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

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

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 Newsletter

GIFTED AND CHALLENGING. An article at the Washington Post website starts out, "What do Woody Allen and Steve Jobs have in common? Among other things (including brilliant, creative minds), they both hated school and were discipline problems." The article then goes on to cover a school in Colorado, Eagle Rock, that caters to "difficult" but bright students. Read the article.
ACCELERATION. Miraca Gross, director of a center for gifted education research in Australia, advocates accelerating children who would benefit from more intellectual stimulation, contending that "Kids who are intellectually in advance of their years have social and emotional abilities beyond their age and they tend to gravitate towards older kids for their friendships.'' Gross also addresses the issue of support for gifted children, saying "any child should be assisted to learn to his maximum potential." Read more.
UNWRAPPING THE GIFTED. Tamara Fisher takes note of NAGC's current "State of the Nation in Gifted Education" report, highlighting certain of the findings. See what caught her eye.
MORE ON AUTISTIC INTELLIGENCE. We posted a while ago about the use of the Raven test (rather than WISC) to evaluate intelligence in autistic people. A writer for Scientific American has done an article called "The Hidden Potential of Autistic Kids," mentioning the Raven test but going beyond that in terms of recognizing the strengths of autistics. In the process she relates her experience with her own two autistic brothers, one of whom used to correct her fifth-grade homework for her -- when he was in kindergarten. Find the article. 
COMPETITION. The Dana Foundation is sponsoring a contest in the design of a brain-related experiment. Entrants don't have to do the experiment, just design it. The competition is for high school science classrooms. Find out more.  
AND FINALLY, THIS. "Sustained changes in the region of the brain associated with cognitive function and emotional control were found in young adult men after one week of playing violent video games." Does that worry you? Read about the study that came to that conclusion.



From the Publishers of 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter

ONLINE SCHOOL FOR THE GIFTED. Stanford University is about to rename its online high school for gifted youth, calling it the Stanford Online  Highschool. Five years old, the school has graduated 75, most of whom have gone directly to four-year colleges. Find out more about this and other online schools.
DOCUMENTARY ON ASPERGER'S. A video professional whose son "enjoys engineering and physics and studies Japanese for fun" but who has “zero friends” has created a documentary to fill a gap in resources for parents in similar situations. According to an article in the San Antonio Express-News, "the 68-minute documentary is aimed at families grappling with the realization that their child may take a different path in life than what they'd hoped for and dreamed of." Read more.
RESOURCE FOR CLINICIANS. The Centers for Disease Control have released "Autism Case Training (ACT): A Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics Curriculum" to help future healthcare providers identify, diagnose, and manage ASD. The curriculum is PDF based but includes videos. Find out more.
RESOURCE FOR EDUCATORS. Edutopia has assembled a free PDF guide on the topic of brain-based learning to help K-12 educators learn more about the field. Find it.
GIFTED DEVELOPMENT CENTER. If you're a fan of this non-profit organization, be advised that GDC is soliciting donations to upgrade its computer systems, among other needs. Find more about this and other news from the GDC in the Thanksgiving edition of their newsletter.
THE DAVIDSON INSTITUTE, in its November eNews-Update, shares information about the recently honored 2011 Davidson Fellows, each awarded scholarships ranging from $10,000 to $50,000. (Remember: this and all the other contributions that DITD makes stem from the generosity of two people, Jan and Bob Davidson.) Also in the newsletter: pointers to a variety of gifted-related news and resources. Read the newsletter.
GIFTED EDUCATION PRESS QUARTERLY. Maurice Fisher has distributed the winter edition of his newsletter, which marks 25 years of publication. Among the articles: one on how Steve Jobs' ideas can be applied to gifted education. Find the newsletter.
MATH ANXIETY can be overcome, according to researchers at the University of Chicago. The trick: controlling emotions prior to doing math. Find out more. 
EXCLUSION, BULLYING, FRIENDSHIP, AND STRESS. Having friends can ameliorate the effects of exclusion or bullying, according to the results of a new study of fourth-graders. The researchers measured the level of the hormone cortisol in kids who suffered exclusion or bullying. Read more.
TWITTER AS A RESOURCE. Two items came to our attention today that promoted Twitter as a way to connect with people of similar interests -- specifically, in the areas of education or giftedness. On the Education Week site, Peter DeWitt reveals how he became hooked on Twitter for exploring elementary education resources and connections. Secondly, Joel McIntosh, head of Prufrock Press and someone whose judgement we respect, emailed about the use of Twitter at conferences, and invited attendees at next week's Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented conference to sit in on a session on using social media to connect with gifted ed supporters; find his email.
AND FINALLY, THIS. Happy Thanksgiving (Thursday) to our friends and subscribers in the United States. For those of you outside the U.S. -- take a minute to reflect on what you have to be thankful for as well; eating turkey to go along with your thanks is optional.

