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FIRST AID FOR ANXIETY ATTACKS is the headline on a RedOrbit piece today. The piece mentions:
  • The fact that at any given time around 13 percent of Americans may have a type of anxiety disorder
  • An organization called Mental Health First Aid, which we had not heard of, that provides a 12-hour certification enabling non-professionals to respond to several mental health issues, including depression, anxiety disorders, psychosis, and substance abuse disorder, before professional help is involved.
The MHFA program originated in Australia but has been exported to other countries. Find out more information about it at the organization's website.
ATTENTION RESEARCH UPDATE. The February issue of this e-newsletter has been posted, and in it David Rabiner reviews a study of children's perspectives on living with AD/HD. Among the interesting conclusions in the study was one that indicated the youngsters with AD/HD may feel better about their quality of life than their parents perceive them as having. In addition, very few (23 percent) of the subjects regard AD/HD as an illness. Find out more.
AAEGT ANNUAL CONFERENCE. The 14th Australian National Conference on Giftedness and Talent is scheduled to be held in Adelaide, South Australia from July 12th to 15th, 2012. The theme of the conference is "Equity and Excellence for All." The event is sponsored by the Australian Association for the Education of Gifted and Talented (AAEGT) whose website is here. 
MINNESOTA GT FORUM. The third annual Hormel Foundation Gifted and Talented Education Symposium, scheduled from June 12-16, is billed as "an opportunity for educators, counselors, administrators and parents to gain greater understanding of the unique needs of gifted and high potential learners." Held in Austin, Minnesota, the event features an opening night reception at the SPAM Museum. Presenters include several familiar to readers of 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter, and some of the sessions deal with twice-exceptional topics. Session descriptions are posted at the conference site.
JAY MATHEWS offered an interesting column in Sunday's Washington Post about a family in which the parents did not let the kids know their SATs, and who pointedly did not pressure the kids achievement-wise. Oh, and while the kids evidently have LDs such as AD/HD, all three seem to be thriving. Mathews brings up the family's situation as a counterpoint to "Race to Nowhere," the movie about pressure and achievement we mentioned in this blog a bit ago. Find the column.
AND FINALLY, THIS -- ON HAPPINESS. We read about a Gallup poll that tries to measure the components of a high-quality, happy life. Gallup has identified certain traits that seem to be associated with happiness, and The New York Times asked Gallup to do a composite of "the happiest person in America." According to the polling company, "he’s a tall, Asian-American, observant Jew who is at least 65 and married, has children, lives in Hawaii, runs his own business and has a household income of more than $120,000 a year." Right, we thought; good luck finding that person. Well, The New York Times did -- except maybe for the tall part -- and he evidently is really happy. Read more.
 

SMOKING, TEENS, AND RISK. Yes, smoking apparently makes teens even more reckless than they already are by inhibiting activity in the prefrontal cortex, the area of the brain supposedly responsible for rational decision-making. If  your bright young person smokes -- or if you want ammunition to discourage that habit -- find out more.
SCHOOL FOR ASPIES. Next fall, the Temple Grandin School will open in Lafayette, Colorado, to serve students in grades 6-12 who have Asperger syndrome and similar learning challenges. One of the school's co-founders, a special ed teacher with a teen son who has Asperger's, says "There's a whole lot of potential in these kids that is destined to be unrealized in a traditional school setting." This according to an article on the school.  
SECOND LIFE AND LEARNING DISABILITIES. Two universities plan to construct a virtual classroom in Second Life, an online "world," in which students with disabilities would be mentored. Interaction would be via avatars. The classroom is expected to open in the fall and to help high-schoolers, college undergraduates, and even graduate students who have a variety of learning challenges. Read more. 
TECHNOLOGY FROM APPLE. On a similar topic, Apple is reported to be developing technology that would make it possible for content to be delivered to learners in a way appropriate for the learner's particular challenge -- eg, by providing larger font sizes for visually impaired students or by converting text to speech. Find out more and about the patent application Apple has filed at Apple Insider. 
THE GIFTED DEVELOPMENT CENTER, in Denver, Colorado, has distributed the first in what we assume will be a series of e-newsletters for the gifted community. Find the newsletter; and find GDC's Facebook page. 
