DON'T GET CAUGHT IN THE LAZY TRAP. That's the advice -- and the title of an article -- from 2e Newsletter publisher Linda Neumann. The article appears in a special edition of SENG Update in observation of Parenting Gifted Children Week. The article offers advice for what to do when you hear the label "smart but lazy" applied to your child. Find it.
BOOK-THEMED DAY CAMPS. 2e Newsletter book columnist Bob Seney has enthusiastically reviewed books from the "Percy Jackson and the Olympian" series for young people, which builds a world for readers to imagine and immerse themselves in, much like "Harry Potter" readers do. A recent article in The New York Times spotlights New York area literary camps structured around books and their themes. One of them is Camp Half-Blood, based on the Percy Jackson series. Read more.
TOXIC CHILD. In an earlier post we pointed to an article that perhaps absolved parents who raise a bad kid. The article generated several letters to the publisher, one letter agreeing and the other urging stricter parental oversight. Find the letters.
ARE WE TOO EASY ON OUR CHILDREN? Have we spoiled them? If you have strong opinions on this issue, read a thought-provoking article in The Washington Post. Find it.
ASD AND DIET. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) can demonstrate feeding problems, food refusal, and limited food preferences from infancy, but energy intake and growth are not affected. A study published in Pediatrics showed that children with ASD ate fewer vegetables, salads, and fresh fruit, but also consumed fewer sweets and carbonated drinks. Study authors determined that even though children with ASD consumed less of some vitamins and accepted a more limited number of different foods, their intake of carbohydrates, protein, fats and total energy were similar to controls. No significant differences were apparent in weight, height, or body mass index up to 7 years of age.
TESTING FOR KINDERGARTEN is a book, and a press release for it says this: "Karen Quinn, whose own son was headed for special education until she cracked the code of kindergarten testing and boosted his score from the 37th to the 94th percentile, wrote her latest book, Testing for Kindergarten, revealing for the first time to parents what is on these tests and teaching them how to prepare their kids." If you're interested in competing equally with "wealthy families who can afford expensive tutors and enrichment activities to ensure high test scores for their kids," then check out the website for the book.
AND IF YOUR BRIGHT CHILD IS BURNED OUT by the time high school graduation rolls around, consider a "gap year." The Boston Globe describes how high-achieving students and admission officials are encouraging time off to recharge. Read the article.
AD/HD AND YOUR MARRIAGE. We're fond of an expression a 2e Newsletter subscriber once told us, that "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree." If you've got an AD/HD apple in your family tree, consider the effect on the marriage when perhaps not only a child has AD/HD -- but also your spouse (or you). Read what it's like -- and what some people have done to try to address the issue of AD/HD in their marriage.
GENDER DIFFERENCES. A recent study found that males and females multitask equally well on simple math and reading tasks. The researchers also found, however, that "women far excelled men when it came to planning how to search for a lost key, with 70 percent of women performing better than their average male counterparts." (A snide interpretation of these findings would ascribe the difference simply to more previous practice on the part of females.) Read more.
UK FAMILY "RIDDLED WITH DYSLEXIA." In the Daily Telegraph, Anabel Heseltine, daughter of a prominent businessman and politician with dyslexia, describes how her brother and at least three of her four children are also dyslexic. She describes the appearance of the condition in each her children, how the family has handled the situation, and a little about how the state and schools in the UK handle children with dyslexia. Read more.
AN ARTICLE IN MODERN MOM asks the question, "Should you get your kids 'tested'?" -- as in cases where a three-year-old doesn't sit still. The author provides advice on when to worry and when to act. The author's bias? She thinks "we’ve lost sight of what constitutes a natural diversity between people and the interesting vagaries of small children," noting that the subject three-year-old had intelligent, individualistic parents. Read the article.
NATIONAL PARENTING GIFTED CHILDREN WEEK is July 18-24, reminds SENG and Sally L. Find out more at the SENG website.
CHANGING THE NEGATIVELY MOTIVATED. On July 20th, ASCD and Dr. Judy Willis offer a free webinar titled "How Can I Motivate My Students?" -- especially the ones who don't believe in their own potential. The webinar promises "neuro-logical" strategies to reverse negativity and reverse behavioral problems. Find out more.
