio textbooks, almost 47,000 works, according to a the San Louis Obispo, California, New Times. The fee-based service provides digital versions of tomes such as "Applied Calculus" which can be downloaded onto computers, MP3 players, or cell phones. Know a high-ability student who could benefit because he/she has dyslexia, visual impairments, or LDs? Read the article, or go to the organization's website.

TAMARA FISHER, in her most recent blog entry at edweek.org, writes about the job that the nation's education colleges are doing to prepare teachers of the gifted. She notes that only 81 US colleges or universities offer coursework in gifted education. [And the number offering coursework in educating the twice-exceptional is far fewer.] In the blog, Fisher describes the experience of a teacher-in-training in terms of trying to become knowledgeable about gifted education -- and offers a few tips of her own on how to educate future teachers about giftedness. Read the blog entry.

CHALLENGE THOSE GIFTED STUDENTS. The Oracle Foundation has announced the ThinkQuest Narrative Competition 2009, a new educational competition. The competition is now open to teams of students, ages 9-19. Teams are invited to use OEF's ThinkQuest Projects platform to publish their ideas on topics of global importance, ranging from world hunger to environmental issues. Details on enrollment, deadlines, and prizes are here.

ATTENTION RESEARCH UPDATE. David Rabiner's latest report on AD/HD research concerns how girls with AD/HD adjust during adolescence. According to Rabiner, the study authors extend previous work by "examining outcomes in multiple domains of functioning and focusing on the frequency of positive adjustments." The study should be here; allow a few days for it to be posted.

MANNERS? OR "SOCIAL SKILLS"? An MD (and presumably a pediatrician) describes in a New York Times column how he treated a very rude child for years, and uses that experience to explore manners in children, the parents' role in instilling manners, and what various experts (professors of pediatrics, Miss Manners) have to say on the topic. The MD concludes: "a child who learns to manage a little courtesy, even under the pressure of a visit to the doctor, is a child who is operating well in the world, a child with a positive prognosis." Read the column.

STORIES OF SUCCESSFUL ADVOCACY. In the January 13th edition of Wrightslaw's Special Ed Advocate, the Wrights provide stories of parents, teachers, and advocates who have achieved success. Need some inspiration as you advocate for that gifted or twice-exceptional child? Read the issue.

2e AND IDAHO'S TEACHER OF THE YEAR. The words "twice exceptional" were used recently in mainstream media reportage of Idaho's Teacher of the Year award. Robin Sly, according to news reports, focuses on 2e kids. Read a news account; read the Idaho State Department of Education announcement.

MORE ITEMS as the week progresses...