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Showing posts with label RTI. Show all posts
Showing posts with label RTI. Show all posts

From the Publisher of 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter

THIS ALIEN PLANET CALLED SCHOOL. A mom and college teacher writes about what school must be like for her son, who has Asperger's. In "Learning with Asperger's: A Parent's Perspective," published in Education Week, she describes the challenges faced by Aspies and some of the consequences -- and offers a plea for change. Find the article.
12TH-GRADE 2e STUDENT REFLECTS. "The system has failed me," says a young man about to graduate from high school. In a familiar story, he relates how attention and learning issues compromised his Mensa-level abilities. Interestingly, he rails against an over-emphasis on accommodations; along with that, he says, his strengths were un- or under-recognized. You must read this. (Note: the author was previously published in 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter.)
AUTISM DIAGNOSIS RATE RISES. The figure used to be 1 in 110. Now it's 1 in 88, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. At that rate, about one million children and teens in the United States are affected by ASD. Wider screening and better diagnosis may be the reason. Find out more.
DAVIDSON INSTITUTE. This organization's eNews-Update for March is out, with information about the Intel Science Talent Search, the Khan Academy, NSGT scholarships for gifted students, and more. Find  the newsletter.
THE GIFTED DEVELOPMENT CENTER has published its March communique, noting that GDC now offers all of their articles as free downloads from their website. Also in the newsletter: Anne Beneventi writes on the Annemarie Roeper method of qualitative assessment. Read more. 
UNWRAPPING THE GIFTED. Tamara Fisher notes how the advent of RTI has displaced gifted programs in some schools. She is not enthusiastic about the movement, and asked current and former students to tell her what they got from GT programs that they didn't get anywhere else. She got lots of answers; find them. 
JUDY WILLIS. If you're a fan of Dr. Willis, be advised that her current RAD Newsletter previews her free upcoming webinar on the teen brain, and also points to other Willis resources, such as her February 1 TEDx talk "From Neuroscience Lab to the Classroom." Find the newsletter.
PRUFROCK PRESS is offering a free PDF download of two chapters from the book Emotional Intensity in Gifted Students, by Christine Fonesca. Find it at the Prufrock website.
AD/HD AND LEARNING TO DRIVE. When one of our kids had a learner's permit, he would sometimes scare the devil out of whichever parent was riding with him by apparently failing to notice relatively important road cues such as stop signs. The New York Times recently examined the issue of learning to drive with AD/HD and listed many, many factors affecting a young person's likely success -- or failure -- in the process. Find the article. Our young person did not get his license for several years after he was eligible, but increased maturity and better judgement have -- so far -- precluded tickets and accidents.
LABELING. The Minneapolis Star-Tribune ran an article about labeling kids, something all parents and educators of 2e kids have to grapple with. The main point of the article was: don't use a label as the child's defining characteristic. Read more.
PANDAS TO PANS. An expansion of the definition of Pediatric Acute-onset Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorderr Associated with Streptococcus (PANDAS) is called simply PANS -- Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome. It involves the sudden onset of OCD symptoms without a known cause. Find out more.
AND FINALLY, THIS. Via press release, we've learned that "moms are not afraid to hire a hot sitter." From the release: "Shattering the old cliche that moms don't hire beautiful sitters, a new survey reveals that today's moms would hire a good looking sitter. A survey commissioned by Sittercity found that only 7 percent of respondents stated they would not hire a beautiful babysitter or nanny. In fact the most important attribute when looking for a childcare provider is that they engage, educate and enhance their children's lives." Interestingly, sitter gender is not mentioned in the press release.

From the Publishers of 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter

LD MISCONCEPTIONS. PBS Newshour focused on LDs recently and offered a primer in the issue, noting that kids with LDs drop out of school at a rate 2.5 times their non-LD peers. Listed and explained were five beliefs, including "Learning disabilities usually correspond with a low IQ." Find out how the writers dispel that and other misconceptions. One of the broadcasts in the series focused on LDs and the arts, how the arts can allow students to show strengths and build confidence; find a write-up of the show.
TEACHING KIDS WITH LDs. A Scientific American article notes that lots of private schools will  help kids with LDs succeed, but that such opportunities are usually lacking in public schools. The article profiles a Canadian elementary school program called THRIVE where one teacher helps 15 kids that "normal classrooms have left behind, defeated, and, too often, deflated." The article explains how the teacher plays to strengths which may include spatial aptitudes. Read more about techniques that can apply to most 2e kids.
JONATHAN MOONEY. To get a glimpse of how this author and lecturer engages with his audiences, take a look at a piece he wrote for ADDitude Magazine titled "How I Channeled My Energy Into Success." Read how he couldn't sit still, and how, as he says, his advocates saved him. Find the article.
RTI AND 2e. This Wednesday the 28th NAGC offers a webinar on RTI that will cover the use of RTI with gifted and 2e learners. From the NAGC blurb: "RTI identification criteria and gifted students may elude detection solely through classroom achievement measures, RTI approaches need to be adapted for gifted children and supplemented." Find out more. 
DYSLEXIC ADVANTAGE NEWSLETTER. At their website, the Drs. Eide offer a chance to sign up for their newsletter. The March edition points to a variety of resources on the topic.
AUTISTIC ADVANTAGE. A man with Asperger's who graduated from college with a 4.0 grade average but whose success in finding a fulfilling job was not good finally founded AutVantage, according to the Jackson, Mississippi, Clarion Ledger, "a startup information technology company focused on employment opportunities for autistic professionals." Read the story. Separately, a study indicates that people with autism "have a greater than normal capacity for processing information even from rapid presentations and are better able to detect information defined as 'critical.'" Read more.
ESSAY CONTEST. Rand McNally is sponsoring an essay contest for kids in grades 7-12 asking them to respond to the question, "What's the one place in the U.S. that truly inspires you?" The contest organizers offer a $10,000 scholarship to winners, so get that gifted writer you know to this site to find out more.

From the Publishers of 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter

TEENAGE WEIRDNESS. One of our favorite writers on the brain, Alison Gopnik, recently had a piece in the Wall Street Journal called "What's Wrong with the Teenage Mind?" She notes that early puberty and late adulthood can lead to "a good deal of teenage weirdness." In the article, she highlights two neural systems that may account for some of the weirdness: one dealing with emotion and motivation and one dealing with control. She also offers suggestions for dealing with the overall causes of teen weirdness. Find the article.
WEBINAR ON RTI FOR GIFTED/2e STUDENTS. On March 28th NAGC will present a webinar titled "What Parents and Educators Should Know about RTI." From the blurb: "Because twice-exceptional students are increasingly missed by RTI identification criteria and gifted students may elude detection solely through classroom achievement measures, RTI approaches need to be adapted for gifted children and supplemented." Find more information. (A week later is a webinar on the same topic -- RTI for the 2e students -- from a different point of view. Information is on that same NAGC page.) 
ATTENTION RESEARCH UPDATE. David Rabiner has posted the February edition of his newsletter, titled, "Does Coaching Help College Students with AD/HD." Rabiner describes how the method of coaching used in the study led college students to feel that the coaching was helpful, even if it didn't make a difference in GPA. Find the review. 
HOW MANY STUDENTS WITH 504's? Education Week reports on U.S. Department of Education data gathering that indicates that 433,980 students in the U.S. have 504 plans. Got a kid with a 504? You're not alone. Read more.  
GARDNER INTELLIGENCES ILLUSTRATED. In an edition of a magazine from a Pennsylvania cyber charter school, an article profiles eight of its students as fitting the various types of Gardner intelligences -- spatial intelligence, musical intelligence, etc. Find an article about the article with a synopsis of the profiles... or look on the school's website to find the Link magazine containing the original 11-page article.

From the Publishers of 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter

RITALIN NAY-SAYER REBUTTED. The New York Times opinion piece "Ritalin Gone Wrong" has drawn firm responses from a variety of people and organizations. The Child Mind Institute posted a point-by-point commentary on its website. Letters to the editor of The New York Times on the topic are here. And Dr. Edward Hallowell (author of books on AD/HD) has written a response to the opinion piece that  you may find here. 
AD/HD AND THE DSM-5. One observer contends that the next edition of the DSM might have the effect of increasing the chances that a child may be diagnosed with AD/HD, the opposite of what observers fear will happen with ASD. Will "lowering the bar" for an AD/HD diagnosis lead to more diagnoses, more help -- and more meds? Read more.
SPEAKING OF ASPERGER'S, we found three pieces over the past few days dealing with the diagnosis of that condition in the past and in the future. In one article, the writer recounts how "For a brief period... I had Asperger syndrome" -- diagnosed by his mother, a psychology professor and Asperger's specialist, of all things. Read how the writer says after college his symptoms vanished. In another article the author claims that the Asperger's label is perhaps overused, calling it a tide of pathologizing; find the article. And finally, Atlantic ran an article called "Can My Kid Still Get Treatment? Why Autism's Definition Matters," explaining the positive impact of a diagnosis on the author's own child; read it.
AD/HD DRUG WARNING. Reuters reports that advisers to the U.S. FDA have asked that Focalin carry a warning about the risk of suicidal thoughts in those who take the medicine. The number of instances involving those thoughts appears to be small compared to the number of children taking the drug, four linked to the drug and four others where the link was not clear. Read more.
MORE ON SPECIAL SERVICES. We recently posted that the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has changed the definition of who should get special services under 504 plans. Read more about it, including pointers to the guidance issued by OCR and a list of questions an answers on the topic.
SSRI's FOR ANXIETY. A psychiatrist recommends that clinicians should be "pushing the doses of these [SSRI] medicines so that you can give kids a chance to respond the best they can," contending that the usual "start low, go slow" advice might not lead to anxiety being controlled adequately. Got a bright but anxious kid? Read more.
SMARTKIDS YOUTH ACHIEVEMENT AWARD. The organization Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities has opened nominations for its annual Youth Achievement Award, $1000, which "recognizes the strengths and accomplishments of young people with learning disabilities and ADHD." The deadline for nomination is February 28. Find out more.
AD/HD SCHOLARSHIPS. About.com has news of the Shire AD/HD Scholarship for those with AD/HD pursuing higher education. Fifty scholarships are awarded, each including $2000 plus a year of AD/HD coaching. Find out more.
NEAR DURANGO? Colorado, that is. Liberty School in that area is holding a dyslexia conference on March 16-17. Find out more.
GEORGIA SCHOOL FOR DYSLEXICS. A private school for elementary and middle schoolers with dyslexia is in the works in Marietta, Georgia,and scheduled to open in the fall. Read more about it.
EDUCATION WEEK OPEN HOUSE. Until February 5, Education Week is hosting an "open house" on their website. One feature there is titled "The Virtual World of Learning," and visitors may also download a white paper on online education. Go there. 
RTI WEBINAR. RTI (response to intervention) can help all kids, including those who are gifted or twice-exceptional. One of NAGC's Webinars on Wednesdays (WOW) will address the topic on March28 at 7:00 pm. Titled "What Parents and Educators Should Know about RtI," presenters include Mike Postma, MinnetonkaPublic Schools, Minnetonka, Minnesota; Bobbie Gilman, Gifted DevelopmentCenter, Denver, Colorado; Dan Peters, Walnut Creek, California; and Kathi Kearney,Project Excel, Berwick, Maine. Find more information.

From the Publishers of 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter

NAGC WOW. The National Association for Gifted Children offers "Webinars on Wednesday" -- WOW -- throughout the year. This spring the lineup includes two that deal with twice-exceptionality. On April 4, Lois Baldwin, Daphne Pereles, and Stuart Omdal present "RTI and Twice-Exceptional Students: A Promising Fit." On April 11, Lois Baldwin presents "The Intricacies of Twice-Exceptional Children: An Overview." Both are in the evening. Find out more about WOW.
THE APPLE AND THE TREE. Maybe you've heard us use one of our favorite 2e-related expressions, "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree." Carla Crutsinger, in her Brainworks newsletter, addresses a mom's discovery that she, as well as her son, have AD/HD -- and offers a symptom checklist for moms who might be in a similar situation. Find the newsletter.
INTERNET ADDICTION DISORDER is receiving attention from scholars, clinicians, and researchers. A recent study in China found that teenagers diagnosed with IAD performed less well on certain behavioral assessments. The also found that lower scores on those assessments were linked with a lower density of white matter in certain brain regions. In particular, IAD is "characterized by impairment of white matter fibers connecting brain regions involved in emotional generation and processing, executive attention, decision making and cognitive control." Got a smart kid at your house who spends a lot of time online? Check out the study.
GIFTED EDUCATION PRESS QUARTERLY. The winter edition of this e-newsletter is out, and it contains an article called "Bringing the Educational Power of Steve Jobs into Your Gifted Classroom." Also in the issue: an article exploring what kids' familiarity with technology means for gifted education. Find the newsletter. 
AND FINALLY, THIS, in the category of "parenting." Americans evidently consume over 13 billion gallons of sugar-sweetened drinks per year. That's about 43 gallons for each American, about two 12-ounce cans per day per person. A study estimates that a penny-per-ounce sales tax -- eg, 12 cents on a can of soda, almost $3 on a case -- would reduce consumption by 15 percent, leading to almost $2 billion annual savings in healthcare costs plus $13 yearly in additional tax revenue. Would you support such a tax? Read more.

