From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities
A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis
Many parents of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) ask if their children’s ADHD will continue through adolescence. Usually, it will. They then ask if their children will have special needs. Below is what the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) says.
From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities
A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis
No matter what laws, court rulings, or research studies say, inclusion is in danger of collapsing or becoming a hollow, ineffective, and perhaps harmful option for placing and educating children with disabilities. This is due, in part, to budget cuts and the corrosive effects of public policy on teachers.
First, we’ll list some of the more critical factors needed for inclusion to work. Then we’ll discuss how public policy is undermining them. Finally, we’ll suggest what you can do to support meaningful inclusion.
From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities
A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis
In our last post, we described six suggestions for personalizing homework so that children, parents, and teachers benefit. In this post, we offer three more. What’s different about these is that they ask parents to take an active role. But first, to proivde perspective to new readers, we begin with the opening of our last post.
Our Last Post
Learning Disabilities: The Tragedy of Retention
From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities
A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis
At this time of year, teachers and parents think about retaining children with academic problems. Those who support retention argue that these children will benefit from repeating a grade. Retention will give the student an opportunity to review the material, or mature socially and emotionally. It will motivate the student to do better, to avoid future retention. Educators, politicians and parents who support “standards” and attack “social promotion” (automatically advancing students from grade to grade, despite poor achievement) vigorously support retention. They argue that retention sends students the clear message that they must master what was taught to advance to the next grade. In one sense, retention advocates have been very successful—almost 50% of students are retained by grade nine. In another sense they have failed—these children do not improve academically. Moreover, retention is extraordinarily costly. It hurts children and wastes untold dollars.
From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities
A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis
By Teresa Foley, Ph.D.
Asnuntuck Community College, Enfield, Connecticut
From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities
A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis
A Guest Post by
Barbara J. Morvay, MA
Retired Superintendent, Atlantic County (NJ) Special Services School District & Author of My Brother is Different
Since grief is usually associated with death, why do I mention it here?
Because many parents who have a child with disabilities grieve, especially when their child is young.
From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities
A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis
A Guest Post by
Staci Greenwald, Esq.
Recently, I received this warning from Staci Greenwald, Esq., an outstanding special education attorney who has a child with special needs. Although the warning focuses on Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) in New Jersey, it contains a critical message for parents throughout the country: know the rules and regulations that govern special education in your state or territory, put your concerns and requests in writing, and act quickly. Here’s the warning:
Below is an e-mail I received about the re-authorization of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law, also known as ESEA. Although I do not agree with everything in the e-mail, I agree with much and think you should decide for yourself about what you support. Whatever you decide, please WRITE CONGRESS. Please be ACTIVE in improving the lives of children, youth, and adults with disabilities. — Thanks, Howard Margolis
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From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities
A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis
When people ask, “What have the book reviews said?,” we suggest that they read the reviews on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and our website (www.reading2008.com). The reviews are from professors, reading specialists, learning consultants, teachers, and parents of children with reading disabilities. People can also look at the pre-publication reviews in our book, which they can read by going “inside” our book on Amazon. Today we found another review in Learning Disabilities Worldwide’s e-magazine, Strategies for Successful Learning. It’s the most comprehensive review yet. As with all the reviews, we’re proud of it. So, here it is.
In a previous post we argued that it’s “A Tough Time For Children And Adults With Disabilities.” Politicians are cutting critical services, using budget shortfalls as the excuse, when in many cases the underlying motivation is encased in political philosophy, opportunism, and the belief that people with disabilities and their families won’t or can’t effectively challenge the cuts. We recommended several action steps.
Action Steps
We suggested that people who care about children, youth, and adults with disabilities, any kind, should:
