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Showing posts with label education. Show all posts
Showing posts with label education. Show all posts

EMOTIONAL EDUCATION is stressed at the Blue School, a private school in Manhattan founded by members of the Blue Man Group in 2006. Now with 200 students in preschool through third grade, according to The New York Times, "the school has become a kind of national laboratory for integrating cognitive neuroscience and cutting-edge educational theory into curriculum, professional development and school design." Making kids aware of emotions supposedly helps the academic education process in the school, which is largely child-centered.  Read the article.
AUTISM AND THE BRAIN. NPR's show "To the Best of Our Knowledge" on Sunday, April 15, focused on autism and the brain, including interviews with a variety of experts. From the program blurb: "We explore the frontiers of brain science, from the neurobiology of emotions to recent discoveries about autism.  Renowned neuroscientists Richard Davidson and V.S. Ramachandran reveal new insights into the brain, and we'll hear the story of one marriage saved by a diagnosis of Asperger Syndrome." Find the program. (The first segment on autism diagnosis is, in the opinion of 2e Newsletter editor L.C. Neumann, perhaps the most relevant to the 2e community. Decide for yourself.)
PREDICTING PSYCHIATRIC TREATMENT. A Finnish longitudinal study has established that that the use of psychiatric treatment or meds as young adults may be predicted by signs and symptoms at age 8. According to Science Daily, "The parents and the teacher completed questionnaires with items concerning family structure, parental education level, conduct problems, hyperactive problems, emotional symptoms, bullying, and victimisation of bullying behaviour. The children themselves completed questions regarding depressive symptoms, bullying, and victimization of bullying behaviour." Find out more. 
HOAGIES' PAGE. Don't forget that webmistress Carolyn K is always updating her ginormous website on all things gifted -- including 2e. What we see on the "What's New" page at the moment is a video of top 10 myths in gifted education; and a list of recently added pages and pointers. Find "what's new."
MIGHT HAVE MISSED THIS. The Dana print newsletter Brain in the News pointed us to an article called "How the Brain Learns," about timing, sensory systems, and neural interconnectivity. Find out about the research -- and about some of the ways the research can apply in the classroom -- at the US News site. 
NAGC ANNUAL AWARDS. Each year at its annual conference NAGC presents a variety of awards. The nomination process for the 2012 awards closes on May 1. Award categories include those for educators, researchers, scholars, advocates, and those who otherwise serve the gifted community. Find out more.
NEW SURVEY. A PhD student at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, is conducting research to find out about theabilities and achievements of twice-exceptional individuals on the autismspectrum and to find ways that strengths and abilities of people on the autismspectrum can be developed. Participantsare sought from the following five groups:
  • Adults with an ASD
  • Parents
  • Teachers
  • Psychologists
  • Mentorsand coaches
According to the researcher, the study involves an online questionnaire(approximately 15 minutes) and an option to take part in interviews conductedby e-mail. Full details of the study can be found in theexplanatory statement by following the link to the online questionnaire http://tinyurl.com/monasheducation.

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.