NEGLECTING THE GIFTED. The Wall Street Journal has concluded that the "national focus on the lowest-achieving students has helped boost their academic performance, but it has left the country's brightest young minds behind their international counterparts." The article quotes NAGC's Jane Clarenbach on the myth that GT kids are fine on their own. Read more about the problem and possible solutions.
LD ADVOCATE. A world-class lacrosse player and Johns Hopkins graduate is focusing on athletics as a way to help kids with LDs succeed. Paul Rabil, who has auditory processing disorder, was featured in an article about the Washington, DC, Lab School for kids with LDs. Also featured in the article is a Pulitzer Prize-winning former "dummy table" occupant, Philip Schultz, who learned about his own dyslexia when his second-grade son received a diagnosis. Read the article.
MEMORY AND OCD. People with remarkable autobiographical memory may be more prone to OCD-like behaviors, according to a new study. It turns out that two areas of the brain that are larger in people with exceptional memory are also larger in people with OCD. Find out more.
GIFTED HOMESCHOOLING PIONEERS. The New York Times Magazine contained an article about a couple who were homeschooling pioneers in the 1970s, four years of which focused on travel. The article is titled "My Parents Were Homeschooling Anarchists." Find it.
AD/HD AND THE BRAIN. A particular area of the brain works much harder in children with AD/HD. The area in question is the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex. The reporting scientists concluded that "This fundamental difference in brain function might be an underlying cause of the inattentiveness, impulsivity and focus problems that make it hard for ADHD children to concentrate in the classroom." Find out more.
AND FINALLY, THIS. We discovered from a press release that apparently the U.S. Congress is considering legislation to categorize pizza as a "vegetable" for the purpose of school lunch menus. The irate whistle-blowers behind the press release? A group of retired military leaders who support policies that will help young Americans succeed in school and later in life. Read more at the group's website, www.missionreadiness.org. (Part of the group's motivation, from their website: "75 percent of 17- to 24-year-olds in the US cannot serve in the military, primarily because they are physically unfit, have not graduated from high school, or have a criminal record.")

From the Publishers of 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter

ASPIES: NOT THINKING ABOUT WHAT OTHERS THINK? That's the conclusion of a study by researchers at Caltech. They devised an experiment to compare how much subjects would donate to a cause either in the presence of an observer or not. Control subjects donated more in the presence of the observer; high-functioning autistics donated the same in either situation. Read more. 
AD/HD RESOURCES. About.com provides a list of scholarships available to students with AD/HD. Find it. Separately, the site also has an article about choosing a college when you have AD/HD.
DISORGANIZED? SENG has an upcoming webinar called "Helping the Disorganized Gifted Family." Find out more.
FOR EDUCATORS OF THE GIFTED, Education Week offers nine tips for teachers in an article called "What Gifted Students Need from You." Find out at edweek.org.
AND FINALLY, THIS. We often bash the overuse of media by kids. Now comes a study concluding that "Both boys and girls who play video games tend to be more creative, regardless of whether the games are violent or nonviolent..." The write-up, however, only notes the correlation between the two; no cause-and-effect relationship is implied. Find out more.

