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The LD Podcast is
a free weekly podcast/internet radio show about learning and learning
disabilities. Our focus is on parenting children who are struggling in
school, but you'll find many of the topics we discuss applicable to any
child. You'll hear a lot about how to emphasize your child's strengths,
while helping them find ways to minimize their deficits. Every child
learns, but not all children learn the same way or at the same pace as
others. Topics include:
Dyslexia
ADHD
Central Auditory Processing Disorder
Asperger's and Autism Spectrum Disorders
Strategies to help your child succeed in school
Special Education
Therapy and therapists
Gifted Children with Learning Disabilities
Understanding How Your Child Learns Best and How You Can Help
Whether
your child has a diagnosis of a specific learning disability or not, we
can provide you with information on how to help your child be more
successful in school and at home.
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In recent weeks, I've had the chance to speak to educators about how New Media is changing education, and what it can and cannot do for the classroom. I recorded this presentation at Podcamp DC, and thought it was something you might want to hear as well- Because regardless of whether your child is a superstar in school or is struggling, every child will need to develop skills to compete in a multi-media world. They will need to use computers, and feel comfortable using on line tools as part of their education. As parents and teachers, we need to adapt what we do in the classroom to help children learn these skills.
You can see the slide for the presentation by going to Slideshare here.
We'd love to have you participate in our survey- you can go straight to it by clicking here.
If you are interested in hearing more about one of my favorite muscicians and my good friend, Matthew Ebel, click here to go to his website.
In this week's show, we continue our conversation with Melinda Pongrey, Educational Therapist and producer of the LD Live show. In today's show, we talk about "Dysteachia", educational research, how everyone sees a child through a different lens, and how important a parent's perspective is. We talk about how critical it is to actually include the child in the discussions, to find out exactly how they see the world, and even help them brainstorm solutions.
If you get a chance, please consider clicking on the link above and filling out the short survey about the podcast, so we can better serve you and your interests.
Many thanks to Aveeno Baby for sponsoring the LD Podcast, and be sure to check out the other great shows on the Mommycast & Friends Family Channel. Many thanks again
Today is the first part of my interview with Melinda Pongrey. Melinda is the producer of a live video LD talk show called LD Live, and an educational therapist in Washington State.
Melinda and I discuss what an Educational therapist does, when you might want to consider one, what kids really need to succeed in school, and how listening to kids is one of the best diagnostic tools around.
This is also our first week of sponsorship with Aveeno Baby. I'd love to hear your reactions to our first ever sponsor of the podcast, and any suggestions you might have- please email me at ldpodcast@gmail.com or call me directly at 302-482-4599 and let me know what you think!
Ever feel like your hanging on by your fingertips? We've been really busy here behind the scenes, setting up interviews, attending a conference or two and -even taking a vacation with the family. After a brief hiatus, the LD Podcast is back!
In todays show, we talk about Autsim Awareness Month; an update on the Ma Chen Autism School in China project, and recent happenings in the news about learning disabilities issues.
You'll here us talk about a new sponsor for the show in this episode, although after I recorded the show, we found out the formal sponsorship will start in May; consider this a preview of coming attractions!
We've got some exciting things for you on the horizon-and It's good to be back at the mike to talk with you again!
Show # 80- Nancy Thomas- Early Childhood Education and Spotting Issues Nancy Thomas (also my Mother In Law) is an expert in early childhood education. nancy has her master's in early childhood education from Wheelock Coolege in Boston, and has worked in the field for over thirty years. She has inspected day care centers and preschools for Broward and Dade County, Florida; she has owned her own center, and she teaches classes through Nova University.
When a child seems to be having some developmental delays or is not like the rest of the kids, where do you go for help, and what questions do you ask? Nancy was one of my primary resources, and we spoke about what it was like when my oldest son seemed to have some problems and how we handled that.
Nancy has always been a great source for me when I've been worried about my kids, and in this interview, we sit down and discuss how children develop over time and cognitive development; trusting a parent's intuition; why teachers hate giving bad news; contextual learning, the importance of story-telling as a learning tool; making family connections; and teaching children both to take the risks they need to learn as well as learning to be independent over time. Nancy is always thoughtful and provoking, and I know you will find her guidance as helpful as I have.
Sorry for the delay in shows- stomach flu has had us under the weather- but we're back!
As always, please email us at ldpodcast@gmail.com or you can contact me via skype at whitney.hoffman, or on twitter as Ldpodcast!
In the second half of my conversation with jonathan Mooney, we talk about his great book, The Short Bus, and how many kids and parents chase the concept of "normal" or "fixing" their kids with LD. We also discuss how parents can help kids learn to play some of the "games" of school- like giving teachers exactly what they want, plus a little bit more, along with other ways to be successful. Kids need mentoring, and sometimes parents are always the best mentors, which is where Jonathan's Project Eye to Eye comes into play.
I also talk about the progress we're making on raising money for the Ma Chen- Autism School in China Project! Thank you so much for everyone who has donated! We're running the program through March 22nd, at which time I will wire 100% of the money we've raised to Ma Chen, paying any associated costs myself.
I want to take the opportunity to thank CC Chapman for donating $750 he raised during the My Oovoo Day events towards the Ma Chen project. Joseph Jaffe, head of Crayon, an internet marketing firm, and Scott Monty, put together a great project where people could try out the new video conferencing service, Oovoo, by signing up to speak with some of the great "players" in the internet blogging space. In return, Oovoo is donating money to the Susan Rynolds "Frozen peas" fund for breast cancer research. CC Chapman, whose sister is a speech therapist working with autistic children, asked to have half of the money he earned donated to the Ma Chen Project. This means we will have at least $1,500 to send to Ma Chen, helping towards her goal of buying a farm so the autistic children in her school will have a chance at a future, in a society and culture where there is no real societal safety net for people with disabilities.