BRAIN AWARENESS WEEK is this week, March 12-18. So take a few minutes to ponder the brain in your head or in the head of that twice-exceptional child you raise or educate. Maybe visit the site of the Dana Foundation, which co-founded Brain Awareness Week. Or find brain resources at the site of The Society for Neuroscience. Separately and possibly in observation of BAW, the Diane Rehm show on March 14 featured the topic of "The Emotional Life of Your Brain," about the interaction of chemistry, thought, and emotion; find the show.
AD/HD DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT. A pediatrician writing for the Boston Globe describes what are apparently common but sketchy approaches for diagnosing AD/HD in children, and the tendency to treat symptoms rather than the underlying causes. She also notes that current practice makes it possible to diagnose and treat AD/HD without ever learning about family history or stressors in the child's life. In response to all this, she offers changes to the process of diagnosis and treatment of AD/HD. One recommendation: having a minimum of two 50-minute visits [!] in order to evaluate the child's issues. Read more.
IT'S OKAY TO BE NOT NORMAL is the message from a psychiatrist writing at a Fox News site. He bemoans the increase in rates of diagnosis of AD/HD. He suggests that Huckleberry Finn would today be on Adderall. He says, "We must empower individuals to think it's ok to be 'not normal' and change the mindset that everything can be 'fixed' with a pill or a few therapy sessions." Read more. 
SENG. The March issue of the SENGVine Newsletter is out, with articles focusing on the topic of diversity within SENG initiatives. Find the newsletter. 
ASK DR. JUDY. Judy Willis is presenting a free webinar on April 5 (rescheduled) titled "What Makes the Adolescent and Teen Brain So Different and What Should Educators Do about these Differences?" Find out more. 
AND FINALLY, THIS. Got a crabby kid? (Or a crabby spouse?) It could be trans fatty acids, which according to a new study are linked to irritability and aggression "in men and women of all ages." Find out more.


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: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter

iPADS TO ENGAGE. A Las Vegas charter school provides each of its students with an iPad to help foster the school''s project-based learning approach, according to the Las Vegas Sun. Teachers seem impressed by the kids' rapid pick-up on the technology, by the engagement the technology seems to bring, and by the opportunity for students to learn at their own pace. The article says, "Students use the iPads to access educational websites and applications as well as electronic textbooks. They use the iPad to take notes and the tablet’s camera to photograph whiteboards filled with teacher’s lessons and chemistry formulas. Some even record lectures using the iPad’s digital voice recorder or video camera, referring to them when they review for tests." Find the article. Separately, a 40-year study of the use of technology in the classroom found a small to moderate positive effect on learning and attitude, according to an article about the study. Read more.
REBUTTAL. The Child Mind Institute carried a rebuttal to a New York Times article extolling the distraction of AD/HD and conflating it with creativity. The rebuttal accused the Times' article's author, who has AD/HD, of romanticizing his childhood, and linked the article to two other recent Times pieces, one on Asperger's and one on dyslexia, which you might have read about in this blog. Read more. Separately, the Child Mind Institute also carried an excerpt from a new book called Pride and Joy; the excerpt takes issue with the "dangers of praise," focusing instead on the ill effects of criticism. Read the excerpt.
THE IEP PROCESS. Need an overview of the IEP process? An attorney provides one at SpecialNeeds.com.
DIY DUE PROCESS. Attorney Dorene Philpot, who has written for 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter and who was involved in the case we described in our article "Fighting for FAPE," has written a book titled Do-It-Yourself Special Education Due Process, published this year by Learning Enabled Publications. According to the publisher, the book offers tips on representing yourself and your child at a due process hearing with a school district. Find out more.
GIFTED EDUCATION PRESS QUARTERLY. The Spring edition of this newsletter is out. In it, Maurice Fisher reviews a book by Joan Franklin Smutny and S.E. von Fremd, Teaching Advanced Learners in the General Education Classroom: Doing More with Less. Other articles in the newsletter focus on teaching the arts and humanities (to the gifted, of course). Find the newsletter.
SENG WEBINAR. Paul Beljan will present a webinar (SENG calls it a SENGinar) titled"Giftedness and  Learning Disabilities: Unearthing the Missed Diagnosis." The aim of the event is to empower parents, teachers, and counselors to spot and act on LDs in gifted children. The webinar is to be held during the evening of March 15. Find out more.
AND FINALLY, THIS. A new paper at the Dana Foundation site is called "Musical Creativity and the Brain" and examines what happens during improvisation, covering:
  • Creativity and prefrontal cortex function
  • Creative processes and underlying brain mechanisms
  • Perception and communication of improvised material
The authors also speculate on the future of the neuroscience of artistic creativity. Find the article.