From the Publishers of 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter

FOUR BOOKS LOOK AT DYSLEXIA is the title of a story in the Boston Globe. The writer describes: 
  • Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain, from 2007, by Maryanne Wolf, the director of the Center for Reading and Language Research at Tufts University, that offers a scientific/evolutionary perspective on the condition
  • In the Mind’s Eye: Creative Visual Thinkers, Gifted Dyslexics, and the Rise of Visual Technologies, second edition 2009, by Thomas West
  • The Human Side of Dyslexia: 142 Interviews with Real People Telling Real Stories, 2001, by Shirley Kurnoff, on the less-than-bright side of dyslexia
  • My Dyslexia, 2011, a personal account by Pulitzer-prize-winning poet Philip Schultz.
EFFECTS OF "TIGER MOTHERING." A professor at Michigan State University (and Chinese mother) refutes parts of the popular book Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, saying that her research shows that happiness is important to a child's development as well as success. She found that Chinese students are more anxious and depressed than white students because of traditional Chinese parenting methods. Read more. 
LDONLINE'S newsletter is out, containing articles on helping with homework, a review of The ADHD Book of Lists,  and a legal column by Matt Cohen on the use of an IEP after high school graduation. Find the newsletter.
AD/HD IN CANDADA. Ontario's Ministry of Education has stated that kids with AD/HD and are having difficulty in the classroom  may receive special education supports. The provision also applies to other "non-LD" conditions such as fetal alcohol syndrome and Tourette's. Read more.
COMPETITION. Got a middle-school science whiz? The 3M Young Scientist Challenge is now open for 2012. Find out more.
EDUCATOR'S RESOURCE. The UCLA Center for Mental Health in Schools has published "RTI and Classroom & Schoolwide Learning Supports: A Guide for Teachers and Learning Supports Staff." The Center says that the guide is designed to:
  • Broaden perspectives of response to intervention
  • Provide frameworks for contextualizing the work in classrooms and schoolwide
  • Generally enhance practices.
Find the PDF. 

THE DANA FOUNDATION has published "Brain Imaging Technologies and Their Application to Neuroscience" for all of you neuroscience mavens.  Need to know more about past and current imaging technologies? Find the 45-page PDF.

From the Publishers of 2e Newsletter

DISABILITIES IN THE U.S. The U.S. Census Bureau has released an analysis of disabilities in school-age children. About 2.8 million children (5.2 percent) were categorized as having a disability as defined by IDEA. Of those, perhaps 4.5 percent were cognitive disabilities. Find out more.
BLOCKS AS A LEARNING TOOL. A New York Times article about blocks in the classroom contained an anecdote about a presumably 2e child. After an apple-picking field trip, the child, described as a struggling second-grader, "went to the block corner and built an incredibly complex structure, a tractor engine, and she was able to talk about how all the parts moved,” according to a teacher, who continued: “We need to be looking at this student in a very different way.” Read the article.
WRIGHTSLAW'S current edition of Special Ed Advocate contains articles that might clear up certain questions and issues about RTI and how schools implement it. Find the issue.
AD/HD'S AFFECT ON MOMS is the topic of a study reviewed by David Rabiner in his Attention Research Update newsletter. As you might guess (or know), parenting a child with AD/HD can lead to stress, and the study documents how and when stress levels might elevate by taking an "electronic diary" approach to tracking events and stress. Find the newsletter.
EDUCATOR OF 2e HONORED. Ben Shifrin, Head of Jemicy School in Owings Mills, Maryland, was recently inducted to the Hall of Fame of the International Dyslexia Association (IDA). Jemicy School provides a highly individualized, flexible, and challenging education for above-average to gifted college-bound students with dyslexia or other related language-based learning differences. According to the IDA, Jemicy's philosophy is based upon building the academic and higher order thinking skills of bright young people through applied research and time-tested multisensory learning. Jemicy serves the whole child, celebrating each student's strengths while exploring individualized skills and strategies that will build the foundation for success in school and in life. Find more information here or here.
WORRIED ABOUT PSYCHIATRIC MEDS FOR KIDS? A member of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry has written an article for parents on concerns in children's meds, including "polypharmacy," when a child is on multiple psychiatric meds at the same time. Find the article.
AND FINALLY, THIS. A study has indicated that more creative people are more likely to cheat, but that there is no link between intelligence and cheating. According to the study authors, "people who are creative or work in environments that promote creative thinking may be the most at risk when they face ethical dilemmas." Got a creative kid? Find out more.

