EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES
Look for information on opportunities to learn more about children who learn differently in What' New . There are some good programs offered by The Fletcher School for parents.
Learning Disabilities Association of Charlotte (LDAC)
8810 Blakeney Professional Drive, Suite 105
Charlotte, NC 28277
704-542-0470 LDAC@LDAC.org
Meeting schedule is posted under What's New?
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
Programs for Exceptional Children
Jane Rhyne, Assistant Superintendent
Walton Plaza 4th Floor
Charlotte, NC 28202
980-343-2646
Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
704-551-9120
Council for Exceptional Children
Charlotte-Meck. Chapter #147
13706 Poppleton Court
Charlotte, NC 288273
704-543-6707
A Book to Check Out: Dr. Mel Levine has published a new book : The Myth of Laziness which explores the phenomenon called "output failure". According to Dr. Levine, low output occurs when one or more neurodevelopmental dysfunctions interfere with productivity. The condition plagues numerous children and adults. For more information and the opportunity to read an excerpt from the book, log on Support Works. The address can be found below.
WEB sites of INTEREST:
SupportWorks - Gives phone numbers and contact information on a variety of support groups in Mecklenburg County, Nonprofit agencies, and internet links. www.supportworks.org
Learning Disabilities Association of America: Provides information on learning challenges for all ages. www.LDAAmerica.org
Learning Disabilities OnLine - articles, news, advice from Rick Lavoie and others. It covers topics such as basics of learning disabilities, ADD, ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalcula, dysnomia, speech disorder, reading difficulties, special education, parenting, teaching. www.ldonline.org
All Kinds of Minds website: www.allkindsofminds.org Offers the ideas of Dr. Mel Levine and his work with students who learn differently. Dr. Levine is an internationally known advocate for students who learn differently. He has written many useful and informative books on learning.
Functional Vision: www.simplybrainy.com gives a good background on the issues around functional vision and the impact on learning. Also on the site are helpful checklists and guidelines.
Children and Adults with ADD (CHADD): www.chadd.org
International Dyslexia Association: Provides research and fact sheets regarding learning disabilities and dyslexia. Has a listing of tutors trained in multi-sensory reading. 800-222-3123, www.interdys.org
FROM ALL KINDS OF MINDS WEBSITE:
Dr. Mel Levine has written Ten Tips for Parents: and article which discusses optimizing assessments for students. The focus is on things to think about and do before, during and after a complete psychological/educational evaluation. www.allkindsofminds.org.
MEETINGS OF INTEREST:
See LDAC meeting schedule under What's New.
HOW TO HELP YOUR CHILD BUILD GOOD STUDY HABITS
1. Establish and maintain a daily homework and study time.
Help your child learn to pace himself and manage time wisely.
2. Set up a study area.
Avoid distractions and too much comfort. Have supplies at hand.
3. Provide a quiet atmosphere during the homework study time.
Turn off the TV. Try to keep others in the house in a quiet mode.
4. Be a homework manager.
Supervise the study time. Be supportive and nonjudgmental.
5. Don't argue with your children.
Even if the book needed is still at school, do not excuse the time the child need
to sit and read. No phone....No games....
6. Know the teacher's homework plans and policies.
FROM THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER: Nov 13, 2007
Brain Growth, ADHD linked by Randolph Schmid AP
Crucial parts of brains of children with attention deficit disorder develop more slowly than other youngster's brains, a phenomenon that earlier brain imaging research missed, a new study says.
Developing more slowly in ADHD youngsters - the lag can be as much as three years - are brain regions that suppress inappropriate actions and thoughts, focus attention, remember things from moment to moment, work for reward, and control movement. That was the finding of researchers, led by Dr. Philip Shaw of the National Institute of Mental Health, who reported the most detailed study yet on this problem in Monday's online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
"Finding a normal pattern of cortex maturation, albeit delayed, in children with ADHD should be reassuring to families and could help to explain why many youth eventually seem to grow out of the disorder," Shaw said in statement.
But not all children do outgrow the disorder, and co=author Dr. Judith Rapoport, also of the NIMH Child Psychiatry Branch, said the researchers are working the determine the differences between those that have a good outcome and those who do not.
Between 3 per cent and 5 per cent of school-age children are thought to have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Dr. Louis Kraus, chief of child psychiatry at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, said "what is really important about this study is that it shows us there is clearly something biologically driven for children with ADHD."
Kraus, who was not part of the research team, said that with this finding no one can argue that children are making it up. "We don't know what the meaning is yet, whether it would change any type of treatment, but it is showing that there is something biologically different."
It is important that parents don't immediately jump out and want to get some type of MRI of their child's brain, or functional study to support a diagnosis," Kraus said.
Shaw agreed: "Brain imaging is still not ready for use as a diagnostic tool in ADHD. Although the delay in cortex development was marked, it could only be detected when a very large number of children with the disorder were included. It is not yet possible to detect such delay from the brain scans of just one individual."
Last updated on 01/02/2008