2e DOWN UNDER. The New South Wales Association for Gifted and Talented Children has scheduled a 2e Forum for May 14, in Strathfield. It's positioned as "an opportunity for parents, educators, and other professionals supporting 2e children to engage in a day of learning, discussion, sharing, and planning." Find more information. (Thanks to Gifted Resources' Jo Freitag for pointing us to this event, and also for mentioning our 2e Newsletter Network on Ning. Haven't been there yet? Go here to register (free).)
AND FINALLY, THIS. Oxford Learning Systems, a UK firm selling a reading program for those with reading issues, says of their instrument, "We are very disappointed if a child does not ask to do more Easyread after the trial lesson. We aim to make it fun and laugh-out-loud entertaining. Then we add in the prizes to carry them along." What kind of prizes? Evidently one of those is a "fart machine" to engage learners. This from a press release on the product. Find out about the product. Find out more about bringing fun to phonics. Read a testimonial about it. And have a good weekend.

IN THE OSCARS TELECAST last weekend, those watching saw one winner with a wider range of gifts and talents than most, a one-time semi-finalist in the Intel Science Talent Search. Read more about Natalie Portman and her straight-A average.
CHILDHOOD MENTAL ILLNESS. On March 1st, the Chicago Tribune hosted an online chat on the topic, featuring a couple noted practitioners in the field. The pair fielded questions from their audience, addressing topics that included AD/HD and PDD-NOS. The chat is available online. 
PRESSURED AND LOSING SPIRIT. At the Huffington Post, a Harvard grad who for years interviewed applicants to the school offers stories of those interviews illustrating the pressure and even self-deceit that some of the high-achieving applicants showed. The author, a family therapist, writes about rote responses, activities chosen only for how they'd look on a transcript, and kids whose spirits were beaten out of them at the same time they (and their parents and educators) packaged them for success. The advice offered at the end of the article -- don't frighten them; encourage a natural sense of wonder; and more -- applies to that gifted (and LD) child you raise or teach. Find the article. 
CONTINUING ON THAT HAPPY THEME, a reader jerked our chain by asking if we know about the film "Race to Nowhere." One of the partners at 2e Newsletter did; the other evidently spends too much time writing these blogs. From the film's website: "Featuring the heartbreaking stories of young people across the country who have been pushed to the brink, educators who are burned out and worried that students aren’t developing the skills they need, and parents who are trying to do what’s best for their kids, "Race to Nowhere" points to the silent epidemic in our schools: cheating has become commonplace, students have become disengaged, stress-related illness, depression and burnout are rampant, and young people arrive at college and the workplace unprepared and uninspired." Sounds like a film to see. Thanks, Catherine, for the email. (Catherine said in her email, "I had the opportunity to see a screening of it last weekend, and it was very informative and thought-provoking.")
RTI ENTHUSIAST? An Education Week article covers how RTI, which began as a way to help struggling learners, is being applied for all students. Find the article. 
AD/HD AND SLEEP. Losing even an hour of sleep a night affects AD/HD kids poorly, according to a study reported at Nurse.com. Find out more.
iPAD TECHNOLOGY FOR AUTISM. The Chicago-area Daily Herald ran an article on applications that can help not only young people with autism but also those with other learning challenges.  Among the challenges addressed by iPad apps: the need for structure; communication skills; and social skills. Read the article.  
SENG WEBINAR ON MARCH 24TH. "You Can't Make Me Do It," on the topic of encouraging "motivation from the inside," is to be presented by Cheryl Franklin-Rohr. The event starts at 7:30 pm Eastern time and costs $40. Find more information.
GOT THOSE DUE-PROCESS BLUES? Check out tips and advice from Wrightslaw in Special Ed Advocate. 
AND FINALLY, THIS. Dr. Seuss' birthday is today, March 2nd; he would be 107. According to The Baltimore Sun, his 60+ books sold over 222 million copies, even more than a good issue of 2e Newsletter. So today remember your favorite Seuss book or stanza, 'coz they entertained adults and kids alike. Read more.