From the Publishers of 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter

EDUCATION WEEK is offering two free online chats tomorrow, Thursday the 24th. One is on Response to Intervention; the other is on using digital tools to personalize learning for student strengths and weaknesses. Find out more or sign up for a reminder at the respective links.
DO THE JAVITS JUMP. CEC points out that some members of congress are campaigning to save Javits funding for gifted education, in the tug of war that seems to take place periodically (we'd swear this seems to happen monthly). Find out more about what's going on and how you can act at the CEC site.
GIFTED LISTSERV. A Mensa listserv is the home of many discussions by parents (mostly mothers) of gifted kids on various aspects of giftedness, and occasionally on twice-exceptionalities. Recent topics: success stories in public schools; a request for advice on challenge and enrichment for a second-grader; reflections by the participants on challenges growing up at the extreme end of the bell curve; gifted preschoolers; summer camp; and what to do with a DS10 who won't stop talking. The site is public but registration is required; it is moderated. Find out more and subscribe.
DIVERSE LEARNERS. More than 90 percent of all middle and high school teachers surveyed in the new MetLife Survey of the American Teacher: Preparing Students for College and Careers say that strengthening programs and resources to help diverse learners with the highest needs meet college- and career-ready standards should be a priority in education. Among that group, 59 percent say helping diverse learners "must be done as one of the highest priorities in education." Find the report "Teaching Diverse Learners" at the MetLife site.
WORKING MEMORY: THREE LAYERS. If your gifted but disorganized child has you paying attention to articles on executive function and working memory, check out a write-up on a recent study of working memory -- its three components and their functions.
AND FINALLY, THIS. A study in Australia shows that lots of relatively young kids (95 percent of those 7-10 in the study)  use social media, and that many of them feel there isn't much risk in social networking; this in spite of the fact that "the majority of surveyed students (72.4 per cent) indicated they had received unwelcome or unpleasant contact by strangers via their social networking profile," according to a report on the study. Find out more, and why do kids always do stuff that worries their parents!? 

IN THE OSCARS TELECAST last weekend, those watching saw one winner with a wider range of gifts and talents than most, a one-time semi-finalist in the Intel Science Talent Search. Read more about Natalie Portman and her straight-A average.
CHILDHOOD MENTAL ILLNESS. On March 1st, the Chicago Tribune hosted an online chat on the topic, featuring a couple noted practitioners in the field. The pair fielded questions from their audience, addressing topics that included AD/HD and PDD-NOS. The chat is available online. 
PRESSURED AND LOSING SPIRIT. At the Huffington Post, a Harvard grad who for years interviewed applicants to the school offers stories of those interviews illustrating the pressure and even self-deceit that some of the high-achieving applicants showed. The author, a family therapist, writes about rote responses, activities chosen only for how they'd look on a transcript, and kids whose spirits were beaten out of them at the same time they (and their parents and educators) packaged them for success. The advice offered at the end of the article -- don't frighten them; encourage a natural sense of wonder; and more -- applies to that gifted (and LD) child you raise or teach. Find the article. 
CONTINUING ON THAT HAPPY THEME, a reader jerked our chain by asking if we know about the film "Race to Nowhere." One of the partners at 2e Newsletter did; the other evidently spends too much time writing these blogs. From the film's website: "Featuring the heartbreaking stories of young people across the country who have been pushed to the brink, educators who are burned out and worried that students aren’t developing the skills they need, and parents who are trying to do what’s best for their kids, "Race to Nowhere" points to the silent epidemic in our schools: cheating has become commonplace, students have become disengaged, stress-related illness, depression and burnout are rampant, and young people arrive at college and the workplace unprepared and uninspired." Sounds like a film to see. Thanks, Catherine, for the email. (Catherine said in her email, "I had the opportunity to see a screening of it last weekend, and it was very informative and thought-provoking.")
RTI ENTHUSIAST? An Education Week article covers how RTI, which began as a way to help struggling learners, is being applied for all students. Find the article. 
AD/HD AND SLEEP. Losing even an hour of sleep a night affects AD/HD kids poorly, according to a study reported at Nurse.com. Find out more.
iPAD TECHNOLOGY FOR AUTISM. The Chicago-area Daily Herald ran an article on applications that can help not only young people with autism but also those with other learning challenges.  Among the challenges addressed by iPad apps: the need for structure; communication skills; and social skills. Read the article.  
SENG WEBINAR ON MARCH 24TH. "You Can't Make Me Do It," on the topic of encouraging "motivation from the inside," is to be presented by Cheryl Franklin-Rohr. The event starts at 7:30 pm Eastern time and costs $40. Find more information.
GOT THOSE DUE-PROCESS BLUES? Check out tips and advice from Wrightslaw in Special Ed Advocate. 
AND FINALLY, THIS. Dr. Seuss' birthday is today, March 2nd; he would be 107. According to The Baltimore Sun, his 60+ books sold over 222 million copies, even more than a good issue of 2e Newsletter. So today remember your favorite Seuss book or stanza, 'coz they entertained adults and kids alike. Read more. 

