Reading & Other Learning Disabilities

From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities

A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis

For your child to succeed in middle and high school, he needs to become a proficient reader by the end of third grade. If not, his reading problems will likely persist through high school, causing other academic problems and increasing the likelihood of social and emotional problems; in adulthood, struggles with reading will diminish his chance of getting and holding a decent job. As the Annie E. Casey Foundation so clearly states:  Read more...

From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities

A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis

Parents of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) want to know how to help their children, how to make home life calmer, and if possible, more satisfying and happier. Although no one solution will prevent or solve all problems and what works for one family will not work for all, parents of children with ADHD can usually help their children, and by extension, improve home life. To help parents help their children with ADHD, the National Institute of Mental Health offers these suggestions:  Read more...

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.  Read more...

From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities

A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis

Sleep, ADHD, and Learning Disabilities are Strange Bedfellows

So…

How Do My Child and I Get to Sleep?

Stephen M. Lange, Ph.D., Psychologist, Pine Ridge, SD  Read more...

In the last few weeks, several parents have asked us about reading evaluations. To help out, anyone who signs up for our mailing list at www.reading2008.com can download chapter 5 of our book, Reading Disabilities: Beating the Odds. The chapter, Using Reading Evaluations, shows parents and teachers how they can use reading evaluations to help children. We encourage parents and teachers to download it, read it, discuss it, and share it with other parents and teachers. (The release is for private use only, not for commercial use or for making more than 3 copies.)  Read more...

From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities

A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis

Stephen M. Lange, Ph.D., Psychologist

Pine Ridge, SD

Perhaps you had this experience: You approached your child’s school about your kindergarten age child, expressing concern that he or she may have a learning disability. While sympathetic, your school’s psychologist, reading specialist, or other diagnostic expert responded that learning disabilities cannot be diagnosed until a child has been unable to succeed academically despite conscientious instruction. Several years later, you attended a meeting with your school’s multi-disciplinary team who explained that your child indeed does have a learning disability. Your emotions felt chaotic – a mixture of relief, worry, sorrow – and perhaps frustration or even anger that years had passed since you recognized that your child’s development was not typical, but rather different from his peers in subtle yet important ways.  Read more...

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  Read more...

From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities

A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis

In our last post, we described the emotional devastation that unsuitable homework assignments can cause children with learning disabilities. For new readers, we present the opening of our last post. For all readers, we then present 6 more suggestions for personalizing homework so that children, parents, and teachers benefit.

Our Last Post  Read more...

From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities

A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis

Homework can benefit good readers and writers. But for children who struggle with reading and writing and have difficulty working independently, traditional homework, homework assigned to whole classes and not personalized to match their skill and comfort level, can backfire. Parent reports and the limited research examining the homework problems of struggling learners, suggests that traditional homework often overwhelms, frustrates, and devastates them. As Lawrence Greene observed, the reasons are straightforward:  Read more...

From Reading & Other Learning Disabilities

A Blog by Dr. Gary G. Brannigan and Dr. Howard Margolis

A Guest Post by

Louis Pica, Jr., Ed.D., Child Psychologist

Note: Louis Pica, Jr. was an outstanding child psychologist who worked tirelessly to help children and youth with learning, emotional, cognitive, and attention difficulties. Because Lou was practical, humane, and highly structured, the children with whom he worked benefited greatly. Below are several of his tips for helping parents of children with attention difficulties to monitor their children’s learning and to motivate them to succeed. In addition to attention difficulties, these tips have proven effective for children with learning, emotional, cognitive difficulties. Of course, you may want to modify these so they reflect your child’s stage of development and his school and home situations. But reading these, and then discussing them with a psychologist, learning consultant, or teacher, may be a good place to start. Thanks Lou. – Howard Margolis  Read more...