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EFFECTIVE CHILD-REARING. An article in Scientific American Mind provides an analysis of effective child-rearing practices. Researchers distilled 10 skill sets from the "literature," then surveyed 2000 parents to determine which skills are most important  in "bringing up healthy, happy, and successful kids," according to the article. Number one: giving love and affection. Numbers two and three: managing stress and having a good relationship with the other parent. Low on the list: the use of behavioral management techniques, a finding that makes us personally happy because we never did as much of that as we thought we should. You can read some of the article at the SciAm Mind site.
MORE ON PARENTING. Science Daily points us to research showing that parents' efforts in educating their children is more important than efforts by the school or by the children themselves. The study also found that the socio-economic status of parents has an effect on the effort a school puts out. Read more.
ACCOMMODATIONS FOR ACT, SAT. If your gifted/LD child needs accommodations for college entrance exams such as the SAT or the ACT, check out an article in The New York Times, called "Accommodations Angst." The article provides statistics on the percentage of accommodation requests approved by the College Board and ACT. You'll also find background on the law and disability rights, plus some tips on how to gain the accommodations your child might need and deserve. Find the article.
VIDEO RESOURCE. The UC-Davis MIND Institute offers free online videos on a variety of topics of interest to those who raise, educate, and counsel twice-exceptional children. Topics include AD/HD, advocacy, ASD, assistive technology, learning disorders, treatment/therapy/intervention, and more. For example, under the topic "learning disorders," a visitor can choose from videos with titles such as:
  • Functional Brain Imaging Studies of Reading and Reading Disabilities
  • The Linguistic Basis of Reading Disabilities
  • Assessing Communication Skills of Young Children with Multiple Disabilities/Sensory Impairments: An Interdisciplinary Approach
The videos are presented by a variety of professionals; most are at least an hour long. Find the videos. 
NEW YORK SPD WORKSHOP.  Parents of children with a sensory processing disorder (SPD) and clinicians treating children with a SPD can learn about the latest research and treatment techniques at a full-day workshop to be held at Columbia University's Faculty House in Manhattan on December 3. The workshop will teach parents and clinicians how to create a tailored sensory experience for children, movement skills in the school and home environment and offer tips on seeking funding for the child's treatment. The workshop will also be available in Philadelphia. More information.
FAST FOOD AND YOUR CHILD. USA Today reported on research done by Yale University on nutrition and fast food. [That might be an oxymoron.] Research covered 3000 kids' meal combinations served up by eight chains. The findings: only a dozen or so of those meals are healthful. Read the USA Today article. Or, find out a lot more about the topic at the Fast Food Marketing site.

AUTISM'S FIRST CHILD -- That's the title of an article in Atlantic Magazine about the first person to receive that diagnosis, in a medical article in 1943. The writers of the Atlantic article tracked down Donald Triplett, the boy who was the subject of the article, to see what his life was like. The result is an engaging and enlightening piece. Find it.
PERCEPTIONS OF MENTAL ILLNESS. A survey reported in the Los Angeles Times sheds light on peoples' perceptions of those with mental illness and on how comfortable people are in associating with those with mental illness. There's been increased "enlightenment" in some ways -- but social stigma is largely unchanged. Find the article.
CHILDHOOD STRESS AND LATER DEPRESSION may be linked, according to a study reported in Science Daily. Researchers have noted that elevated stress levels in adolescence, as measured by the amount of the hormone cortisol, doubles the risk of developing a serious mood disorder as a young adult. Find the writeup.
DEFINITION OF GIFTED. Ever wonder how "gifted" is defined? This year, the National Association for Gifted Children revised their definition. You may find that definition, along with some implications of giftedness, on the organization's website.

THE GOVERNOR'S RACE IN CONNECTICUT is a win-win situation in one respect; no matter which candidate is elected, Republican or Democratic, the outcome will change perceptions of disabilities. The Democratic candidate is dyslexic, and according to an article in the Norwich Bulletin was labeled mentally retarded as a child. The Republican candidate has a form of facial paralysis, which he does not consider a disability but which he says has increased his awareness of the effects of disability. Read the article.
SENG WEBINAR. The next webinar from the organization Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted is titled "Existential Depression in Gifted Children and Adults," and will be presented on November 18th  by James T. Webb, SENG's founder and head of Great Potential Press. Find out more.
DYSLEXIA-FRIENDLY READING PROGRAM. An Arizona school district intends to reduce the number of students in special-ed programs by using a "dyslexia-friendly" phonics-based reading curriculum. The twist? All students are taught using the curriculum. Find out more.
EARLY INTERVENTION IN AUTISM. The New York Times described the adaptation of an autism therapy originally designed for toddlers to be applied to infants as young as six months. The intent: to intervene as early as possible, preventing off-course development that prevents the infant from learning to read faces and learning emotional cues. "Infant Start" is a pilot program, hampered by the lack of a formal diagnosis for autism before age 2; but it could lead the way to more formal, randomized trials. Read the article.
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