I'll be at Podcamp Toronto this weekend if the weather holds, and if you are there, please come say hi!
Also mentioned in the show-
March, 2008 issue of Parent's Magazine- great article about speech and language delays
Jonathan Mooney is the author of two great books, Learning Outside the Lines, and a new book, The Short Bus. Both books tell of Jon's journey from being a child who couldn't read at age 12, to graduating from one of the top colleges in the Country, Brown University> Jonathan is CEO of Project Eye to Eye, a non-profit foundation that helps find mentors for students struggling with LD in elementary and middle school school. Jon speaks extensively across the Country, both to help people realize kids can be both smart and learning disabled, and in the hopes that we can remake education to concentrate less on labels and more on what kids can accomplish.
From Jon's Website:
When his teachers decided Jon needed special ed because he
couldn’t follow directions, sit still, or read well, he feared he’d
lost his chance to be a regular kid. Suddenly he was “not normal.”
Suddenly he was a short-bus rider destined to travel a harder road, a
distinction that screamed out his “difference” to a hostile world.
Along with other kids facing similar challenges, he was denigrated
daily. He almost lost hope. Yet ultimately, Jon shocked the
skeptics, graduating from Brown University (with honors). But he could
never shake the voice that insisted he would always be "less than."
Jon's first book, Learning Outside the Lines, also contains great strategies geared towards college students, to help them succeed in school- strategies you may be able to adapt to help your younger child figure out the game of school.
Today's show features Part one of my conversation with Jonathan Mooney, and a bit about a wonderful educational conference I recently attended, Educon 2.0. Jon and I talk about Project Eye to Eye, what it was like growing up with LD, and how we can change education to be more compassionate to people who learn differently.
Imagine, just for a moment, discovering your only child has autism. Imagine this happens while living
in a Country of 1.3 Billion people, where only two state-run schools
exist to serve all of the people with autism. You live in a culture
where the
very existence of autism has only recently been recognized as a
disability, and your child's disability is seen as sign that you, the
parent, did not lead a virtuous life. People with disabilities may be
able to work in fields, but are generally shut away to avoid a loss of
face for the family. What would you do?
What would you do if you were a Mom a continent away, but also realized
you could, with a few calls and emails, help this Mom who is struggling
against odds you can't fully imagine?
A week ago, an article in the Wall Street Journal
caught my eye- a mother in China, Ma Chen, discovered her daughter had autism.
There were only 2 schools in all of China for autistic children. Ma
Chen opened an additional school, and is currently hoping to buy a
piece of farm land for $10,000, so that the children will have a place
to go and something to do after they finish school.
Just like Sally Smith starting the Lab School, or my attempts to help parents and children with learning disabilities through this Podcast and website, Ma Chen is a mother who just doesn't take no for an answer and is making things happen in China for her daughter and other children with autism.
China is a
place where disabilities are often seen as a sign of being a bad
parent, even though we know that many of them are genetic disorders. The New England Journal of Medicine
reports that there is at least one form of autism caused by a
spontaneous "micro deletions and "micro replications" of specific
genes. You can read more about it here.
I want to help. By coincidence, one of my childhood friends is the
Senior
Cultural Attache for the US Department of Agriculture in Beijing,
China, so it seemed easy enough to email him and ask if there was any
way to verify the story. If we could, I want to try to raise enough
money, $10,000 US, to help Ma Chen purchase this farm as a "Mothers to
Mothers" way of making the World better for our children. I asked Eric
if there was a way to get the money directly to Ma Chen, and also not
cause an international incident in the process. Eric is continuing to
pursue the matter through diplomatic channels, and to look into whether
there can be help offered through the USDA directly as a development
project, and is hoping to have more news shortly.
In addition, Ian Johnson, the writer from the Wall Street Journal,
has been in contact with their office in Shanghi. He can help us
arrange a Western Union transfer directly to Ma Chen and her
organization to help her with her school and the purchase of this farm
for the children.
I think it is currently "safe" to try to raise
funds to help Ma Chen and her school and have confidence we can get the
money directly to her.
As a mom of a child with a learning
disability, I know how painful it can be, and how much worry it
causes. Starting from a sense of something not being right with your
child, to finding out what is wrong, to trying to figure what you can
do to make it better can be exhausting and a frustrating process. It's
even harder for the parents I know who have autistic
children, who don't know whether their child will be able to
hold a job or make a living when they grow up, or what will happen to
them after the parents pass away. And that's here in the US, where we
acknowledge autism as a disability. Ma Chen faces challenges dealing
with these same issues in China that make all of our very real worries
seem insignificant by comparison.
Our goal is to raise $10,000 for Ma
Chen, to help her purchase the farm, so these children have a place to
go- a sheltered work environment, where people understand them, and a
place where they can be productive. This is a tangible way we can
collectively help make a lasting difference in the lives of children a
continent away, for little more than the cost of a latte.
I've started a Chip-in page for this cause at
http://ldpodcast.chipin.com/ma-chen-autism-school-in-china. If you are
interested in supporting this cause, you can make donations of any size
here- for the cost of a latte, we may collectively be able to make a
big difference in the lives of children with autism in a place where
the parents and children face obstacles it's hard for us to imagine.
Thank you so much for your consideration- I would not ask if I was not
assured we could get the funds directly to Ma Chen and make a
difference in the lives of the children.
In the second part of my interview with Steve Graham, we
talk about how early we should start to work on a child’s writing, when kids
start developing negative attitudes towards writing, and the costs of not being
able to write well.We also share a few
things about writer’s block, style, strategies and getting into the flow.
I also talk about a recent article from the BBC showing over
13 million adults in the UK
are stressed about their lack of skills in literacy and mat, and how adults use
math skills up to 14 times a day and literacy skills up to 23 times a day.This sure convinced my 6th graders
that they couldn’t avoid learning this tuff now andit was important to them as adults!