From the Publishers of 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter

A GRAMMY AND AD/HD. About.com, in its AD/HD section, provides an interview with a Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter who was diagnosed with AD/HD in his early teens.Adam Levine, of Maroon 5, describes  his early difficulties, how AD/HD has affected his adult life, and his advice to kids or teens with AD/HD. Read more.
GIFTED RESOURCE. Thanks to Carolyn K for pointing us to Cogito.org, an online community for gifted kids interested in math and science. Sponsored by the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth, the site features interviews, news, forums, links to sites and tools, and extracurricular programs. Go to the site. 
DAVID RABINER pointed us to a free download from ADDitude, titled "40 School Accommodations for Your ADD/LD Child." If your gifted young person is of the AD/HD persuasion, check it out.
UNWRAPPING THE GIFTED. Tamara Fisher writes about using Symbaloo in gifted education. Symbaloo, she says, is "a place where you can collect a plethora of links on various topics and organize them however you want."  She has created one containing resources for her gifted students to use then they do projects. Find out more.
THE WEINFELD EDUCATION GROUP has created a blog on topics related to its areas of expertise. The first posting is by Russell Barkley and titled "Understanding AD/HD -- Part 1." Find it.
PREDICTOR OF MATH LD. Young children who cannot associate small quantities with the numerals that represent those quantities are more likely to develop math LDs, according to a new study. The study also identified other predictors of later math difficulty. Dyscalculia in your family? Check out the study.
THE DANA FOUNDATION has posted two new articles on its website. One provides evidence about how childhood trauma -- physical or sexual abuse -- leads to later psychopathology; read it. The other provides a tutorial on brain imaging technologies and  how they are used in neuroscience; it looks like a must-read for all neuroscience mavens. Find it. 
SHARP BRAINS has posted articles on the impact of stress, emotion, and self-regulation on the structure and performance of the brain. Find them. 
TESTING AD/HD DRUGS. Researchers used used brain scans on mice to determine whether treatment drugs increased dopamine levels in the brain, and thus would be effective. The study concerned a type of attention deficit caused by "neurofibromatosis type 1" -- NF1 -- which affects about 100,000 people in the U.S., according to Science Daily. Find out more.
NOT TO LATE TO GET IRATE. If you live in the U.S., you may -- once again and maybe for the last time ever -- attempt to block legislative attempts to scuttle the Javits Act, which is, according to CEC, "the sole Federal investment in gifted education." Seems that the Javits Act is one of 43 programs deemed "inefficient and unnecessary." CEC has more.

GIFTED AND STUTTERING. A gifted 16-year-old New Jersey boy who is taking two college classes described how his professor had asked  him not to speak in class because of  his stuttering. According to an article in The New York Times, about five percent of people stutter, and it is thought to have genetic and physiological causes. Find the article.  In response to the article, the Stuttering Foundation issued a response that includes eight tips for teachers; find it. (The foundation website also notes that for both Winston Churchill and James Earl Jones, "Stuttering didn't stop them. Don't let it stop you."

EDUTOPIA has a blog entry on its site titled "How to Support Gifted Students in Your Classroom." It notes the importance of identifying such students and of having a gifted, intuitive teacher to serve gifted students. Find the blog.

MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES. We received an email directing us to a site by the name of Bytes Power Smarts, which is apparently deigned to help kids 8-11 "recognize and appreciate their strengths and talents," as manifested in the eight multiple intelligences recognized by Howard Gardener. The site contains stores for the children to read relating to those intelligences. Find it. (We recognized at least one name on the staff listing as being involved in the 2e community.)

OCD. CNN has an article on its website about OCD in children, and the article profiles two young people with different sets of symptoms. It describes how each young person has confronted the disorder. Find the article.

THE GIFTED DEVELOPMENT CENTER newsletter for October is out, and it brings news of the organization's move out of downtown Denver to more spacious quarters. (We visited the Center several years ago and would characterize their present space in an old house as pleasantly unique, but could see how they could use more space.) The newsletter also notes Linda Silverman's five decades of experience in the gifted field. Read the newsletter.

CURETOGETHER: ANXIETY. CureTogether, a site that provides information and support for persons with a variety of conditions, has posted information stemming from a 6200-patient survey on which treatments for anxiety work best and which are most popular. If you have a gifted child with anxiety, this will be of interest to you. The top three treatments in terms of effectiveness: exercise, Xanax, and then yoga. The treatments reported least effective: Wellbutrin, Amitripyline, and Paxil. Find the site.

EDUCATION WEEK published an article, available to non-subscribers, about the various types of reading problems (eg, phonemic awareness) and reading programs that work for those various types. Find it.