ASPERGER'S IN COLLEGE. The Brownsville Herald had an article on the topic of college for high-functioning autistic kids, including a profile of one young man about to graduate from high school. The article names some universities that provide support for students with high-functioning autism, and mentions the organization Achieving in Higher Education with Autism/Developmental Disabilities (AHEADD). Find the article.

SENG NEWSLETTER. The January issue of  SENG Vine, a newsletter from the organization Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted, is out. It contains an article on dealing with existential depression in gifted young people, based on content from the SENG Model Parent Group. Also in this issue, an interview with Professor Jean Sunde Peterson of Purdue University on social and emotional issues in gifted kids. Find the newsletter.

SPEAKING OF DEPRESSION: A recent study links omega-3-deficient diets with mood disorders such as depression -- in mice, at least. Significantly, intra-uterine development characterized by a lack of these fatty acids may influence emotional behavior in adulthood. Read about the study.

SPEAKING OF NUTRITION: Worry about those energy drinks your kids or students consume? We do. An article in The New York Times explains possible ill effects. Find it.

GIRLS AND VIDEO GAMES. ABC News notes a study showing that girls who played video games with their parents "behaved better, felt more connected to their families, and had better mental health than those girls who did not play video games with their parents." We're not talking Grand Theft Auto, but age-appropriate video games like Mario Kart, Mario Brothers, Wii Sports, Rock Band, and Guitar Hero. The effect did not extend to boys. Read more.

RTI: PART OF THE EVALUATION but not a substitute for the entire comprehensive evaluation for specific learning disabilities. That's the message in an Education Week blog "On Special Education," which discusses the contents of a recent memo on the topic from the federal Office of Special Education Programs.  Find out more.

SMART KIDS WITH LDs. The 2011 Smart Kids with LD Youth Achievement Award is open for nominations. It's given to "a student 19 or younger who has demonstrated initiative, talent, and determination resulting in a notable accomplishment in any field," according to the organization. The entry deadline is only two weeks away. Find out more.

AND FINALLY, THIS. We were intrigued by an ad in a newspaper this morning announcing the Fall, 2012, opening in New York City of a school for children 3 to 18. "Avenues," billed as a rigorous "world school," will eventually have campuses in 20 major world cities and will prepare students for global life, emphasizing cultural studies and language. Find out more at the school's website.


MENTORS AND MENTEES. That's the subject of several articles in the  newest issue of the Educators Guild Newsletter from the Davidson Institute. Included are an interview with a mentor to one of the 2010 Davidson Fellows, tips for students on finding a mentor, and a pointer to the 41-page document Mentorships: A Guidebook, from the Institute. See the newsletter.
HEALTHCARE REFORM CHANGES. Families of 2e children often depend on healthcare professionals for assistance in terms of diagnosis, medications, and therapies. On September 23rd, some of the U.S. healthcare reform changes went into effect. Changes affect preventive care, exclusions for pre-existing conditions, and lifetime limits. WebMD has posted a new section on the reform on their website; find it.
GRADE-SKIPPING is the topic of a Jay Mathews column in the Washington Post. Although it's now out of fashion, he's for it. He cites a Belin-Blank study on acceleration, and points out that acceleration could provide academic challenge in the absence of gifted education classes, which may face budgetary constraints. Read the column.
STRESS, DEVELOPMENT, AND DISORDERS. Researchers now say that stress can affect our bodies by altering gene activity, for example turning on genes that are supposed to be silent. This affects fetal development but also the body's functioning in later life. Find out more.
NEED A SERVICE ANIMAL FOR YOUR 2e CHILD? Regulations have changed, and CEC points out that the state of Florida has developed guidelines for evaluating requests for service animals. Find the CEC comment.
SCHOOL REFUSAL. We posted about this topic on September 16, but a recent Wall Street Journal article also covers the topic. As many as 28 percent of children may exhibit this behavior at one time or another, according to the article. If your 2e child is one of them, check out the article.
ON RTI. UCLA, in the newsletter Addressing Barriers to Learning, has published an article called "Moving Beyond the Three-tier Pyramid: Fitting RTI into a Comprehensive System of Student and Learning Support." And that title pretty much lets you know whether or not the article will be of interest to you; if so, find it here.

END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR. Late on this sunny, late-spring morning we were driving through the middle of All-American Wheaton, Illinois, and were startled by a horde of elementary-school students running excitedly up the street, yelling. We surmised that, rather than lunchtime, the excitement stemmed from the last day of school. As we parked in the downtown, packs of middle-schoolers roamed the sidewalks, similarly freed. The experience reminds us to wish the parents and educators among our northern-hemisphere readership a fruitful summer vacation. (Too bad the adults can't take the summer off while the kids work.)