I also talk about the recent PBS Frontline special on The
Medicated Child.
Our intro features a clip that Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
were kind enough to record for me at a recent book signing, and I encourage you
all to check out their Peter and the Shadow Thieves books- they’re fantastic!
Show #75- Dr Steve Graham- The Development of Writing
When over two-thirds of children can’t write well enough to
keep up with the demands in the classroom, you have to wonder what is going on
with writing instruction in the Nation’s classrooms.Handwriting, and the minimal instruction
given in schools is only one part of the picture- getting an idea, transforming
it into words, and then transcribing those words for others to see- are all
involved.Add issues with grammar and
syntax, and you begin to understand writing is to reading as calculus is to
math- it requires you to bring all parts of the literacy puzzle into play, all
at once, like an orchestra.
If you want to understand why a child may struggle in
writing, and how to figure out which part of the puzzle may be causing them
problems, this two-part interview is for you.
Dr. Steve Graham is a professor and the Currey Ingram chair
in special education at VanderbiltUniversity.He's done extensive research into
the development of writing in children and writing instruction.His interests goes beyond just handwriting and
into the cognitive processes that go into transforming ideas into words and
then into written text.He is the editor
of Exceptional Children, and has
cowritten many books, including the Handbook of Writing Research, Handbook of
Learning Disabilities, Writing Better, and Making the Writing Process
Work.He received a career research
award from the Council for exceptional Children and Special Education Research
Interest Group in the American Educational Research Association.
His wife, Dr, Karen Harris, is just as impressive, serving
as editor of the Journal of Educational Psychology, and President of the
Division of Research for the Council for Exceptional Children.
Dr. Graham was recently quoted in an article in Newsweek,
discussing the importance of handwriting in the learning process, and he was
kind enough to spend an hour with me, discussing all aspects of the writing
process, as kids develop during the school years.Anyone who has a child who has struggled with
any aspect of writing shouldn’t miss this two-part interview, covering the
three major stages of the writing process, how to give appropriate feedback to
kids learning how to write, and how handwriting has both reader and writer
affects, impacting how a child is perceived and how his work is judged and
graded by others.
Audio Holiday Card- Merry Christmas, Happy Haunnakah, Happy New Year!
This year, as last, I have put tpgether an audio christmas card to thank you,
the listeners to the LD Podcast, to the Guests, and to the many friends of the
show that all keep me energized to keep this project going week after week.
Special thank you to:
Our guests:
Tom Brown, Dale Brown, from LD Online, Anne Ford, Dr. Perri Klass, Dr. Steve
Graham, Sally smith, who passed away on December 1st; Ben Mitchell, Rick LaVoie,
Dr. Bob Brooks, Alan Zametkin, Dr. Kathleen Nadeau, Nina Straightman
Chris Penn, CC Chapman, Chris Brogan, Megin and Stu over at the GNM Parents
blog, Linda Mills, John Havens, Jen Yuan who made me do National Blog Posting
Month this year; Howard Greenstein, Eric Skiff, Lynnette Young, Kathryn Jones,
Kathy King, Vivian Vasquez, Tammy and Wendy from Podtalk Divas, Bob Goyetche and
his wife Kat, who do almost too many podcasts to mention; Michelle Wolverton,
Bill Rowland, Adam Plante, Rand, Drew Olanoff, Steve Lubetkin, Alan Chaess, Alex
Hillman, Annie from GPTMC, Deni and Lisa Marshall, from Podcamp Philly.
This week, the community lost one of its true treasures, Sally L. Smith, Founder of the Lab School, and professor at American University. I was lucky enough to sit down and interview Sally last spring for the podcast. I will be republishing the shows with Sally in the podcast feed, to celebrate her life and work. Thank you to Vivian Vasquez from the CLIP Podcast and American University for introducing me to Sally, and for letting me [articipate in a small way in Sally's memorial.
In this week's show, we finish our talk with Ben Mitchell, Director of Admissions from Landmark College. We discuss changing college curriculum to decrease attrition in all schools; The use oif Assistive technology in the classroom, Summer Programs at Landmark College, and their most famous graduate, Russell Cosby, brother of Bill Cosby.
Russell Cosby attended Landmark College as an adult, to work on his reading problems caused by dyslexia, as geatured in the film, Ennis's Gift, available through the Ennis Cosby Foundation. This film let me see what going to school was like for people with learning disabilities, and see how it affected people as they grew up- it was one of the most moving documentaries I have ever seen, and I urge you all to check it out.
Show #72 Benjamin Mitchell, Director of Admissions, Landmark College- Transitioning to College In today's show, we speak with Ben Mitchell, Director of Admissions at Landmark College. Landmark College specializes in students with learning disabilities and ADHD, as well as transitioning students into other four-year colleges with the skills they need to succeed.
Ben and I talked about a variety of topics, including Universal Design of Curriculum, seeking to make college courses accessible to everyone, regardless of disability. We spoke about the Center for Applied Special Technology, or CAST, which specializes in universal design; the Association of Higher Eeducation and Disability, (AHEAD), a group of colleges looking at accessibility issues for students with a broad range of disabilities, not just learning issues.
With national graduation rates from college indicating that over 45% of students drop out, colleges are trying to figure out how to reduce this rate. But the biggest challenges students face when entering college is not the classwork itself, it's having to manage time, organization, and planning, needed to complete coursework- the skill set that poses so many challenges for kids with learning disabilities and ADHD in particular. Executive functions and understanding how a student learns best is a primary issue for college students, and it's at the center of the programs provided at Landmark.
Even if your child is not of college age, I know you'll find this conversation intriguing, as we talk about how learning to learn is as important as what you learn about at school.