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

DAVIDSON ACADEMY AND GIFTED EDUCATION. The cover story of the August 29th edition of the Christian Science Monitor featured the Davidson Academy as the apex of gifted education in the United States, and then used the Academy as a counterpoint to discuss the "class ceiling," limits on education for most gifted students. From the article: "...how many more American students share their experience of idling in their classrooms, unaware of their potential, or bursting with frustration because only a fraction of their curiosity and capability is tapped?" Read the article.
DYSLEXIC ACHIEVER. A young woman, her dyslexia undiagnosed as a child, who used to be angry and resentful at people not seeing who she really was, now sees dyslexia as "the best thing that ever happened to me." A successful adult, she found it refreshing that those in the business world "weren't looking for what was wrong, but saw what was right, and beyond that, wanted to use it constructively toward a common goal." Read more.
LEARNING STYLES. We recently posted on another debunking of learning styles. That article started a good discussion at Edweek.org. If this topic interests you, find the discussion and join in!
BRAINWORKS. In her latest newsletter, Carla Crutsinger addresses the importance of sleep in attaining "stress-free mornings" during the school year. She notes that AD/HD kids take a long time to fall asleep, probably depriving them of the necessary 9 to 11 hours of sleep. She offers tips for avoiding sleep problems; find them. Separately, a study of the sleep habits of college students finds that many are "undermining their own education" because of poor sleep habits. Read more and find additional tips for "sleep hygiene."
ATTENTION RESEARCH UPDATE. David Rabiner's August edition of this newsletter concerned a study about how children's symptoms of AD/HD affect parents' feelings and behavior. The short answer: adversely. The lesson: "Clearly understanding thatgetting children to change core ADHD symptoms is difficult... may protect parents from feeling increasingly powerless about exertingpositive influence on their child and help them remain engaged with theirchild in ways that children experience as warm, nurturing and supportive." Read more about the study. 
MORE ON AD/HD. Inattention is a bigger problem than hyperactivity when it comes to finishing high school, according to a Canadian study. Find out more. 
FLU SHOTS. The American Association of Pediatrics has issued a statement urging parents to vaccinate family members and caregivers. The AAPrecommends everyone 6 months or older receive influenza vaccine. According to the AAP, the 2011-2012 fluvaccine protects against the same three influenza strains as last year’svaccine. But because a person’s immunity drops by as much as 50 percent 6-12months after vaccination, it’s important to receive another dose this year tomaintain optimal protection. Read more at www.healthychildren.org/flu. 
THE DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION BOOK OF LISTS has Whitney Hoffman as co-author. Hoffman, who for awhile pubished podcasts on LDs and occasionally on twice-exceptionality, describes the book at this website.
AND FINALLY, THIS. Japanese researchers have developed a  chemical that turns biological tissue transparent, allowing "a revolution in optical imaging." The researchers are using the chemical to study non-living mouse brains but are on the track of another chemical which might allow the study of live tissue. All of this sheds new "light" on the question, "What do you have in mind?" Read more.

From the Publishers of 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter

CALL FOR IMPROVED GIFTED ED. The president of the North Carolina Association for the Gifted and Talented and the president of NAGC jointly call for more opportunities for gifted students to excel. From the plea: "Contrary to the belief of some, high-ability students do not materialize out of thin air, and they certainly do not retain their capabilities absent ongoing support provided by appropriately trained teachers. They must be identified at the earliest stages possible and developed throughout their academic careers." Find out what they recommend.
E-LEARNING FOR GIFTED STUDENTS. One opportunity gifted students do have is that of e-learning. An article in Education Week describes some of the available opportunities.
ASPIE CHALLENGES. "He had all the state capitals memorized as a toddler, shortly before he read the entire dictionary." Now 23, Spencer, who has Asperger's, faces challenges at college, for example professors who don't understand how the seemingly brilliant young man can have trouble with logistics and procedure. An article in the Sacramento Bee tells more about Spencer and also about a support group, Asperger's Support for Adolescents Plus (ASAP), teens and young adults. Read more.
GIFTED AND DYSLEXIC. A young man with dyslexia who made it through the Stanford JD/MBA program tells how he did it, why he invented the Intel Reader, and why he's passionate about advocating for those with disabilities. Read the blog on CNN, and see a segment from "The Human Factor," which profiles Ben Foss.
SPEAKING OF ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY, Education Week describes how the the acceptance of universal design for learning -- with its emphasis on accessibility to content by all -- has affected assistive technology. The article provides examples along with guidelines for how schools can acquire such technology. Read the article.
CONFESSIONS OF AN ADDIVA is the title of a book reviewed at About.com. The book is written by a woman with AD/HD. From the review: "In Confessions of an ADDiva, Roggli shares about her journey living with undiagnosed ADHD for more than 40 years and the changes that took place in her life following diagnosis" Read more.  
GIFTED EDUCATION PRESS QUARTERLY. The Fall edition of this newsletter is out. You may find it here. 
IEP PROCESS. Autism Speaks has released a 26-page guide for parents about IEPs. Visit Autism Speaks to find out more or download the guide.
AD/HD AND WRITING. A recent study from the Mayo Clinic indicates that kids with AD/HD are much more likely to show writing problems -- 66 percent of boys with AD/HD and 57 percent of girls exhibited problems. Read about the study.

