Learning about special education is a daunting journey. I’ve been doing it for over four years now and I’m still learning. I can barely remember the very beginning and how confusing it all was. That’s why when I read a call from Karen Nowicki (an integrative coach) for tips for parents with children on IEPs, [...]
Ethnic background and attitude toward Special Education
While I have known for a while that some parents will look the other way when a child is struggling and will not have the child tested because they’re afraid or ashamed of the “special ed kid” label, I had not realized that minority families seem to be much more wary of that, until I [...]
Labeling kids
Way back in December a Washington Post article “Montgomery Erasing Gifted Label†caught my eye and I’ve been planning to write about that. (“Montgomery Erasing Gifted Label: Implications Concern Some School Parents†by Daniel de Vise, December 16, 2008) Of course this is old news by now, and covered widely by various blogs, including, naturally, [...]
Non-verbal Autism and Intelligence – some myths debunked
The idea that non-verbal autistics have low IQ in general and are unaware of their surroundings is a myth that has to be debunked. Consider Amanda Baggs, featured in the article “The Truth About Autism: Scientists Reconsider What They Think They Know†by David Wolman in the March 2008 issue of Wired Magazine. The 27-year-old [...]
Kathy Kolbe and Conation – Part Three of the Unwrapping the Gift of ADD series
The guest of the third session (Wednesday, April 23, 2008) in the Unwrapping the Gift of ADD Series was Kathy Kolbe. Kathy Kolbe is a great speaker and her message was very inspiring – we are who we are, each of us is different, and we have to accept each other for who we are [...]
IQ: A Smart History of A Failed Idea, by Stephen Murdoch
I have just finished reading IQ: A Smart History of a Failed Idea, by Stephen Murdoch, published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. in June 2007. I first heard of this book on July 3, 2007 when I was listening to the interview with the author (New Book Raises Questions About IQ Test) on the [...]