From the Publishers of 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter

TO MEDICATE OR NOT -- that's often an issue in a family with 2e children, and an Indiana news outlet takes a look, citing scary stories as well as successes. One success was a young man with behavior issues, who, with the right meds, went from getting Ds and Fs to As and Bs. The report also notes a shortage of child and adolescent psychiatrists. Find the report. 
BROCK EIDE ON NPR. The co-author of The Dyslexic Advantage was a guest on NPR's Diane Rehm Show on February 15 for a discussion of "The Dyslexic Brain." Also on the show, Jeffrey Gilger, whose work has been featured in 2e Newsletter. Find the show.
"YES I CAN" AWARD. A young man in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, has won a self-advocacy award in CEC's "Yes I Can" recognition. Eleven-year-old Cade Gardner has LDs and was born with a cleft palate, but speaks to groups about overcoming obstacles, according to news reports. Find out more.
CEC, THE PREZ, AND EDUCATION. The Council for Exceptional Children has released a statement in response to President Obama's education budget request for fiscal year 2013. The president gets praise for a couple things and disappointment for a couple. CEC charts out the request for FY 2012 compared to 2012; in the chart, we see that funding for the category "Gifted and Talented" is... still... zero. Find the statement.
A.T. BOOK ON SALE. In the January/February issue of 2e Newsletter we profiled Joan Green, author of the Prufrock book The Ultimate Guide to Assistive Technology in Special Education. Prufrock has put the book on sale for 40 percent off for the remainder of this month. Find out more.
DSM DISCUSSION. Following the discussion over the upcoming DSM-5? A University of Michigan psychiatrist has weighed in with his opinions, prefaced by the statement "Almost no one likes the DSM, but no one knows what to do about it." Read more.
DC-AREA EVENT. Don't forget the third annual "Diamonds in the Rough" event in Shady Grove, Maryland, on Sunday, March 16. Early-bird registration -- $25 -- ends February 29. Find out more.
HORMEL G-T ED SYMPOSIUM. Registration is now open fo the 4th Annual Hormel Foundation Gifted and Talented Education Symposium, scheduled for June 11-14, 2012, in Austin, Minnesota. Readers of 2e Newsletter will be familiar with some of the presenters. (Austin is also home to the SPAM Museum, a tour of which is one of the optional events at the symposium.) Find out more.
SENG. The SENG Vine Newsletter for February is out, including news that registration is now open for the summer SENG conference in Milwaukee. Find the newsletter.
ANTI-BULLYING. The entertainer known as Lady Gaga is establishing a foundation focusing on anti-bullying and self-esteem for youth. The organization, Born This Way Foundation, is to be officially launched with an event at Harvard University on February 29th. Guests at the launch will include Oprah Winfrey, Deepak Chopra, US Secretary of Heath and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, and Professor Charles Ogletree. Find the pre-launch website for the foundation at http://www.bornthiswayfoundation.org/.
AND FINALLY, THIS. The US Census Bureau reminds us that February is the anniversary of America's first public school. The Boston Latin School opened in 1635, presumably in Boston, Massachusetts.