DOCTORS VERSUS EDUCATORS. Whose assessment of a child with Asperger's or some other exceptionality is to be acted upon when medical professionals and school professionals differ on the cause and treatment of a child's behavior at school? The Arizona Republic describes a family in Gilbert, Arizona, whose son has high-functioning autism but whom the school deemed simply had "skills delays." The family struggled all year, although by the end of the year the child was doing well. Read about the conflict.

RTI IN EARLY CHILDHOOD. Should RTI be extended "downward" so that pre-schoolers with potential issues can be identified early? Three groups concerned with early childhood and education are developing a position statement for applying RTI in the context of early childhood. Find out more.

ADOLESCENT RISK. It's the mesolimbic dopamine system that drives risky behaviors in teens, says a University of Texas researcher. As it turns out, the system causes large "reward prediction error" -- the difference between an expected outcome and the actual outcome." Read more about the study.

NON-INTUITIVE RESEARCH RESULTS OF THE DAY -- and nothing to do with giftedness or twice-exceptionality, but interesting none the less. Researchers now claim that caffeine consumption is unrelated to alertness. Their thesis: that coffee merely reverses "the fatiguing effects of acute caffeine withdrawal." See what you think, coffee drinkers.

THE DUKE GIFTED LETTER, spring edition, is now out. Article topics include spatial ability as a neglected talent domain, and how to enrich children who are spatially gifted; organizing gifted-education advocates at the district, state, and national levels; and Renzulli's three-ring conception of giftedness -- traits of above average ability, creativity, and task commitment, all of which combine in gifted behaviors. Find the newsletter.

AD/HD AND PESTICIDES. A study published this week in the journal Pediatrics noted a connection between exposure to organophosphate pesticides and an increased risk of AD/HD in children. The thesis is that the chemicals affect neural systems and lead to behaviors such as inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Read more.

SPECIAL ED ADVOCATE for this week focused on Extended School Year Services. Wrightslaw says this: "Extended School Year (ESY) services are special education and/or related services provided beyond the usual school year, at times when school is not usually in session - typically during the summer. ESY services are different from summer school, summer remedial classes, and summer enrichment programs. ESY services are individualized, based on the child’s needs as documented in the IEP, and are free of charge to parents." If you think ESY services should be in the mix for your gifted/LD child, read Special Ed Advocate.

GIFTED IN EAST HARLEM. The New York Times profiled a program for gifted 4- and 5-year-olds in East Harlem, New York -- and which shares its "scruffy" facilities with local middle schools. Read more.

RTI AND GIFTED EDUCATION. Prufrock Press is making available complimentary copies of the summer, 2009, issue of Gifted Child Today on the topic of RTI and gifted ed. Go to Prufrock to download the PDF.

SMART KIDS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES has announced the winner of its Youth Achievement Award for outstanding accomplishments by a student 19 or younger. The winner, a young woman from Missouri, calls dyslexia her secret weapon. The organization's Junior Achievement Award went to a 14-year-old who attends Bridges Academy in Studio City, California. Bridges and its highly capable staff are familiar to readers of 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter, which published Bridges' "Mythology of Learning" series of articles. Find out more about the awards.

GIFTED ACADEMY IN LAS VEGAS. Clark County had planned to establish a $2.5 million, standalone academy for highly gifted students -- but a $145 million budget cut is leaving the future of the academy in doubt. Read more in the Las Vegas Sun.

EDUCATORS GUILD. The Davidson Institute's Educator's Guild has a new post, including a profile of a gifted educator and updates from the institute. Find it. If you know a gifted educator to recommend for a future profile, you may do so from the page of the post.

NEW ORLEANS MAGNET SCHOOL. A high school founded post-Katrina for high-achieving and gifted students has graduated its first class, 39 students who bonded well, according to a recent article about the school. The article also covers the transition from conventional school to magnet school. Read it.

SPELLING BEE FAN? You'll have a chance to watch the 2010 National Spelling Bee on broadcast television, beginning with preliminary rounds on June 3rd. Find out more on the site of Scripps, sponsor the 83-year-old competition.


WHEN YOU DON'T OUTGROW AD/HD. The Wall Street Journal published an article on adult AD/HD. According to the article, 8 percent of children in the U.S. have it, and about 50 percent outgrow it. That leaves 10 million adults with AD/HD, some of whom might not even realize it. The article covers diagnosis of adult AD/HD along with ways to cope with it. Read the article.

HOW MUCH EXTRA TEST TIME IS ENOUGH? A Princeton freshman with an LD has sued the university over the amount of extra time she should be allowed for testing. Princeton granted an extra 50 percent; the student wants an extra 100 percent. Read about it.