In this last segment of my conversation with Nina, we talk about the Milwaukee School District Case and the fact that a child's learning issues may not be evident from the start; The Fourth Grade Slump; the advantages of perscriptive education in small schools like centreville, and the importance of discovering a child's affinities.
Next time, we'll talk to Benjamin Mitchell, Director of Admissions at Landmark College about making the transition from high school to college and what problems students develop.
Have a very happy Thanksgiving!
We have just added a Facebook Group! If you are interested, there is open membership; I am considering starting a Ning Group as well if people are interested. please drop me a line at ldpodcast@gmail.com and let me know!
Show # 70 Nina Straightman - Language therapist- Fluency, Comprehension, and the Development of Language Skills
In this show, we continue our converation with Nina Straightman, talking about the language development in newborns, fluency and text structure, using graphic organizers and how language- from oral language to reading to writing develop in kids.
Recently, a number of authors have been through our area, speaking about the books they've written and signing books for children. We've been to presentations from Brian Jacques, author of Redwall and other novels for children, and Dave Barry and Ridley pearson, authors of the Peter and the Star Catchers series. Over the next few episodes, I'm going to include short clips from these presentations, so you get a sense of what these book signings are like, and how really wonderful they can be for kids. Kids learn that authors are real people, and children's authors are particularly good at engaging the audience and bringing their words to life to kids. I think there are few better ways to make books and writing exciting to kids as letting them hear and meet the authors of their favorite books.
I strongly recommend these books for children from about age 9 on up- you won't regret it!
Show # 69- The Development of Reading- Nina Straitman
“We read to
comprehend and to make an emotional connection to a character or to gain
knowledge.”Nina Straitman
Nina Straitman
is the Language Coordinator for the CentrevilleSchool, a school for children with
language based learning disabilities in Wilmington,
DE.Nina is also a clinical specialist in Developmental Medicine at AI
duPont Hospital for Children.She has a
B.A. in Anthropology and a master’s in Speech/Language Pathology, giving her
wonderful insights into the development of language both from a social science
and medical perspective.She has a
particular interest in the development of language, reading comprehension and
writing in middle school students.
I spent the
afternoon recently over at Centreville, talking to Nina about reading and
reading instruction, but you’ll find we ended up talking about so much more,
including:
-Finding out
that reading is an extension of oral language development.The levels of reading disability are higher
in the deaf population than in the blind population, indicating that a large
part of reading development is an auditory event, rather than just a visual
event.
- Learning to
read has to do with language development as much as learning how to decode and
encode written text.
-Development
of Syntax happens from the early development of words into early sentences –
two word combinations
-Comprehension
cannot be taught by having a child read independently and then answer questions
independently- it must be an interactive process.
-As of July
2007, all text must be accessible.This
means all new text books will have to be accessible- this means they will have
to have an audio version as well.
-The last
stage in language development is the ability to use specialized language, with
vocabulary and expression of sophisticated thoughts that goes beyond ordinary
conversational speech.
We do talk
about how specialized instruction in reading differs from the usual reading
instruction taught in schools, and why this makes such a difference for children
with learning disabilities.
Nina also wanted to let you know about the Learning By Design website, and the SpellTalk discussion group. If you are an educator or a parent interested in keeping up on the latest in reading research, this is an excellent resource to check out.
We’ll have
even more next week, so stay tuned!
As always, I’d
love to hear from you- we are going to have a new blog up soon.In the meantime, please send all email to ldpodcast@gmail.com and voicemail to our
new number: (206)-203-4616
In the second part of my conversation with Rick LaVoie, we discuss ADHD, organization, seeing things from your child's perspective, how we need to set a good example for our kids, helicopter parenting and how to motivate them.
Rick Lavoie has worked in special education for over 30 years. He has three degrees in Special Education, and has produced the single best selling educational video over the past 20 years- "How Difficult Can this Be? the F.A.T. City workshop" which shows teachers and adults what it's like to be a child with learning disabilities in the classroom.
One of Rick's greatest gifts is helping us see what the world looks lke through our children's eyes. By doing that, and illustrating his ideas in such a way that they are memorable and better still, actionable, Rick's thoughts are not just more words about what you SHOULD do, they're about things you CAN do, easily, now, to make a huge difference in your life and that of your child.
Today, we talk about a wide variety of topics. the most important of which is also the topic of Rick's new book, "The Motivation Break-through- 6 secrets to Turning on the Tuned Out Child". By breaking down how motivation works, we can understand how to help our children become motivated to succeed in every aspect of their lives (and it's pretty good for the rest of us as well...)
Most importantly, the book gives you specific pointers and action steps to take, to help your child today. He even has a great chapter in the book about explaining learning disabilities to your child,and how to explain things so it is not a "negative" just a difference, that can be dealt with, just like any other challenge in life.
If there's one gift you can give yourself this year, it's reading "The Motivation Breakthrough".
I encourage everyone to go to Rick's website and to check on his upcoming speaking dates. If he is in your area, don't miss an opportunity to see him present in person.
Next week, we'll have an interview with Nina Straightman, a reading and language specialist at the Centreville School, a school for children with language-based learning disabilities.
We are looking into doing a call-in show to answer your questions- please drop me an email if you are interested at ldpodcast@gmail.com. We also have a new voicemail numner (206) 203-4616- please call and leave your comments and questions and we'll answer them on the show!
In this week's show, I sat down with Rick LaVoie, to discuss why LD kids need different approaches in education that "regular" kids, self-esteem, and motivation. Rick has over 30 years experience teaching and mentoring kids with learning disabilities, has been a guest lecturer at many universities; and has made national television appearances on the CBS Morning Show, Good Morning America, ABC Evening News and Disney Channel Presents.
Rick
serves as a consultant on Learning Disabilities to several agencies and
organizations including Public Broadcasting Service, New York Times,
National Center for Learning Disabilities, Girl Scouts of America,
Child Magazine and WETA in Washington DC. He is a member of the Professional Advisor
Board of the Learning Disabilities Association.