From the Publishers of 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter

EIDES IN WIRED. Drs. Fernette and Brock Eide have a Q&A in Wired Science centering on their new book The Dyslexic Advantage. In the Q&A, the Eides provide their definition of dyslexia, cover various misconceptions of the condition, and get into the strengths that may be associated with dyslexia. At the Q&A page you may also read an excerpt from the new book. Go there.
HIGH PERFORMERS: LOSING IT. Education Week reports on a Fordham Institute study showing that "many high-performing students lose ground from elementary to middle school and from middle school to  high school." The study raises the issue of whether programs such as NCLB impose a trade-off, helping kids at the bottom but hurting those at the top. Find the EdWeek article.
METHYLPHENIDATE: LATER PUBERTY -- in monkeys, at least. The active ingredient in Ritalin delayed puberty in young male monkeys, although the treated monkeys later caught up in development. Read more.
APPS FOR AUTISM is the goal of a partnership between Hewlett-Packard and two autism-focused organizations. HP will bring together developers to build free apps addressing areas such as communication and scheduling. Find out more.
2e  SOLUTION IN VANCOUVER. The Vancouver Observer published an article about a gifted young man with learning challenges for whom "school never quite fit." [Sound familiar?] The young man and his family found a solution through a company called BrainBoost Education, which tailored a curriculum for him based on online learning courses. The results: a more engaged, confident, and achieving young man. Read more.
AD/HD RELIEF. A study has indicated that playing outside in green areas may ameliorate symptoms of AD/HD, compared to playing in other settings. Find out more.
JUNK FOOD, DEPRESSION, AND ANXIETY. Adolescents eating diets of junk or processed foods are more prone to depression and anxiety, according to a new Australian study. While the results are consistent with what's been seen in adults, the researchers had this to say about the results: "[W]e think it could be more important because three quarters of psychiatric illnesses start before adulthood, and once someone has depression they are likely to get it again." So serve up those fruits and veggies. Read more.
THE THINKING PERSON'S GUIDE TO AUTISM is a book and website with the following mission: "to help people with autism and their families make sense of the bewildering array of available autism treatments and options, and determine which are worth their time, money, and energy." As part of that mission, TPGA accepts submissions on the topic of autism from writers 13 and over. Find out more.
EARLY-LIFE STRESS. Twice-exceptional kids can suffer more stress than other children for a variety of reasons. To find out how stress may affect children, check out a new article at Cerebrum on the Dana Foundation website. 
DON'T FORGET our stash of categorized article links at http://www.delicious.com/2eNewsletter. The articles cover 2e, giftedness, various exceptionalities, child development, parenting, education, and more.

From the Publishers of 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter

ASPERGER'S AND GEOGRAPHY. A local television station in the Chicago area profiled a 15-year-old boy with Asperger's whose love of geography allows him to do quite well in the National Geographic Geography Bee. But geography isn't a long-term goal, according the the report: " I want to possibly go into a career of broadcasting because I'm an actor and I love baseball and I just think the two would come together." Read the article. 
HOMESCHOOLING BENEFITS.  A Concordia University study indicates that structured, curriculum-based homeschooling can provide an academic edge when compared to either unstructured homeschooling or traditional education. One of the advantages of homeschooling mentioned by the study's lead author was the opportunity to accelerate a child's learning process. Read more. 
GLOBAL VIRTUAL MEETING FOR GIFTED EDUCATION, the next edition, is scheduled for September 24th. The topic: engaging gifted students in critical and divergent thinking, presented by Dr. Mary Bruck in the virtual world of Second Life. Find out more. 
BIPOLAR DISORDER IN CHILDREN. If this is of concern to you, a somewhat lengthy article (for Science Daily, anyway) discusses its diagnosis and treatment. Find it. 
SAFETY VERSUS EXERCISE. Helicopter parents may impede kids from getting higher levels of physical activity, according to a recent study of physical activity in public parks. The goal of the study: better design of public parks. Find out more. 
BRAIN SCANS may allow the diagnosis of autism. In MRI scans in children 8 to 18, researchers found differences between those with autism and those without. The method was accurate, but not likely to replace current diagnostic practice, according to Disability Scoop. Find out more.
AND FINALLY, THIS. On Facebook? Stop by and contribute:  http://www.facebook.com/2eNewsletter.