From the Publishers of 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter

COLLEGE ON THE SPECTRUM is the title of a presentation by a recent graduate of Seton Hall University. In an article in the Orlando Sentinel, the graduate described some of his tactics for getting through college, such as distributing cards to professors on the first days of class explaining he has autism. The article highlights some of the challenges to ASD college students -- but also gives hints of how to overcome those challenges. At the end of the article the Seton Hall graduate is quoted: "Autism doesn't define me — I define autism." Read the article.
HEALTH CARE PRIVACY AND YOUR CHILD. An article in Monday's New York Times covers some of the trickiness involved in balancing an adolescent's privacy rights with parental concern, or even with concerns of other adults (such as college professors) who become involved in a student's emotional or mental health issues. If you've got a child in that nether zone, check out the article -- because you're likely to be affected as the child receives mental or physical health care for those other exceptionalities.
DEPRESSION. Also in The New York Times, a piece on what is apparently a recent public discussion about the effectiveness of antidepressants. We point out this article because we know that parents of 2e children are very interested in depression (along with anxiety) that may stem from the challenges those kids face. The article is authored by a clinical professor of psychiatry who is concerned about recent "debunking" of antidepressants. Find it.
SECONDHAND SMOKE may be linked to an increased incidence of AD/HD or other disorders, according to a new study. According to CNN Health, the study "found that children exposed to secondhand smoke in the home had a 50% increased risk of developing two or more childhood neurobehavioral disorders compared with children who were not exposed at home." Read more.
AUTISM CAUSES, DIAGNOSIS. A recent news item covered a study on "birth factors" as they relate to autism -- factors such as birth weight, fetal distress, etc. One conclusion: parents should not worry about the occurrence of any single factor, but that some factors in combination with genetics might cause ASD. Find the article. In another study, researchers at the University of Cambridge say that siblings of people with autism show a similar pattern of brain activity to that seen in people with autism when looking at emotional facial expressions. The researchers identified the reduced activity in a part of the brain associated with empathy and argue it may be a ‘biomarker’ for a familial risk of autism. Read University's the press release.
GIFTED EDUCATION IN VICTORIA. An item in Jo Freitag's Gifted Resources newsletter pointed us to an inquiry being held by the Australian state of Victoria into the education of gifted students. The committee on Education and Training has solicited input from the gifted community, and much of what has been submitted is on the site of the Victoria Parliament -- responses from educators, parents, and gifted organizations, more than 100 posted at this time. A quick look didn't reveal any 2e-related postings; we'll keep looking. Find the inquiry.

From the Publishers of 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter

PORTLAND SCHOOL FOR BEHAVIORAL ISSUES. A school in Portland, Oregon, is often an interim stop for K-12 students who have behavioral problems that may include AD/HD or ODD. The school's goal is to reintegrate its clients with mainstream schools, but some students stay until graduation from high school. Some of the students at the school are at the AP and honors level academically. Read more. 
DYSLEXIA AND JAPANESE. Some students with dyslexia do much better writing in Japanese or Chinese than they do in their native English. In Japanese and Chinese, according to an article on the topic, "characters represent complete words or ideas," as opposed to languages like English, "which use separate letters and sounds to form words."  Evidently dyslexics use different parts of their brains when reading in Japanese than in English. Find out more.
WAS YOUR KID A LATE TALKER? No worries, according to a study published in Pediatrics. Even if issues were present at age 2, the children in the study appeared not to be at increased risk for AD/HD or other issues as they grew up. As many as 18 percent of children are apparently late talkers. Read more.
THE ENVIRONMENT AND AUTISM. A newly-published study indicates that some environmental factors might be at least as important as genetic factors in the development of autism. The twin-based study included kids with Asperger's as well as "classic" autism. Some of the environmental factors -- which were not specifically listed -- occur prenatally. Read about the study.
NEW GIFTED SCHOOL IN ARIZONA. Arizona State University will open an on-campus school for gifted students who have completed at least a sixth-grade curriculum. Herberger Academy will accept up to 40 students per year for "an accelerated, five-year program that is not for the faint of heart." Find out more.