Rick
has delivered his message to over 500,000 parents and professionals
throughout North America. He has the distinction of having delivered
Keynote Addresses for all three of the major special needs advocacy
organizations in the United States (Learning Disabilities Association,
Council for Exceptional Children, Children with Attention Deficit
Disorder).
I saw Rick speak at the Centreville School several years ago, and his talk changed the way I parent my children. Many of the regular listeners to the podcast will often hear me quote Rick, including my favorite phrases I got from him "When Elephants Fight, It's the Grass that gets Trampled" and "You need not attend every battle to which you are invited."
Rick delivers great advice in a direct, easy to understand manner, complete with examples that we all can relate to. Rick's advice has made me a better and more compassionate parent, and I hope you enjoy hearing him as much as I enjoyed talking to him. I strongly recommend his new book to every parent and educator- it's simply amazing.
Some brief news- I have recently joined the Mommycast & Friends Podcast Channel. My good friends, Paige & Gretchen from Mommycast have put together a group of the best family-friendly podcasts on the web, so parents can find the best content and the best information to make our daily lives easier and a while lot more fun, too!
Other great shows on the channel include Just One More Book! by Mark Blevis and Andrea Ross, discussing some of the greatest children books out there; Boutique Cafe; Runaway Design, TechnoGeekery- a tech show for the rest of us, delievered in plain english, and of course, Mommycast and the Mommycast Music Show. I'm really excited to join such a great group of shows, and encourage you to check them out as well!
As always, I'd love to hear what you think about the show- please email me with any feedback at LDpodcast@gmail.com.
LD Podcast #66 Child Find, National Reading and Math Report Card, and Should Kids Study More Science & Math?
In today's show, I talk about the latest LD Newsm including:
*A recent court case reported by Peter Wright, Special Education lawyer and legal expert, and his great online resource, Wrightslaw. This case, Jamie S. v. Milwaukee Public Schools (E.D. WI, Case # 01-C-928), dealt with whether or not the Miwaukee Schools were adequately finding children in need of special education help and intervention. In this class action case, many children who could have used evaluations and interventions were denied these, in favor of more expedient "punishments" such as suspending a child rather than trying to get to the bottom of any problem behaviors in school. The schools defended themselves as trying to avoid stigmatizing children with a special education label, but in fact, were not doing their duty to identify and provide services to these children in the educational setting under the requirements of the IDEA.
*The new "Nation's Report Card" on Reading and Math have come out, showing a slight improvement of 2 points in the average 4th grade reading and math levels; a closing of the racial gap by one point. This seems like pretty meager progress, and it still holds true that only 34% of all children are testing proficient or advanced on the reading test. This means the gains are pretty much limited to moving children from the below basic to basic only reading levels.
*Lastly, I talk about a survey that shows while businesses are desperate for more highly trained students in science and math, many parents seem to think the science and math curriculum is adequate. This either means parents are not getting the message of the continued importance in this global economy of making sure our children are well educated, or we are doing a poor job of communicating the importance of a science education beyond the lab.
The LD Podcast is joining a new podcasting network= more information coming soon!
In the near future, short "the Best of the LD Podcast" shows will be available on LD Online, one of the best and most comprehensive LD resources on the world wide web. More on this as it becomes available!
We are contemplating trying a call-in show- if you would be interested in trying this format, please drop me an email at ldpodcast@gmail.com.
LD Podcast#65: What are you waiting for? Tell them Now!
We're back after our Podcamp Philly induced hiatus.
There's lots of exciting things in store for the LD Podcast in the upcoming weeks. Today's show features some of the latest news in the LD world, including a study that reports 8.7% of kids may have ADHD, but that many kids, especially those from lower socio-economic families may be under-diagnosed. We discuss a school for kids with LD in the Philly-area, and more evidence that shows appropriate reading instruction can actually reverse the neurological differences in the brains of kids with dyslexia, so that they read and process language closer to that of their non-dyslexic peers.
This summer, I heard a moving episode of This American Life, a great show produced by WBEZ , Chicago Public radiom and distributed by Public Radio International. The show is entitled Special Ed, and has three moving stories of people with developmental disabilities. The whole show is simply amazing, and each story spoke to me. I really wanted to share some of it with you, and wrote the producers to ask if that was at all possible.
Seth Lind, Production manager from This American Life, got back to me and TAL generously agreed to let me play up to 5 minutes of the show on air, with credit. I decided to use the introduction to the show, because it talks about how sometimes, kids seem to be the last to know that they are different, special, and not always in a good way. As Ira Glass talks to several kids, we see how hurt they are to find out they're different.
I see parents all the time who are embarrassed by their child's learning disabilities. They try to couch taking meds as merely taking vitamins, or otherwise disguise the disability. Merely covering up an LD doesn't make it go away, though. It's part of a child's neurology, their make-up, who they are. And we have to get comfortable with it, and let them be comfortable with it, in order to figure out ways to deal with it.
Just imagine if you tried to give someone chemotherapy without ever telling them they had cancer. If you don;t acknowledge the problem, big or small, you can't being to deal with it or solve it. And your child should not be the last one to knwo they have an issue.
If there's one message I can impart it's this: Learning disabilities are not fatal. They are as natural as having brown hair, or blue eyes. It's a part of who a person is, and it's nothing to be ashamed of or embarrassed about.
The song today is Lend me Your Love by Slackstring- It's available both through iTunes and the Podsafe Music network.
(This American Life is also available as a podcast, and it's one of my favorites. I strongly recommend this episode as well as every show, and would encourage you also to support your local public radio station.)
