WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU'RE A POSTER CHILD for "female AD/HD" and you realize that all of that fame will be with you forever as Internet baggage. A young woman, now working at the National Institutes of Health, recounts her prominence and how she feels about it going forward. Read more.
FATTY ACIDS AND AD/HD. Do they help? David Rabiner reviews a study on the question (the study's answer was "no") but offers suggestions on when fatty acids might be useful for the treatment of AD/HD. Find the study.
AD/HD AND STIMULANT MEDS. If you've ever wondered how stimulant medications help children with AD/HD by affecting the brain, check out an article at About.com on the topic. Find it.
READING, WRITING, AND... RHYTHM. A study has shown that children with dyslexia may have difficulty perceiving patterns of rhythm in music, and that musical games may be a way to intervene early and forestall or ameliorate later reading problems. Read more.
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SHYNESS? ILLNESS? An article in Sunday's New York Times considers the differences between shy people (and animals) compared with more extroverted individuals, and asks whether shyness might be an evolutionary tactic. In children, the article describes the differences between "rovers" and "sitters" and what those differences might mean. Find the article.
THE SENG VINE, the organization's newsletter, is out in its June edition. Among the features is an article "What SENG Means to Me," by Amy Price, SENG's first executive director. Find the newsletter.
COLLEGE NOT THE ANSWER? An article at the site Issues in Science and Technology reminds readers that college might not be for everyone, and that apprenticeships might better prepare some students for high-skilled jobs and professions. The article describes some advantages, such as the participant's ability to quickly connect theoretical and practical learning; have role models and get a good view of the future profession; and combine work and school. The article describes apprenticeship programs in the U.S. and in other countries. Find it.
NEUROEDUCATION applies the findings of neuroscience to education, and a keynote speaker at the conference of the Insternational Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) provided "Brain Rules for Education," noting how current learning environments may be in opposition to the best functioning of the brain. The keynote is available online at the organization's YouTube channel.
AND FINALLY, THIS. Every summer, the U.S. Census Bureau sends out a ton of facts relating to the next school year. This year's barrage includes items such as these:
- The percentage of 12- to 17-year olds who reported being highly engaged in a recent year was 52 percent, up 5 points from the previous polling. (What's the percentage in your family?)
- The average starting salary offered to bachelor's degree candidates in petroleum engineering in 2009 was $85,417, among the highest of any field of study. At the other end of the spectrum were those majoring in a social science, who were offered an average of $36,217. (Go, STEM!)
- The average tuition, room and board at the nation's four-year private colleges and universities for one academic year (2008-09) was $40,633. That was more than double the cost in 1990, according to the report. (See the article on apprenticeships above.)
Read more facts and figures at the Census Bureau site.
HOW TO LAND YOUR KID IN THERAPY is the title of an article in the July/August issue of Atlantic. It's written by a psychologist and parent, and it's about parenting, with lots of input from other mental health professionals. The impetus for the article was the number of patients she was seeing who felt empty, or anxious, or unhappy -- and who seemed to have no reason to feel that way, who claimed to have had good parents and a good upbringing. The author's thesis is clarified near the end of the article: ".. by trying so hard to provide the perfectly happy childhood, we’re just making it harder for our kids to actually grow up." But along the way the author offers many things for today's parents to think about, including:
- How much effort to make to protect a child from "reality"
- The amount of choice a child is entitled to
- How and how much to try to build a child's self-esteem.
AUTISM AND AUTHORITY. We once wrote about a gifted young boy with Asperger's who got into trouble at school because those in authority did not know how to deal with an Asperger's child who has trouble with authority and authoritarian ways. Now, according to the Akron, Ohio, Beacon Journal, a police officer with an Aspie son is teaching other law enforcement officers about those on the spectrum -- how to identify them and how to deal with them in various law enforcement situations. Read the article.
AUSTISM AND GIFTED ED. A Berwyn, Illinois school is making an effort to include bright Aspie kids in gifted ed classes instead of placing them in special ed, playing to their strengths rather than their challenges. Read about how the school adapted to these kids and how the kids responded.
TEACHER-PARENT COMMUNICATION is the topic of an article in Education Week's Teacher. The article offers tips such as being proactive, how to deal with angry or abusive communications, and more. Parents would probably be well-served to read this article to see things from the teacher's point of view; after all, effective communication is especially important when parents and educators must discuss disabilities, accommodations, and challenges as well as gifts. Find it.
THIS IS YOUR BRAIN ON THE INTERNET. It's different, perhaps rewired. That's the conclusion of a recent study reported in Scientific American. Does your gifted young person spend too much time online? Find out more.
AND FINALLY, THIS. Got a near-sighted kid? It could be the result of too much time spent indoors in artificial light. At least, that's the thesis of an article in Scientific American. Read more.