From the Publishers of 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter

JAY MATHEWS, education writer for the Washington Post, profiles a Loudoun County, Virginia, public magnet school for science. Serving gifted high-school students, the Loudoun Academy of Science uses innovative curricula and top-notch faculty to deliver an outstanding educational experience. Read more. 
NPR ON AUTISM. The program Science Friday for today included a segment titled "Gene Mutations Offer Clues on the Austistic Brain," in which program guests discussed some of the latest science on autism and its treatment. Find the program.
AD/HD AND THE BRAIN. Recent research has shown structural brain differences in preschoolers with AD/HD. Evidently the caudate nucleus, associated with cognitive and motor control, is smaller in children with AD/HD than in children without. Find out more.
VSL WEBINAR. StarJump and the Australian Gifted Support Center have scheduled a one-hour webinar on June 22 titled "An Introducation to Visual Spatial Thinking and Learning." Directed at parents of bright children who may not learn conventionally or who may be having difficulties at school, the webinar costs AUS$30 and begins at 7:30pm NSW time. Find out more. 
EDUCATIONAL CHATS ON TWITTER. There are lots of them, and "Cybrary Man," evidently a New York City educator, has compiled a listing of the chats, their hashtags, and descriptions. Find it. (We found this referenced in Jo Freitag's list of "interesting websites" in her latest Gifted Resources newsletter.)

From the Publishers of 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter

THE EDUCATORS GUILD NEWSLETTER, May edition, has been released by the Davidson Institute. In it are tips and resources for teachers of gifted students; and updates on various aspects of the Davidson Institute, such as Educators Guild presentations available, Davidson Fellows Scholarship applications, and Young Scholar applications. Find the newsletter.
ATTENTION RESEARCH UPDATE, May edition, has been posted by David Rabiner. The subject of the issue: how girls with AD/HD view their social competence. (Hint: They overestimate it.) Find out more.
OCD FLIP-FLOP. A recent study says that OCD behaviors may be precursors to obsessive fears rather than the other way around. The rationale: fears stem from the brain's attempt to justify the behavior. Read more.
SCHOLARSHIPS FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS WITH AD/HD. The Edge foundation and Shire are offering 25 scholarships for next school year for AD/HD college students. Along with the scholarships will go a full year of AD/HD coaching services. Find out more at the Edge site.
ADVICE ON COLLEGE WITH LD. The University of Rhode Island recently held a conference in which high school seniors could receive advice from older students on how to handle college in addition to the challenges such as dyslexia and Asperger's. Also presented: sessions on avoiding some of the risks associated with various disabilities, as well as workshops on topics such as personal finance. Read more.
EPIGENETICS AND THE HUMAN BRAIN is the title of a new article of the Dana Foundation website. What is the field of epigenetics and why should we care? From the editor's note at the beginning of the article: While our genetic code determines a great deal of who and what we are, it does not act alone. It depends heavily on the epigenome, an elaborate marking of the DNA that controls the genome’s functions. Because it is sensitive to the environment, the epigenome is a powerful link and relay between our genes and our surroundings. Epigenetic marks drive biological functions and features as diverse as memory, development, and disease susceptibility; thus, the nurture aspect of the nature/nurture interaction makes essential contributions to our body and behaviors. As scientists have learned more about how the epigenome works, they have begun to develop therapies that may lead to new approaches to treating common human conditions. Read the article.
SAVED BY A SIXTH GRADE TEACHER. Here's how a man, now presumably in his 40's, described his days in elementary school: "I showed up each day, sat in my seat, stared at the chalkboard, and didn’t learn a thing." Suffering from attention issues, poor working memory, and graphomotor issues, his life was turned around by one teacher to whom he says he owes his success. (He graduated magna cum laude from college and is a successful businessman.)  Find the article.