Today's guest is my son, James. For over a year now, I have spoken about both of my children, James and John, and used them as examples. Examples about when certain things have worked, and when some things have not. I thought it was time to let you hear James talk about having a learnign disability, having ADHD, and what it's been like for him. I ask James what we do well as parents, and what we do wrong- what works for him, and what does not. I was impressed by how relaxed and honest he was in his answers, and I hope you will be, too.
I'd love to hear your comments on this show in particular at ldpodcast@gmail.com.
Show # 63- Avoiding Extremes- We're Back From vacation!
In
today's show, I talk about how we need to keep centered, and avoid the
extreme reactions to things. For example, we can choose to be an
advocate, or we can choose to be adversarial with school staff; We can
ask for help or we can demand services; we can work as a team or take
defensive and polarizing positions.
In the end, parents need to
work together with schools, teachers, doctors, therapists and more. We
need to work through the bureaucracy, rather than just rail against it.
We need to work as much within the system as possible, and try to get
as many others on our child;s side as possible. By showing yourself as
an engaged and concerned parent, you are more likely to get what you
and your child need, than if you take an adversarial and combative
approach to every interaction with professionals.
You want to be
respected, and as such, you have to be the professional as well, even
when it's frustrating and makes you angry. We all need to remember-
When the elephants fight- it's the grass that gets trampled. In other
words, when we fight with professionals, our child may really be the
one hurt in the end by all this conflict.
If anyone's interested, you can see some of the great shots we got on our whale watching trip by clicking here. This will take you to Blip.TV where I have the movie hosted.
involving your child in their IEP's andtalking to them about their issues
We also feature a song "Odd Bird" by the Lacivious biddies from the Podsafe Music Network
Enjoy, and we'll be back full force after a week off for conference and vacation!
And.... we've been successful at Handwriting Without Tears for both kids, the last 6 out of 8 days at home!
Also side note- The Apple retail stores are doing a series of summer camps in July- my kids went today, and it was fantastic. Camps are free to attend, and kids got some neat stuff as well as an opportunity to learn something new in a short period of time- I highly recommend this to every parent!
Happy Anniversary! The LD Podcast is Officially One Year Old!
Firstly, Thanks to every single listener, Past Present and Future!
I have worked on this anniversary show for two weeks, playing with ideas, and decided instead of going all out fancy, I would go simple. We'll do fancy soon. In this show, I speak from the heart, letting all of your know why I was moved to start the LD Podcast, and what I have gone through with my kids. I think forming a community that exchanges research-based, reliable information is the most important thing we can do here at the LD Podcast, as well as providing needed support. We need to take you to the best and most up-to-date information available, so you can help your child succeed. Development is linear, and you need to help a child as early as possible to maximize long term success.
Next week, we'll be back to our reguilar show format. This is just a heart felt thank you to each of you, so you get to know me a little better, what our biases might be, and why we decided to do this in the first place. The most important thing to me, in the end, is to build a community where Moms, Dads and teachers can come to learn about how learning works, what strategies can help all kids succeed, and why these tools are so vitally important for kids for whom school and learning isn't easy.
Thank you.
It's a little crazy with our summer schedule, family vacation plans, and two upcoming conferences- BlogPhiladelphia and PodCamp Philly. We're still shooting for weekly shows, but the release days may vary. Such is the life of a Mom! Thanks for your patience.
As always, you can reach me by email at ldpodcast@gmail.com, twitter- ldpodcast, and voicemail, 206-666-2343.
Show #60- Jan Olsen, OTR- Handwriting Without Tears, Part II
This week's show starts out with a few quick stories, including a wrap up of the amazing people I met at Podcasters Across Borders. Podcasts to check out: Quirky Nomads- Sage Tyrtle Just One More Book- Mark and Andrea The Catfish Show- Cat & Bob
Thanks to Dave Reader of Parrish, NY for all his help in fixing my flat tires, and sharing his life with me on my way to PAB. Dave told me what it was like for him growing up with dyslexia, and how his experiences affected how he encouraged his children to stay in school. His daughter now teaches autistic children in Massachusetts.
I share comments from listener Susanna about the last show.
In the second half of my interview with Jan Olsen, Jan talks in detail about the handwriting without tears program, and how it can help kids learn to write - tear free. One great comment she made- "Honey, you're doing great- it's your letters that are in trouble!" As a result of my conversation with Jan, I have new workooks, and will start working with my guys again this summer, no more than five minutes, twice a day. I'll post their progress on the blog- this will help keep me honest and accountable, too.
Next show, we'll celebrate our 1 year anniversary!
Thanks again for listening, and as always, contact us by email at ldpodcast@gmail.com and by phone at (206) 666-2343.
Show #59- Jan Olsen, OTR- Handwriting Without Tears
Handwriting skills, or penmanship, is no longer taught in schools the same way it was when I was in elementary school in the 70's. Yet, we are putting more and more emphasis on writing skills in school. While it's natural to say "Well, it's all about computers- they need to learn how to type, not write by hand!" and typing skills are important, the ability to be able to express yourself in writing of any sort begins with the process of learning how to manipulate pencils and have letters, words and sentences flow between your brain and the physical act required to record those thoughts on paper (or this computer screen!)
Both of my children have struggled with their handwriting, and the lack of legibility and the lack of fluidity in their handwriting" has had a serious impact on their composition skills. When handwriting is a difficult, frustrating and unrewarding chore, kids start to do as little of it as possile, and become "minimalists" in terms of their composition- doing as little as possible to skate by. Yet the demands on them to write across the curriculum in school- even in math class, continues to increase every year in school. This is not something we can afford to ignore.