From the Publishers of 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter

AD/HD: PARENTING TOLL. The site LiveScience has posted an article about the toll paid by parents of children with AD/HD. The particular young person profiled is gifted, and the article quotes the mother as saying, "He has a really high IQ and he's really gifted, and he comes home from school and says how stupid he is." (Sound familiar?) The article describes some research into the stress involved in parenting an AD/HD child. Find the article.
NCLD REPORT. The National Center for Learning Disabilities has published a report on the prevalence and effects of learning disabilities in the United States, as well as clarifying what an LD is. From the report: about 4.7 million Americans 6 and older are reported to have LDs; and about 11 percent of college undergraduates reported having an LD. Find out more.
ATTENTION RESEARCH UPDATE. The July issue of this newsletter has been posted. In it, David Rabiner described a study examining the question, "Does AD/HD medication treatment in childhood increase adult employment?" While in general the study indicated that "adults with ADHD have poorer educational outcomes, report more psychiatric difficulties, and are more likely to be unemployed than other adults," it also found a correlation between treatment with medication in childhood and higher likelihood of employment in adulthood. Read Rabiner's interpretation of the study.
THE GIFTED DEVELOPMENT CENTER has released its July newsletter. It offers a discount for GDC services for families who are homeschooling, and the "Ask Kimmy" column addresses the question "Why should I have my gifted child assessed at the GDC if I am homeschooling?" Find out why.
THE DAVIDSON INSTITUTE has issued its July eNews Update. This issue offers news of DITD programs, legislative and policy news from around the U.S., web-based resources, and pointers to recent gifted-related articles you (and we) might have missed. Read the newsletter.
UNWRAPPING THE GIFTED.  Tamara Fisher reports from Edufest, a yearly gifted ed conference held in Boise, Idaho. She shares responses to three questions she asked fellow conference-goers:
  • What do you wish the people back home knew or understood about gifted education and/or gifted students? 
  • What is an "a-ha!" moment you've had here so far this week?
  • What is something you have learned or gained that you will be taking back with you?
AD/HD AND DSM. About.com reports that the next edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders may include changes in the way AD/HD is diagnosed. The changes include:
  • Restructuring the subtypes
  • Adding symptoms
  • Providing more detailed symptom descriptions. 
FLORIDA SCHOOL FOR HIGH-FUNCTIONING AUTISTICS. This fall, the Monarch Academy in Daytona Beach will open to serve K-12 ASD kids who are ready for the classroom. Find out more.
AD/HD RESOURCES. A web-based community called ADDConnect offers groups centered around particular AD/HD issues; the group is for parents of kids with AD/HD and for adults with AD/HD, and is sponsored by ADDitude Magazine. Find it.
ACTING OUT can be good, find researchers, when it means physically acting out text in word problems. Students who did so solved the problems more accurately and with less distraction. The reason? Something called embodied cognition, which "posits that meaning in language comes when words or phrases are mentally mapped onto memories of real experiences and perceptions." Find out more.



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

HOW TO LAND YOUR KID IN THERAPY is the title of an article in the July/August issue of Atlantic. It's written by a psychologist and parent, and it's about parenting, with lots of input from other mental health professionals. The impetus for the article was the number of patients she was seeing who felt empty, or anxious, or unhappy -- and who seemed to have no reason to feel that way, who claimed to have had good parents and a good upbringing.  The author's thesis is clarified near the end of the article: ".. by trying so hard to provide the perfectly happy childhood, we’re just making it harder for our kids to actually grow up." But along the way the author offers many things for today's parents to think about, including:
  • How much effort to make to protect a child from "reality"
  • The amount of choice a child is entitled to
  • How and how much to try to build a child's self-esteem.
AUTISM AND AUTHORITY. We once wrote about a gifted young boy with Asperger's who got into trouble at school because those in authority did not know how to deal with an Asperger's child who has trouble with authority and authoritarian ways. Now, according to the Akron, Ohio, Beacon Journal, a police officer with an Aspie son is teaching other law enforcement officers about those on the spectrum -- how to identify them and how to deal with them in various law enforcement situations. Read the article.
AUSTISM AND GIFTED ED. A Berwyn, Illinois school is making an effort to include bright Aspie kids in gifted ed classes instead of placing them in special ed, playing to their strengths rather than their challenges. Read about how the school adapted to these kids and how the kids responded. 
TEACHER-PARENT COMMUNICATION is the topic of an article in Education Week's Teacher. The article offers tips such as being proactive, how to deal with angry or abusive communications, and more. Parents would probably be well-served to read this article to see things from the teacher's point of view; after all, effective communication is especially important when parents and educators must discuss disabilities, accommodations, and challenges as well as gifts. Find it.
THIS IS YOUR BRAIN ON THE INTERNET. It's different, perhaps rewired. That's the conclusion of a recent study reported in Scientific American. Does your gifted young person spend too much time online?  Find out more. 
AND FINALLY, THIS. Got a near-sighted kid? It could be the result of too much time spent indoors in artificial light. At least, that's the thesis of an article in Scientific American. Read more.