KIDS AND MEDS. Here's an interesting dilemma. You have a 12-year-old son with a disorder that could be helped by medication, but the child refuses to take the meds. Should you try to sneak the med into his food? Doctors queried on this issue by The New York Times, in conjunction with an inquiry from parents of a child with OCD, recommended against "sneaking" the meds. The professionals suggested that the older the child, the more active the child's role should be in his healthcare. Read the column.
SHUT-DOWN LEARNERS. Michael Shaughnessy interviewed Dr. Richard Selznick, author of a newly-released book called The Shut-down Learner. Selznick's basic formula is: Cracks in the foundation + time + largely ignored skill deficits + emotional issues developing = shut down learner. Selznick also believes that hands-on, tactile learners are more at risk for being shut down. Read the interview.
INTERACTING WITH BOOKS. A Kansas State University professor finds that using Kindle and its interactive features allow children to become more involved with what they're reading. The e-reader has features that make the text audible, increase or decrease font size and let readers make notes about the book. The professor said that sometimes students make comments summarizing the plot, therefore reinforcing their understanding of the book. Other times they ponder character development, jotting down things like "If I were him, I'd say no way!" Find out more.
DYSLEXIA BLOG. The author of Dyslexia My Life recently posted a blog interview on the topic of giftedness and learning disabilities. The interviewee was Dr. James Russell, who teaches on the topic of assessing exceptional students; he also counsels and assesses adults and adolescents with learning disabilities. Russell discusses some the burdens of being GT/LD. Find the blog.
DIAGNOSING CHILDHOOD BIPOLAR DISORDER. The National Institute of Mental health reports on a series of imaging studies that apparently reveal that the brain works differently in youth with bipolar disorder (BD) than in chronically irritable children who are often diagnosed with pediatric BD. The update discusses the differences between BD and chronic, severe irritability distinct from BD, and also describes how the brain differences were detected. Find it.
ON TEMPERAMENT. Developmental psychologist Jerome Kagan has a new book out, titled The Temperamental Thread, describing the nature of the traits that shape our responses to our experiences. At the Dana Foundation website, he is interviewed about temperament -- "how temperament affects personality, whether it can predict your future, and how it might influence a doctor deciding which medical treatment may work best for you." Find the interview, and see if it explains anything about that temperamental gifted child you raise or teach.
THE ADOLESCENT BRAIN. While browsing the Dana website looking for recently-added material, we found an article from 2007 titled "The Adolescent Brain -- The Dana Guide." The topics covered are: sorting out adolescence from puberty, behind the scenes in the adolescent brain, healthy risks, unhealthy risks, mental disorders, and the kaleidoscope of changes. Got a gifted or 2e adolescent you can't figure out? Read it.
GIFTEDNESS IN THE NEWS. If you like to keep track of news pertaining to giftedness or gifted education across the United States, the National Association for Gifted Children maintains a page of current news items -- 20 for the most recent week. Find the page.
MUSIC AS THERAPY. An article at the Dana Foundation website offers a look at the current state of music therapy as a rehabilitative tool in cases of brain injury, with applications in motor, speech and language, and cognitive rehabilitation. In looking ahead, the article states, "Scientists need to better understand what dosages work best, to pay more attention to research that will benefit children, and to focus on disorders in which neurologic music therapy lacks rigorous study so far, such as autism, spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy, and multiple sclerosis." Read the article.
RECENT COURT RULING ON LDs AND FAPE. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, a federal court decision on March 22nd is "one of the first in the nation on a parent's ability to enforce a federal law that requires schools to identify all children with disabilities and provide them with an appropriate education." According to the ruling, parents may demand a hearing or file suit if a school ignores a student's disabilities. When we find out how this case may relate to twice-exceptional students (as in the case of the Hovem family of Texas, reported in 2e Newsletter last year), we'll let you know. Read the Chronicle article.
TELETHERAPY. A recent study found that therapy via video teleconference was as effective as face-to-face therapy -- and possibly even preferred by patients. The particular study focused on PTSD, but apparently previous studies have also validated the effectiveness of teletherapy. Whether it comes to the point where it can be done via webcam and your PC rather than a formal teleconference setting remains to be seen. Read about the study.
ASPIE COMPUTER GENIUS SENTENCED. Crime paid -- for awhile, anyway, for a Florida computer hacker who was able to break into computer systems of major retailers. He "earned" $2.8 million illegally, but will spend up to 20 years in prison for his efforts. From The New York Times article about the case: "A defense psychiatrist’s report described Mr. Gonzalez as a socially awkward Internet addict with an 'idiot savantlike genius for computers and information technology.'” Read more.