Jan Olsen is an occupational therapist who has taught children handwriting for many years. Jan's own son had problems with his handwriting, which led in part to her development of the Handwriting Without Tears Program. Most teachers don't learn about teaching handwriting, mechanics or even the proper posture required during their education, so it's hard to expect them to teach children the appropriate way to form their leters and numbers. Jan's program his being used by over 2 million students and has been adopted in over 16 states as the standard handwriting curriculum. It has an emphasis on fun and success, and it has helped my kids, although we will be spending the summer breaking some bad habits and adopting some better ones, in just 5 minutes, twice a day. In our two part conversation, Jan and I talk about why handwriting is important, and why it isn't part of the normal curriculum. As you listen to the show, you'll see how important things like positive reinforcement are for kids- "You're fine, but your letters are in trouble" and how even parents can help their children succeed.
Part 2 discusses details of the Handwriting Without Tears Program in some more detail, and how the multisensory aspects of the program really help kids understand how the letters are formed and why, eventually building up to making writing an effortless, automatic task.
Handwriting without tears workbooks can be purchased from their website by clicking here.
As always, we'd love to hear your feedback! Our voicemail number is (206) 666-2343; our email is ldpodcast@gmail.com.
I'll be attending Podcasters Across Borders the weekend of June 22-24, and I'll be speaking at BlogPhiladelphia, July 12 & 13th. I am also one of thelead organizers of PodCamp Philadelphia. If you are interested in knowing more about any of these events, drop me a line, and I'll send you everything you need to know!
Show 58- Resiliency, Parent Reviews and Changing those Negative Scripts with Dr. Robert Brooks
Sad John
The pictures above are of my kids, taken within 10 minutes of one another. They show how someone can start a day with a negative attitude and bad scriot, but with a little help, you can change the script into something more positive.
In this second part of my conversation with Dr. Robert Brooks, we talk about the negative scripts, or ruts, we can get ourselves into. But the surest way to make real change is to re-write your script and story. Make changes with how you react to your children, with how you approach problems, and you can dramatically change the outcome of those constant thorns- messy rooms, chore and homework problems, etc. you have to look at each issue as a problem you can solve with your child, often by enlistng their help and suggestions.
We also talk about asking your child for how they view you as a parent, and how this insight- the way you want them to see you, versus what they actually would say if asked to describe you- can work to bring your family together.
As the first anniversary of the podcast approaches, I'm looking for more listener comments on the voicemail line (206) 666-2343 and emails to read- let's make this first anniversary show about you! Send your emails to ldpodcast@gmail.com.
I will be at Podcasters Across Borders in June, I'm speaking at BlogPhiladelphia in July, and I am a lead organizer of PodCamp Philly Sept. 7, 8, and 9th. If you are attending any of these events (BlogPhiladelphia and PodCamp Philly are free unconferences- sign up today!) please come find me- I'd love to meet you! If by any chance, you are interested or know someone who might be interested in helping to sponsor PodCamp Philly, let me know!
The draft chapter of my book project, all about the brain,is available in PDF format on the site. If you have read it, let me know your comments, and if it's helpful, I'll post more chapters for you!
Show #57: Dr. Robert Brooks- Raising Resilient Children
I can't think of a better way to help celebrate the 1st Anniversary of the LD Podcast, than my conversation with Dr. Robert Brooks. I met Dr. Brooks almost two years ago now, when he gave a lecture at the Centreville School. He was kind enough to read a book proposal I gave him, and indirectly, our conversations and his encouragement gave me the confidence to start the podcast. So a personal thank you to Dr. Brooks for helping me find my own voice.
Dr. Robert Brooks has lectured nationally and internationally
to audiences of parents, educators, mental health professionals, and
business people on topics pertaining to motivation, resilience, self-esteem,
family relationships, the qualities of effective leaders and executives,
and balancing our personal and professional lives.
He has also written
extensively about these topics. He is the author of a book titled The
Self-Esteem Teacher and co-author with Dr. Sam Goldstein of the following
books: Raising Resilient Children; Nurturing Resilience
in Our Children: Answers to the Most Important Parenting Questions; Seven
Steps to Help Your Child Worry Less (with Kristy Hagar); Angry
Children, Worried Parents: Seven Steps to Help Families Manage Anger (with Sharon Weiss); Seven
Steps to Improve Your Child's Social Skills (with Kristy Hagar); Understanding and Managing Children’s Classroom Behavior: Creating Sustainable, Resilient Classrooms, and
The Power of Resilience: Achieving Balance, Confidence,
and Personal Strength in Your Life (the latter focuses on resilience in adults). In
addition, Dr. Brooks is co-author of a book with Drs. Mel Levine and
Jack Shonkoff titled A Pediatric Approach to Learning
Disorders and has
written a sex education book for the young child called So
That's How I Was Born! Drs. Brooks and Goldstein co-edited a textbook titled Handbook
of Resilience in Children; they also prepared a parenting video and curriculum
about resilience and have produced a documentary "Tough Times, Resilient
Kids" that was a finalist in the 23rd Telly Awards.
Dr. Brooks received his doctorate in clinical psychology
from Clark University and did additional training at the University of
Colorado Medical School. He is on the faculty of Harvard Medical School
and has served as Director of the Department of Psychology at McLean Hospital,
a private psychiatric hospital. His first position at McLean Hospital
was as principal of the school in the locked door unit of the child and
adolescent program. He has a part-time private practice in which he sees
children, adolescents, adults, and families and has appeared regularly
on television shows in the Boston area as well as on national cable television.
Dr. Brooks and Dr. Goldstein also have a new book coming out at the end of the summer, entitled The Self-Disciplined Child- something I know we all want for our kids and for ourselves.
In this first part of our two part conversation, we talk about what it takes to be a succcessful adult. Many kids with LD have a hard road to travel down, but their approach and attitude towards these difficulties can make all the difference in the world. We talk about LD being not an excuse, but an inderstanding of where a child is coming from; holding kids accountable for their actions, finding those Islands of Competence, and taking a strength-based approach to your child.
In part II, we'll talk more about changing negative scripts, strategies to get desired results, Listening to your children to understand what's really going on, and knowing how your children would describe you versus how you want them to describe you.