GOT A 2e CHILD WITH AN IEP? Check out the April 6th edition of Special Ed Advocate from Wrightslaw. It offers advice on being your child's case manager, writing SMART IEPs, and developing a long-term "master plan." Find it.

TIPS FROM A PARENT. An article posted at the Parenting Squad website shares tips from a parent on navigating school when your child is twice-exceptional. The tips include what to focus on -- and not -- and cover concerns such as tutoring. Sample tip: "Let your child figure out and then engage his or her own learning strategies." Find the article.

RTI: EDUCATION WEEK WEBINAR. Education Week is offering a free webinar on RTI, scheduled for April 15th from 4 to 5 p.m. Eastern time. Find out more.

SENSORY-FRIENDLY FILMS. April is the first anniversary of the Sensory Friendly Films program. This year, according to Time Magazine, families will be able to see "How to Train Your Dragon at one of 93 theaters in 47 cities. The screenings features lowered but still-on lights, softer volume than normal, and more behavioral freedom for kids than is customary in theaters. Read about it.

EDUCATION WEEK OPEN HOUSE. On its website, Education Week is holding an "open house" through tomorrow where non-subscribers can see content that's normally available only to subscribers. If you're an educator who is considering subscribing -- or a parent interested in what this publication has been saying about US education reform lately -- check out the site.

LD AND COLLEGE. In the March 16th edition of Special Ed Advocate, Wrightslaw provides "information to help you plan ahead, choose a post-secondary school, find ways to finance continuing education, and advice about challenges students with disabilities will encounter as they make the transition from high school to post-secondary education." Find it.

GLD/2e IN NEW SOUTH WALES. Part of the website of the New South Wales Association for Gifted and Talented Children is devoted to the gifted/learning disabled. The organization calls it "a regular forum where parents, teachers, counselors, and others concerned about GLD children can get information, support, and advice on assisting, motivating, and advocating for GLD children. " Go there.

RTI AND GIFTED. Tamara Fisher blogged about this topic awhile ago, and in her most recent posting she provides updates on the topic and also points to an interview she did on the topic with ASCD (formerly the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development but now apparently just ASCD.") Find out more.

OFF THE TOPIC. In a New York Times opinion piece, a mother described the use in a homework assignment of Japanese four-character idioms. For example, the four characters different, mouth, same, and sound combine to signify many people in agreement. Find out how this mother completed her part of the assignment, which was to choose an idiom characterizing her child.


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 August 23rd

SMART CHILD LEFT BEHIND is the title of an opinion piece in The New York Times this past Thursday. The piece disputes what it calls an optimistic notion that NCLB is raising test scores for top students as well as low-achieving students. It points out the disparity in the gains between the two groups, and provides three reasons why gifted students are not benefiting as much. Find the article.

KIDS LEARN ABOUT LEARNING DIFFERENCES -- their own. According to an Edutopia article, a charter school in San Francisco helps kids who learn differently. The school provides a Mel Levine-inspired environment and encourages students to learn about their personal learning styles. One former student relates how he went from getting straight D's in middle school to almost all A's in high school -- and into Cornell University. Read about the school.

IT'S FOOTBALL TIME AGAIN, and if your scholar/athlete is out on the field, make sure you know the symptoms of concussion, what concussion can do to higher mental processes, and the dangers of continuing to play after suffering a concussion. Two articles this week, one in The New York Times and one in Science Daily, attest to the dangers. Sorry to nag, but as they say: "A brain is a terrible thing to waste." Find the Times article. Find Science Daily's take on the topic.

RON DAVIS LECTURE. If you're a fan of dyslexia expert and author Ronald Davis, and if you live in the Chicago area, you're in luck. He has a two-hour lecture scheduled on the evening of October 14th in downtown Chicago. Find out more.

TAMARA FISHER'S most recent entry on her blog "Unwrapping the Gifted" is on RTI -- and she's concerned that the needs of the gifted aren't represented in the three-tiered RTI model. She explains her concerns... and then proposes changes in the RTI tiers to help address her concerns. She also provides links for those who want to learn more about RTI. Find her blog.

GIFTED WITH LD? OR JUST CAN'T SEE? An article in the Arizona Daily Star relates cases of children whose classroom achievement was greatly improved by addressing vision problems. According to the article, the American Optometric Association contends that as many as 60 percent of "problem learners" have undetected vision problems. The article also recounted how one bright but reluctant learner in a gifted ed class was not participating; after vision screening and treatment, both his confidence and his grades improved greatly. Read the article.

MORE NEWS as the week goes on...