From the Publishers of 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter

DUAL ENROLLMENT FOR BRIGHT KIDS. Young people in high school -- or even middle school -- who are ready for college work are increasingly trying simultaneous enrollment in both the lower-level grades and college. Education Next explains how dual enrollment works in certain states, focusing on what's in it for the kids and what's in it for the schools. Read the article. 
MATH ANXIETY is the subject of an article in Education Week. Apparently, just the suggestion of a math test can trigger a stress response in the brain. The article explains how the stress response can interfere with problem solving, hobbling the prefrontal cortex, and also how anxiety can even cause a form of dyscalculia. Dr. Judy Willis, who has contributed to 2e Newsletter, is one of those quoted in the article. Find it. 

MEDS FROM YOUR PSYCHOLOGIST? Some states are considering allowing psychologists to prescribe certain medications, in part because access to a psychiatrist can be difficult for many people; there's a shortage. Psychologists in New Mexico and Louisiana already can prescribe psychotropics, according to an article in the Chicago Tribune. Those states require the participating psychologists to acquire what amounts to another master's degree in psychopharmacology. Find out more. 
SCHOOL MOTIVATION can come from a desire to please parents, according to research reported at HealthDay. Kids studied in the U.S. and China show that those who feel connected to their parents do better academically. Is your bright youngster motivated? Read the article.
SUMMER PROGRAMS. The May/June issue of 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter, just out, included our annual roundup of 2e-friendly summer camps, but if you're looking for a broader range of gifted programs than we covered, check out Hoagies' exhaustive listing of camps and programs from all over the world. Find it.  
O.D.D. Our Facebook quote of the week was from Storypeople.com: "I just tell them to do things they already want to do, she said, & even then, it's like pulling teeth."  
AND FINALLY, THIS, from a press release. "Test Tutor Publishing (AKA The Test Tutor) has created WPPSI-III™ and WISC-IV™ Test Preparation Kits to help children develop the skills needed for the IQ tests required for admission into the most selective private schools.... Now, the company has released test preparation materials for the Woodcock-Johnson III™ Tests of Cognitive Ability." Apparently it's never too early to be competitive.

From the Publishers of 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter

THE IDEA FAIRNESS RESTORATION ACT has garnered support from a variety of organizations, including COPAA, Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates. One provision of the act will allow parents to recover expert witness fees if due process hearing officers or courts uphold the parents' position. If you'd like to find out more, see an announcement or go to the COPPA site.
INCLUSION VERSUS HONORS CLASSES is an issue facing Madison, Wisconsin, schools, among many others. Several schools there have been investigated by the state Department of Public Instruction, which is pressuring the Madison School District to improve its gifted education. Read more.
BRING SCIENCE HOME is the name of a month-long initiative by Scientific American. The magazine calls it a "series of family science activities geared towards fostering children's interest in science. Find out more.
NICOTINE'S EFFECTS SIMILAR TO COCAINE. It turns out that nicotine affects the brain in ways similar to cocaine, both substances using a dopamine receptor called D5. A write-up of the study concluded, "The results suggest that nicotine and cocaine hijack similar mechanisms of memory on first contact to create long-lasting changes in a person's brain." Read more.
BIOMARKERS FOR BIPOLAR DISORDER. Researchers have discovered certain brain abnormalities that could be biomarkers for bipolar disorder. The abnormalities consist of "an imbalance between cortical-cognitive and limbic brain networks," according to one of the researchers involved -- brain areas involved in the regulation of emotions. If the research holds, it could lead to more accurate diagnosis of the disorder. Find out more. 
THE GO GIRLS CLUB, originally a group for girles with AD/HD, has evolved the non-profit group ADHD Aware, according to the website PhillyBurbs.com. One aim: to help girls know that there are others like them and to affirm their strengths. The organization hosts workshops, and one workshop leader says "she likes showing girls with ADHD how smart and beautiful they are, and that they can do whatever they want." Read the article.
YOUNG ADULT LITERATURE. A middle-school English teacher (and contributor to 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter) has established a blog to review young adult literature in 100 words or less. The blogger suggests sharing her link with YAs who like to read. Find the blog.