Dr. Brooks has an excellent website where you can find out more about his writings, subscribe to monthly articles, read past articles, and even find out if he is speaking in your area. You can purchase his books through this link to our LD Podcast Amazon Bookstore, where you'll find links to books we've discussed.
We'd like to put together a show all about you, the listeners, so please call into the voicemail line at (206) 666-2343, or send your emails to ldpodcast@gmail.com. I'd love to hear from you!
Show #56- Anne Ford and John Richard Thompson- Job Skills, Self- Advocacy and Life Coaches
This is the last of our three part conversation with Anne Ford and John Richard Thompson about their new book, On Their Own: Creating an Independent Futrue for Your Adult Child with Learning Disabilities and ADHD, published by New Market Press. We talk about how we need to help kids develop self-advocacy skills, in order to help them succeed in the workplace. We also talk about life coaches, accommodations and estate planning. Many thanks again to Anne & John for their time and their truly wonderful book!
Congratulations to our book winners so far - Kim, Tracey, Sue, Terry, Shelly and Patty!
Thanks to Joey and Patty for their audio comments- I will include them in an upcoming show. Please keep those comments and emails coming- I'd like to have enough to do an audience -participation show, answering questions, playing comments, and making you part of our growing community.
Please send an email to
ldpodcast@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at (206) 666-2343 ! I'd also love it if any listener would take a moment and leave a review of the show on itunes- it will help the show break into the top 100 featured shows- even if you don't listen through itunes!
Subscriptions: There is no charge for subscribing to the show through any "podcatcher" or through itunes- subscription just means the latest show will be automatically delievered to your computer once it is posted.
New Free Reading Material!
I've also recently added a chapter from my book-in-progress, in PDF
format, if you are interested. If you click on this link, or the home
page link to your left, you'll see it listed as "How Learning Works"
It's about the basics of brain and cognitive development in kids,
presented in a "Bill Nye The Science Guy" way for parents. For me at
least, it always has been helpful to know what part of a child's issues
might be developmental (They'll get better over time as they get older)
and which parts are hard-wired (this is something in their basic makeup
and unlikely to change much). I am eager to hear what you think- if
you do read it, please send you feedback to me at ldpodcast@gmail.com.
Any and all feedback, positive, negative, indifferent- is all valuable
and helpful, so please be honest!
Upcoming shows:
Dr. Robert Brooks- All about Raising Resilient Children and Raising a Self-Disciplined Child Jan Olsen- Handwriting Without Tears- a great handwriting program used in many schools that you can use easily at home!
Show # 55 Conversation with Anne Ford and John Richard Thompson Part II- Helicopter Parenting, Families and Siblings
In this show, I continue my conversation with Anne Ford and John Richard Thompson. Their new book, On Their Own: Creating an Independent Futrue for Your Adult Child with Learning Disabilities and ADHD has just been published by New Market Press. We talk about how hard it is to let your child succeed or fail on their own accord, and how our involvement with our children with disabilities effects other members of the family as well.
Congratualtions to our winners so far - Kim Mansk, Tracey Bowes, Sue Penicka and Shelly Head! Your books on on their way!
We still have a few books to give away- Please send an email to ldpodcast@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at (206) 666-2343 to win!
I have also recently added a chapter from my book-in-progress, in PDF format, if you are interested. If you click on this link, or the home page link to your left, you'll see it listed as "How Learning Works" It's about the basics of brain and cognitive development in kids, presented in a "Bill Nye The Science Guy" way for parents. For me at least, it always has been helpful to know what part of a child's issues might be developmental (They'll get better over time as they get older) and which parts are hard-wired (this is something in their basic makeup and unlikely to change much). I am eager to hear what you think- if you do read it, please send you feedback to me at ldpodcast@gmail.com. Any and all feedback, positive, negative, indifferent- is all valuable and helpful, so please be honest!
Show #54- Anne Ford and John Thompson- On Their Own
Anne Ford and John Richard Thompson have collaborated on a second book, On Their Own- Creating an Independent Future for your Adult Child with Learning Disabilities and ADHD.
Anne has a daughter with severe learning disabilities, has been a
leading LD activist and is the former Chairman of the National Center
for Learning Disabilities. John, her co-author, has helped Anne in
lobbying Congress, and has spoken to parents across the Country about
their children with LD.
I spoke with Anne and John about this terrific
book. I was riveted by the book, because it addresses the problems that
occur as kids with LD and ADHD have not only now, but as they get
older, and how to gradually prepare them, so you can gradually let go
and let them live their own lives. (Not always an easy job for
parents.) It covers issues ranging from how siblings react to having a
brother or sister with LD, to dating, transitioning from high school to
college to the job force, as well as estate planning for you to help
provide any support that might be necessary for your child with
disabilities. The bottom line is that if we don’t prepare our kids to
be self-sufficient when they’re young (whther they have LD or not) how
can we reasonably expect them to care for themselves when they go to
college or leave the nest? Is it any wonder so many kids come home and
don’t want to leave??
Anne, John and I spoke for over an hour; I
have split the interview into three parts, released over the next few
days in sequence. Part I talks about Anne’s experience with her
daughter, Allegra and why she and John wrote On Their Own.
Part
II addresses dealing with problems ranging from what to call “it” to
having both parents on the same page, to how siblings react; part III
addresses the job and employment issues that may look like disorganized
lockers or desks for school age children, but remain part of an LD
person’s profile. There is no statute of limitation on LD.
I
have five copies of this wonderful book to give out- the first five
listeners who send emails toldpodcast@gmail.com, or voicemail (206)
666-2343 or comments here on the blog/website will win. I’ll notify you
and then I’ll send the books out to you.
I know you’ll enjoy
both the interview and this terrific book from people who have been
there themselves- and remember, kids need to be able to be On Their Own.