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

LANG SCHOOL UPDATE. The Lang School for twice-exceptional children in New York City has issued its first newsletter chronicling recent happenings. If you're a fan of the school or just curious about what goes on in a school for 2e kids, check it out.
BRIDGE FOR KIDS. Seems that the card game of bridge is enjoying a resurgence among younger players. According to The New York Times, "Chess is still the game of choice among educators, but bridge is catching on at a growing number of schools, community leagues and recreational centers across the nation, many of which see the card game as offering similar mental benefits to those of chess, but with a social component." In New York City, a school for GT kids teaches bridge to third graders. Some the resurgence evidently stems from efforts by bridge players Bill Gates and Warren Buffett to promote the game. Read more.
COMMON CORE STANDARDS. Education wonks might be interested in still another item from New York City, this one on a school that's experimenting with common core curriculum standards, which go into effect in at least 42 states in 2014. To see what teachers and students might be doing in the new curriculum, read the article.
BRAIN RESEARCH. If you think you might have a serious interest in reading articles with titles such as "Functional Connectivity of the Amygdala in Young Women with Borderline Personality Disorder," you'll be pleased to know that  a new publication debuts in May. The journal is called Brain Connectivity,  and you can preview articles from the premier issue at the publisher's website. You may subscribe to journal's online version for US$420, or get a print version thrown in for another $55 per year. Institutions: be prepared to cough up $1695. (ls 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter undercharging??)
AND FINALLY, THIS. An upcoming game mod for "Half-Life 2" is titled "School Shooter: North American Tour 2012." It's a first-person shooter game modeled on the Columbine shootings, with the player in the role of the shooters in that tragedy. An article in Education Week just alerted us to it, but evidently the upcoming release has been generating controversy for several weeks. Find out more by Googling the game.

From the Publishers of 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter

THE AAP, KIDS, AND SOCIAL MEDIA.  Recognizing the increasing importance of all types of media in their young patients’ lives, pediatricians often hear from parents who are concerned about their children’s engagement with social media. To help address the many effects—both positive and negative—that social media use has on youth and families, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has issued a new clinical report, “The Impact of Social Media Use on Children, Adolescents and Families” in the April issue of Pediatrics (published online today, March 28). The report offers background on the latest research in this area, and recommendations on how pediatricians, parents, and kids can successfully navigate this mode of communication. Find the report. 

FOOD DYES AND AD/HD. Whether artificial food dyes may trigger hyperactive behavior in kids with a predisposition may get a look from the US Food and Drug Administration. The Center for Science in the Public Interest has petitioned to have certain food colorings banned from foods. Is hyperactivity a problem in that gifted kid you raise or teach? Find out more about the issue. 

TREAT KIDS AS IF THEY'RE SMART is the premise of a North Carolina program for at-risk students. At the beginning of the study, no third-graders in the program had been identified as gifted. But when 5,000 K-12 students were taught and treated as if they were gifted (by specially trained teachers), it turned out that by third grade 15 to 20 percent were evaluated as gifted. Seems to us that this study is not only a validation for training teachers in gifted education techniques, but also (perhaps) for playing on strengths. Read more.

