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Showing posts with label homeschooling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label homeschooling. Show all posts

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

GIFTED EDUCATION PRESS QUARTERLY. The summer issue of this newsletter is out, and it features an article titled "Learning Disabilities, Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder, and Intelligence." The author discusses two case studies of young gifted kids with AD/HD. Find the newsletter. 
REVISITING ADHD AND RITALIN is the title of an interview in the Los Angeles Times with Dr. Lawrence Diller, who 15 years ago wrote the book Running on Ritalin, in which he cautioned against the overuse of stimulant meds. In the interview Diller discusses his new book, in which he interviewed former patients to see  how they turned out and how they felt about the treatment they had received. He also compares the results in "his" kids with those in a study by Russell Barkley. Read the interview.
MISS TEEN SOUTH DAKOTA uses pageants and related appearances to educate about dyslexia, which she has. In an article, she discusses how the condition has affected her and how she copes. Find out more.
SPECT-ACLE. Those of you with an interest in whether SPECT imaging is a valid technique for making a psychiatric diagnosis may be interested in reading Dr. Daniel Amen's account of a recent presentation he made defending his use of the technique. The back story: Dr. Amen has come under criticism from professional colleagues for the way he uses the imaging for a variety of conditions, including to establish a diagnosis of AD/HD. Read his account.
AD/HD, DISRUPTIVE AND QUIET. An article in Education Week covers the characteristics of inattentive versus hyperactive AD/HD, its prevalence in boys and girls, comorbidities, diagnosis, and treatment. It offers teachers tips on how to spot and how to address AD/HD, and it relates how one school uses commercial cognitive software to help its students with AD/HD. Read it.
INCREASING DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES. A study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found the overall prevalence of developmental disabilities among children increased by 17 percent between 1997 and 2008, with 15 percent of U.S. children – nearly 10 million – having a developmental disability in 2008. The study is in the current issue of Pediatrics, according to a press release from the American Academy of Pediatrics. Parents were asked to report the diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, intellectual disability, cerebral palsy, autism, seizures, stuttering or stammering, moderate to profound hearing loss, blindness, learning disorders, and/or other developmental delays. Autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and other developmental delays increased, while moderate to profound hearing loss showed a significant decline. Boys had a higher prevalence overall and for a number of select disabilities compared with girls. Read more in the Washington Post.
ONLINE VERSUS HOME SCHOOLING. The Denver Post notes that online schooling may be the reason for a decrease in the number of kids classified as "home-schooled" in Colorado.  On the other hand, some question the accuracy of the numbers. No one, though, seemed to dispute the fact that the number of Colorado students enrolled in online programs increased by 65 percent over three years, to over 15,000 students. Read more. 
RESOURCES FROM IMFAR, the International Meeting for Autism Research, have  been posted online by Autism Speaks. Included are videos from the event as well as blogs devoted to it. If you're concerned with someone on the spectrum, check it out. 
PITTSBURGH SUMMER CONFERENCE FOR YOUNG WRITERS. Young writers 16-21 have the opportunity to compete for full scholarships to the Summer Writer's Conference and Workshop, held July 26-28. There are no residency restrictions; attendees are responsible for their own transportation, lodging, and meals. The deadline is May 31. Find out more. 
GENDER AND THERAPISTS. Most therapists these days are women, a change from the 1970s when the ratio between men and women was equal. The current ratio can present issues, in some minds, when it comes to men looking for a therapist, men who feel that only a male therapist can fully understand male psyches.  Find out more. 
AND FINALLY, THIS. In an attempt to instill fitness in their screen-bound youngsters, some parents are hiring personal trainers for their kids. Sounds frivolous, but it has advantages, evidently. Read more.

SENG WEBINAR. The organization Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted offers a webinar on the topic of understanding overexcitabilities, to be presented by Susan Daniels of the Summit Center. The webinar is scheduled for January 31 at 7:30 p.m. Eastern time. Find more information.
WRIGHTSLAW, in the current edition of Special Ed Advocate, focuses on success stories in advocacy. Read it.
ADVOCACY SKILLS. The Washington, D.C.-based Weinfeld Education Group has scheduled several events concerning special education law and advocacy. The events are to be held in January, February, and March. Find out more at the organization's website.
GIFTED HOMESCHOOLER? We just received "A Word from GHF," the email newsletter from the Gifted Homeschoolers Forum. While it doesn't look as if they post the newsletter at their website, there's plenty of activity on their FaceBook page -- so if you homeschool that gifted or 2e child, check out GHF.
PEDIATRIC ADVICE ON VIDEO GAMES. If video game time is an issue with your gifted or 2e kid, you might be interested in the recommendations of  "Dr. Chuck," a New Hampshire pediatrician who offers advice to parents on the matter, as well as on nutrition and physical activity. He espouses a 5210 rule, which, according to an article about the doctor, stands for "stands for five fruits and vegetables, two hours of video games, one hour of physical activity and zero sweets." Read more.  
THE WORLD GIFTED CONFERENCE has been moved from South Korea to Prague, we've discovered from Jo Freitag's Gifted Resources News. It will take place August 8-12. (We'd better change our events listings.)

2 HOME-SCHOOLING. Read about a Canadian family's decision to home-school their fifth-grade twice-exceptional daughter, why they did it, and how they arrived at the right combination of educational methods to regain their daughter's happiness -- and not to mention, to help her lose her stress headaches. Find the article.

DISCIPLINE. How are you doing with discipline for your 2e kid? They need it, you know. Longtime advisor and practitioner for parents of 2e children Carla Crutsinger, of Brainworks, explains a "structured discipline plan" she recommends that parents put in place for children and teens. Read more.

WE SAY IT'S EAR BUDS. More teenagers suffer from at least slight hearing loss now than 10 years ago, according to a new study. An article on the study said, "Researchers could not explain why hearing loss had become more prevalent, and did not find a significant association with exposure to loud noise." But you know and we know. Read more.

BACK TO SCHOOL -- and time to read what Wrightslaw says about IEPs and advocacy. Start here.

GIFTED EDUCATION PRESS QUARTERLY. The fall issue is out, featuring, among other articles, one titled "Should Special Education Programming for Gifted Students be a Right or a Privilege?" Find GEPG.

MASLOW UPDATED. Remember Maslow's hierarchy? It ranked basic human needs, with reality TV at the top, a better car than your neighbor's next, followed by Lady Gaga, a good lawn, and successful kids down the line. Or something like that. Anyway, a team of psychologists has updated Maslow's pyramid of motivations, and replaces self-actualization (the real top of the old pyramid, not reality shows) with -- get this -- parenting. Find out more about the pyramid you thought was timeless.