From the Publishers of 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter

EDNEWS.ORG. Michael Shaughnessy interviews a man who couldn't learn in school, was the "problem kid" and endured all kinds of senseless (to us) punishment and discipline. Functionally illiterate at age 29, he discovered in a happenstance encounter with a college professor that he was dyslexic. The saddest part: only one teacher from K-12 realized his intelligence; others treated him in ways not good for his self-esteem. Read the interview.

STRAIGHT-A DYSLEXIC. In contrast to the previous item, a young woman diagnosed with dyslexia in third grade has been named one of CEC's "Yes I Can" award winners for her straight-A average. Even she, however, encountered early teachers who "assumed I was stupid," according to the young woman. Read more about her.

CLEARANCE SALE. Prufrock Press is offering heavy discounts on 33 items from its inventory, including items such as:

  • "The Challenges of Educating the Gifted in Rural Area," originally $12.95 and now $.99
  • "Early Gifts: Recognizing and Nurturing Children's Talents," originally $24.95 and now $.99
  • A number of titles on autism
  • Various posters for teachers,  for example one illustrating the quote "Earth laughs in flowers," originally $7.95 and now $.99.
Find the sale.

CAN A SCHOOL BE NEGLIGENT by not identifying a student's learning disabilities? That's the question that has made it all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court as a result of a lawsuit by a family against a Compton, California, school district. In spite of a couneslor's recommendation that the girl be evaluated for learning disabilities, the school did nothing, promoting the girl instead. Several previous administrative and legal decisions have sided with the family. Read more.

INFO ON NORTHWESTERN U PROGRAM. Northwestern University offers certificate and master's degree programs in advanced gifted education. This Thursday the school is offering a one-hour "virtual information session" about those programs. Find out more here or at the university website.

GIFTED ED UNDER ATTACK IN N.C. Up until now, North Carolina has funded and mandated efforts to identify and serve gifted students, but now the legislature is, in educational terms, messing with the arrangement. Find out more.

THE GUT AND THE BRAIN. Scientific American reports on findings that microflora in the gut can influence the biochemistry and development of the brain, especially during certain developmental stages. At least part of the influence comes from gut bacteria affecting the expression of up to 40 genes in the brain, in effect turning the genes on or off. Read more.

AND FINALLY, THIS. The 10 semifinalists have been announced in the Fifth Annual Bubble Wrap Competition for Young Innovators. In this, one of our favorite competitions for young people, students in grades 6-8 are encouraged to find innovative uses for Bubble Wrap. This year, projects include a floating, self-watering garden; a water carrier; a sleep-walk preventer; and seven more. Find out more.

From the Publishers of 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter

GAP YEAR GUIDEBOOK. Got a gifted or 2e kid thinking about taking a year off before college? The Davidson Institute has just published a 20-page guidebook called "Considering Your Options: A Guidebook for Investigating Gap Year Opportunities." Find a copy here.
LETTER REVERSAL. A new study shows that most people automatically interpret words written backward in the first instant of perception. Researchers say that letter reversal in young children "is the direct result of the mirror rotation property of the visual system." Most people learn to inhibit the reversal; some with dyslexia and dysgraphia cannot. Read more.    
AUTISM AWARENESS MONTH. In honor of Autism Awareness Month (April), the Los Angeles Times reports on the best and worst places to  live for people with autism. Find the good and the not-so-good. 
MINNETONKA GIFTED PROGRAM. Read about a Minnesota program to encourage highly gifted students aged 8-11.
EDUCATOR RESOURCE? Skype just launched "Skype in the Classroom," a dedicated teacher network allowing teachers to:
  • Collaborate on projects with other teachers, classes or subject matter experts
  • Connect with other teachers based on ages taught, location, or subjects of interest
  • Discover new inspiration [their words, not ours] through resources such as videos, links, and tips.
We haven't used this resource, but it seems like it could be a way for teachers of the gifted or twice-exceptional to communicate and collaborate. Find out more.
AND FINALLY, THIS. A University of Rhode Island researcher who specializes in medicinal plant research has found more than 20 compounds in maple syrup from Canada that have been linked to human health According to the University press release, several of the anti-oxidant compounds newly identified in maple syrup are also reported to have anti-cancer, anti-bacterial and anti-diabetic properties. And who funded the research? It looks as if at least part of the funding came from the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers. Read the press release.  
HAVE A GOOD WEEKEND!