Classroom

If you are the parent of a growing child; if you’ve ever been the parent of a growing child; if you’re a child; or if you’ve ever been a child, you need to see the movie Inside Out. My husband and I rarely see animated films, now that our kids are grown, but at my…

If you’re not listening, you’re not learning.  I think this is a pretty profound statement.  I realize there are many ways to learn, but our experience with thousands of children and adults with learning challenges has shown that the vast majority of individuals who struggle with learning, including dyslexia and attention challenges, have difficulties with…

I am continually astounded when I hear from many speech/language therapists and reading specialists that they know little to nothing about auditory processing. How can that be when auditory processing is the very foundation of language and reading? Skills like speaking, reading, and other academic skills are like the branches and leaves of a tree.…

Henry Ford said, “If you think you can, you can. If you think you can’t, you can’t.” There’s a lot of wisdom and truth in that statement, but there are times when gutting it out just doesn’t work. I once knew a young man in his twenties who couldn’t read or spell. His dyslexia was…

Tyler was a motivated high school junior, potential Ivy League football player, and solid AP (Advanced Placement) student. But he was SAT-Challenged! Jessica was also an excellent student in her junior year in high school, but her test anxiety was so great it could only be controlled with prescription medication. Cheryl is a 50-something baby-boomer…

A parent recently shared with me that her high school son came home from school one day saying, “Mom, I need Adderall.” Adderall is a medication commonly used to manage Attention Deficit Disorder / ADHD. It’s easy to blame attention for students’ struggles in school because that’s often what it looks like in class and…

One of my favorite childhood books was The Little Engine That Could. I loved that little blue engine! He never ever gave up. No matter how steep the hill was, he always went after it – he always believed he could do it. “I think I can! I think I can! I think I can!”…

In Southern California, we are the very definition of a “melting pot.” We have people of every color, culture, and religion from every part of the world. I love that! I think it makes us interesting. One of the things I’ve noticed, working with thousands of families who are dealing with learning and attention challenges,…

A mom walked by with a baby who was wearing a soft helmet. Being an unusual sight, I and most other people they passed glanced a little longer than typical at the baby. Why was a baby wearing a helmet like that? The question was quickly answered by the statement printed in large colorful letters…

We’re getting to that time of year that some parents are getting the news that their child is “in danger of retention.” “In danger” indicates that retention is a bad thing.  While it is something that should certainly be decided with careful thought, there are there times when retention is actually a good idea. Children…