Submitted by Barbara Hunter on Fri, 02/21/2014 - 12:32pm
It’s 7:45 p.m., and the lights should be going out in 7 year-old Thomas’ bedroom, but not tonight. Thomas has snuggled in, and the bedtime story has ended, but he looks up with his big brown eyes and melodically chants, “Mommy, can you tell me the story about when you and daddy drove us home from grandma’s house in the snowstorm? I love that story.” Is this a ploy to stay up longer?
Submitted by Dr. Mary Ann Mu... on Tue, 02/18/2014 - 9:29am
Sometimes parents feel like giving up on getting their children to “pitch in” and help. You feel like more time is wasted following your children around trying to get them to follow through on a small task. It would be quicker and less bother if you just did it yourself. Let’s fast forward for a moment. Do you want to be living with a 19 year old who cannot put their dishes in a dishwasher, wipe off a counter, or put their clothes away? No, you don't want that!
Submitted by Dr. Mary Ann Mu... on Thu, 02/13/2014 - 9:52am
My previous post discussed ways to set up a daily schedule for the family, listing all the important events, tasks, assignments and deadlines for the week.
Submitted by Dr. Mary Ann Mu... on Mon, 02/10/2014 - 8:58am
When a child has ADHD, a frequent recommendation is to set aside a specific time every week to plan the schedule for the coming week. The purpose of the schedule is to help the youngster (and family) be more organized and accomplish the tasks that need to be done in a timely fashion. Having an appreciation of the passage of time is a major challenge for anyone with attention weaknesses, and for young children too.
Submitted by Dr. Mary Ann Mu... on Mon, 02/03/2014 - 9:58am
Family meetings can be useful to deal with the small aggravations that can morph into major conflicts in a household. It is a time during which family members can talk about the past week’s events – the high points and the low points. Was someone “hogging” the computer? Did daughter #1 see daughter #2 wearing her favorite shirt without permission? Was the car returned without gas? Did youngest brother not get any of the chocolate chip cookies?
Submitted by Dr. Mary Ann Mu... on Fri, 01/31/2014 - 1:48pm
In previous posts, Barbara Hunter has explored the value of understanding the perspective of your child with a learning disability, and the competition for attention that can occur with siblings. Another issue which may arise is sibling rivalry.
Submitted by Barbara Hunter on Wed, 01/29/2014 - 8:55am
When one or more children in a family have a learning disability or ADHD, the entire family unit may feel the stress of the day-to-day struggles of school and family life. In my last post we looked at a way to observe where the sibling who does not experience a disability may be emotionally reacting to her role in this family dynamic.
Submitted by Barbara Hunter on Thu, 01/23/2014 - 10:42am
Sibling relationships in the best situation range from best friends to worst enemies, but when one or more children have a diagnosed disability, special considerations may be in order to understand the sibling’s perspective.
Submitted by Dr. Mary Ann Mu... on Fri, 01/17/2014 - 9:14am
On Sunday, December 1, 2013, The New York Times featured an article about the desperate need in the U.S. for workers with technical expertise. It is such a problem that German automobile manufacturers in the U.S. are partnering with schools in their communities to develop training programs and apprenticeships. The article noted that in Germany the students in these programs are young, but here in the U.S. the trainees are in their 20s.
Submitted by Dr. Mary Ann Mu... on Wed, 01/15/2014 - 8:41am
For a student with a learning disability or deficits in executive function, this question requires careful consideration. The first indicator that a 4-year program may not be the first option is poor grades in English, Math, History or Science. In a 4-year college, the student will be taking these classes all over again, with papers and majors projects in every class.
It’s 7:45 p.m., and the lights should be going out in 7 year-old Thomas’ bedroom, but not tonight. Thomas has snuggled in, and the bedtime story has ended, but he looks up with his big brown eyes and melodically chants, “Mommy, can you tell me the story about when you and daddy drove us home from grandma’s house in the snowstorm? I love that story.” Is this a ploy to stay up longer?
Sometimes parents feel like giving up on getting their children to “pitch in” and help. You feel like more time is wasted following your children around trying to get them to follow through on a small task. It would be quicker and less bother if you just did it yourself. Let’s fast forward for a moment. Do you want to be living with a 19 year old who cannot put their dishes in a dishwasher, wipe off a counter, or put their clothes away? No, you don't want that!
My previous post discussed ways to set up a daily schedule for the family, listing all the important events, tasks, assignments and deadlines for the week.
When a child has ADHD, a frequent recommendation is to set aside a specific time every week to plan the schedule for the coming week. The purpose of the schedule is to help the youngster (and family) be more organized and accomplish the tasks that need to be done in a timely fashion. Having an appreciation of the passage of time is a major challenge for anyone with attention weaknesses, and for young children too.
Family meetings can be useful to deal with the small aggravations that can morph into major conflicts in a household. It is a time during which family members can talk about the past week’s events – the high points and the low points. Was someone “hogging” the computer? Did daughter #1 see daughter #2 wearing her favorite shirt without permission? Was the car returned without gas? Did youngest brother not get any of the chocolate chip cookies?
In previous posts, Barbara Hunter has explored the value of understanding the perspective of your child with a learning disability, and the competition for attention that can occur with siblings. Another issue which may arise is sibling rivalry.
On Sunday, December 1, 2013, The New York Times featured an article about the desperate need in the U.S. for workers with technical expertise. It is such a problem that German automobile manufacturers in the U.S. are partnering with schools in their communities to develop training programs and apprenticeships. The article noted that in Germany the students in these programs are young, but here in the U.S. the trainees are in their 20s.
For a student with a learning disability or deficits in executive function, this question requires careful consideration. The first indicator that a 4-year program may not be the first option is poor grades in English, Math, History or Science. In a 4-year college, the student will be taking these classes all over again, with papers and majors projects in every class.