AEGUS has revamped its website, and you might want to check it out, including the section on articles, books, and links for parents and educators interested in gifted underachievers. Find it.
THE ASPIE PARENT is the name of a new blog by "lizpf." In her initial post she points out that the dual meanings of the blog title are intentional and tells why; in her second post she lays the groundwork for future posts by defining terms, including "twice-exceptional." Find the blog.
ABOUT NORMAL. On a listserv we read, a mom wrote of her gifted daughter, "My heart broke for her last night when she said, 'I just want to be normal.'" Another listserv member offered a consoling quote: "Normal is a setting on the dryer." We like that. Until the next post here, let's all go about our business being our own unique, un-normal selves.
TALK TO YOUR KID. New York Times columnist Jane Brody just published a column called "From Birth, Engage Your Child with Talk." The co-publishers of 2e Newsletter discussed this at dinner tonight, and one of the co-publishers was a little irate. "Of course we talked to our babies. How could you just wheel them around and ignore them?" That's what bothers Jane Brody, who recently personally congratulated a young mother for engaging her child with talk. Read it.
ATTENTION RESEARCH UPDATE. David Rabiner has posted his most recent issue, titled "Are College Students with AD/HD Misusing their Medication?" And, if they are, who's doing it and what are they doing it for? Got a gifted AD/HD kid and worried? Read the column.
WRIGHTSLAW. The current edition of Wrightlaw's Special Ed Advocate contains an article called "Master of DeceptIon" about kids who don't do homework and conceal their inaction. Is that your bright but underachieving child? Read the article.
FREE WEBINAR. Fearless Sally_L, of OGTOC fame, says that thanks to presenter Deborah Ruf the upcoming webinar titled "Ruf Estimates of Levels of Giftedness" [pun there] will be provided at no charge, although donations to help recoup costs are welcome. You can find registration information here. Find information about the presenter here. And, in our experience, you can probably be certain that you won't be able to stump Dr. Ruf with a question about the assessment of intelligence.
EDNEWS INTERVIEWS JEAN PETERSON. Michael Shaughnessy of EdNews.org recently interviewed Professor Jean Peterson of Purdue University. Peterson may be familiar to readers of 2e Newsletter for her work with gifted underachievers. In the interview, she describes her work, her latest book (The Essential Guide to Talking with Gifted Teens), and what she sees as concerns of gifted young people today. Find the interview.
ARTS, ATTENTION, COGNITION. In a newly-posted article at Cerebrum, two researchers argue that arts training can strengthen attention spans, improving cognition. The core of the argument: "We know that the brain has a system of neural pathways dedicated to attention. We know that training these attention networks improves general measures of intelligence. And we can be fairly sure that focusing our attention on learning and performing an art—if we practice frequently and are truly engaged—activates these same attention networks." Read the article.
PREPPING ASPIES FOR COLLEGE. A handful of college campuses in the US provide a college internship program to help young people with high-functioning autism prepare for college. The programs allow the young people to attend college while at the same time getting support in academics and social skills. Read the article.
THE PROBLEMS WITH SPECIAL ED is the title of an article in the National Review Online. The author points out discrepancies among states in the percentages of children placed in special education; the growth over the years in only two of the 13 federal categories of LDs (specifically, SLD and AD/HD); and what he calls "the misuse of special education." An example of the last point: schools that obtain extra funding from state and federal governments to address the problem. The author asserts that some special ed students struggle not because of LDs, but because of poor previous instruction or a difficult home life. Find the article.
DIFFERENT LEARNING STYLES ARE BUNK? A couple weeks ago we noted in this blog a Washington Post column about Daniel Willingham and his book Why Don't Students Like School? This week, Willingham makes a guest appearance in the column to make his case against the belief that students learn best when they are taught in a way that matches their learning styles. He says, "There just doesn’t seem to be much evidence that kids learn in fundamentally different ways." Read his argument. And if he's right?
VIRTUAL CONFERENCE ON AD/HD. Do you raise or teach a gifted young person with AD/HD? David Rabiner alerted us to an upcoming conference on AD/HD scheduled for October 5-7. The fee: $197 or $297, the higher amount including transcripts of all sessions and a set of CD recordings of all sessions. On their website, the organizers offer a long list of reasons why you should attend -- including a virtual conference goodie bag.