VISUALIZING HOW WE READ is the title of a new article at the Dana Foundation site. The article describes what imaging tools can tell about the way the brain works as it processes letters and language sounds. The article notes differences among dyslexics in terms of brain structure and the probability of reading improvement, and calls for more research on "how neuroscience can inform education." Find the article.

From the Publishers of 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter

THERAPY ANIMALS AND CHILDREN. An article in The New York Times covers the use of therapy animals for a variety of conditions, including autism (animals can cause a drop in stress hormone in their human companions) and AD/HD (animals can help a child learn to behave more calmly). While debunking the use of dolphins ("no evidence of benefit and considerable risk of harm to the animals and to the children"), the article lists a variety of ongoing studies of the effectiveness of therapy animals with children and adolescents. Find the article.
OWNERSHIP OF EDUCATION. A recent article described what happens when students can "own" their education by designing it and actively participating in its administration.  Eight Massachusetts high schoolers -- some in danger of dropping out, some honors students -- designed and ran their own "school within a school" and accomplished "transformative" results. Read more.
ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY might as well just be called "educational technology" because it may benefit all students, not just those with special needs, according to an article in Education Week. One expert positions the use of such technology as part of universal design for learning. Find out more.
SNOPES FOR THE AUTISM COMMUNITY. That's how the blog "The Thinking Person's Guide to Autism" bills themselves. The blog solicits and publishes essays on a variety of autism-related topics. Find the blog. 
ACUPUNCTURE FOR KIDS. It turns out that quite a few children are being treated with acupuncture these days, for conditions such as pain, nausea, migraine, and anxiety.  Find out more.
MISCELLANY that might be of interest: If your bright child plays a musical wind instrument, check here to find out what you should know about bacteria, mold, and fungi. Or, find out how 80 percent of kids under 5 use the Internet regularly. Lastly, if that young adult gifted offspring is a boomerang kid, find out how your assistance might not be bad.
AND FINALLY, THIS. We've updated some areas of the 2e Newsletter website, as well as posting items from the March/April issue. More on what's new here.

ENCOURAGE AN ASPIE by showing him a great piece from the opinion pages of The New York Times, written by an oncologist in Kuala Lumpur who provides "an alternate view."  Based in self-awareness and empathy, the piece is a great example of insight, self-acceptance, and comfort. "You are different and you are special," says the column. "Many proud Aspies and I stand with you. You are not alone." Find it.
ASPIE HIGH-TECH COMPANY. Aspiritech, a Chicago-area software testing firm, hires Aspies exclusively, according to ZDNet. The article recounts the traits that would seem to lead to success in technology and software development. Read the article.
SEROTONIN AND ASPERGER'S. Is there a pattern to this post? Just chance. A third item on Asperger's that came to our attention today is the role that serotonin plays in autism. Apparently 30 percent of autism cases have "a serotonin component" which may be helped with the medication busprione, which is usually used for anxiety and depression. Find out more about how the drug helps social interaction (in mice, anyway).
MENTAL HEALTH IN INFANTS AND TODDLERS can be an issue because of the notion that these children do not develop disorders, or will grow out of them. Either trauma or the stress of everyday life can cause problems, according to an article at PsychCentral, which recommends early screening and increased training of healthcare and education professionals to recognize and deal with infant/toddler mental health issues. Find the article.
CEC ON U.S. EDUCATIONAL FUNDING. Watching the action in the Congressional sandbox as the players cut funds and restore, posture and obfuscate, and get very little done at all? The Council for Exceptional Children has just posted its analysis of the current House Funding Bill, which restored IDEA funding -- but cut half a billion from other education programs to do so. Read more, and watch your blood pressure.
AND FINALLY, THIS. Got a happy kid? She or he will more likely be a happy adult. Sounds reasonable, but now there's evidence to back it up. Find out more.