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A Mother's Lesson Transformed into a Mission
Manhattan Times (NY)
When Dana Buchman, fashion designer and creator of the Dana Buchman fashion label, learned that her daughter Charlotte had a learning disability, she became, in her own words, "distraught." Buchman and her husband gathered together their resources and put their daughter through rigorous testing to determine what they could do to help her. Meanwhile, Buchman wondered what a parent would do if their child was experiencing a similar situation and had limited or no resources. She asked herself, "What happens to the parents who don't have the resources my husband and I did? What happens to the thousands of children who are struggling to learn, and don't know what's wrong?"
A Mother's Story of Dyslexia Awareness
The News Press (FL)
Karen Nathan of Fort Myers — wife of Lee Memorial President Jim Nathan and mother of a son with dyslexia — is writing a book about people like her son who are gifted but also have the reading disorder. Based on her research and own experiences, Nathan offers some suggestions for parents.
A New Face for ADHD, and a Debate
The New York Times (NY)
The emergence of a major celebrity — Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps — with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder has revealed a schism in the community of patients, parents, doctors, and educators who deal with the disorder. For years, these people have debated whether it means a lifetime of limitations or whether it can sometimes be a good thing.
Boston Globe
Largely hidden from view in workplaces across America are millions of parents struggling with a herculean work-life challenge: caring for a special needs child. Because they often suffer discrimination or have to cut back on work, these families are more likely to be poorer than those raising children without disabilities. Alongside all the intangible rewards and the bountiful love in these families, there is hardship: careers are cut short, finances are put in disarray, life is chaotic. This article is the first in a two-part series on caring for children with disabilities.
A Rapidly Paced Biography of ADD
The Bulletin (PA)
Who would have thought a play about a child's possible struggle with Attention Deficit Disorder could be so emotionally gripping? Distracted, penned by Lisa Loomer, zips by in rapidly paced scenes that accumulate in subtle ways. The play is, as it turns out, about all of us — not just those deemed to suffer from ADD.
A Sea Change in City Schools' Special Education
Voice of San Diego
In the wake of a 2007 report that concluded the district was far too often segregating students with disabilities, San Diego Unified redoubled its efforts to transition almost all of its special needs students to general education classes for most, if not all, of their school day. That follows a national trend, driven by a philosophy called "inclusion," the concept that children with special needs should be included, whenever possible, in general education classrooms where they can learn, play and laugh with their nondisabled peers. Inclusion is great, when done right. But doing it right takes motivation, planning and money.
San Diego Union-Tribune
Tom Pisapia came to The Winston School in second grade, his hooded jacket pulled far over his head. Shy and withdrawn, Tom's learning disabilities had wracked him with anxiety. Within six months at the private school for special-education students, Tom was thinking about running for class president. "This school really taught me that I don't have to be shy," said Tom, who is dyslexic and has auditory processing problems. "I could be who I am with everybody."
A Special Teacher: The Kids are what it's all About
Tribune-Express (Canada)
Without hesitation, veteran special education teacher Diane Binmore says: "This has been the most satisfying year of my career." With the help of assistive technology, ten learning disabled grade 5 pupils at Pleasant Corners Public School were able to begin reading at their grade level. "You should have seen the effect this had on them," Binmore says, thrilled.
Boston Globe
Ana can sit on the couch for only about five minutes before it's time to move. The fifth-grader has sensory processing disorder - her brain doesn't process information from her five senses in a typical way - leaving her unable to sit still (her muscles just have to move), wear socks (they're too irritating), concentrate in a busy classroom (so much to look at and hear), or be in the same room with a hot pizza (the aroma is overpowering).
A Voice for Special-Ed Parents
Merrick Herald (NY)
"Close your eyes and imagine your best friend from fourth grade." This was an exercise that author and special educator Rick Lavoie practiced with a group of parents, educators, administrators and various school faculty who sat in the Calhoun High School auditorium in Merrick, NY to hear him speak on Dec. 2. Lavoie was brought to the district by the North Merrick Special Education PTA and the Teacher's Center in honor of Special Education Week.
A Way into Books for Children with Dyslexia
The Telegraph (UK)
Dyslexia Awareness Week, an annual event celebrated around the world to raise public awareness about dyslexia, begins today and runs until Sunday 6th November. It's seems the perfect time to highlight some of the fantastic books from Barrington Stoke, an Edinburgh-based firm which is now 14 years old and the main British publishing house devoted to books for reluctant and struggling readers.
Victorville Daily Press (CA)
Eric Atkinson always had a hard time with school. He just didn’t know why until he was tested for learning problems while attending Victor Valley College. Click on "related multimedia" to hear Atkinson explain in his own words how he learned he was dyslexic and how he's become an English literature major and substitute teacher.
Aamir's Sleepless Night in Seattle
International Business Times (India)
Director Aamir Khan screened his movie, already a hit in India, at the International Dyslexia Association annual meeting held in Seattle. "As the lights dimmed I was really nervous. Here were people who know all about Dyslexia and work in the field of learning disabilities," he wrote. He was overwhelmed when Taare Zameen Par received a standing ovation.
Academy Provides Extra Attention
Times-Leader (PA)
Diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Nicholas, age 6, became the first enrolled student at the Graham Academy when the school opened in February. Being in a setting with teachers and specialists was life-changing, said his mother, who has seen a dramatic improvement in her son's behavior.
Accidental Poet on the Right Track
The Guardian (UK)
Peter Street has defied decades of hardship and disability to become a war poet and BBC writer-in-residence, with four volumes of verse to his name. At school, Street struggled to spell or do basic sums, and it was clear he had a learning difficulty (it was eventually diagnosed as dyscalculia only five years ago). While in this last job, in 1982, he fell off a wagon and sustained a spinal injury that disabled him for life, but ultimately led to his reinvention as a poet.
Acclaimed Children’s Books Have Few Characters with Disabilities
Deseret News (UT)
If you're the parent of a young Samoan boy with a reading disability, it may be difficult to find an acclaimed children's book with characters he can relate to. A new BYU study found that Newbery Award and Honor books from 1975 to 2009 feature a disproportionately smaller percentage of children with disabilities and ethic diversity than actual classroom numbers.
Harvard Crimson
Knowledge does not come a priori. It must be consumed and built up—a book must be read, a lecture heard, or a topic debated. For some Harvard undergraduates that task comes with added obstacles, whether it's attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, Asperger's syndrome, or dyslexia. A new student arrives at the FAS Accessible Education Office nearly every workday to report a disorder, according to Sheila B. Petruccelli, the office's interim director.
Accomplishing Big Things in Small Pieces
NPR
This essay was written by college freshman William Wissemann for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting's "This I Believe" radio series: I carry a Rubik’s Cube in my backpack. Solving it quickly is a terrific conversation starter … I usually ask people to try it first. They turn the cube over in their hands, half-heartedly they make a few moves and then sheepishly hand it back. They don’t even know where to begin. That’s exactly what it was like for me to learn how to read. Letters and words were scrambled and out of sequence. Nothing made sense because I’m dyslexic.
Accused Pediatrician is Leaving Institute
The New York Times (NY)
Dr. Melvin D. Levine, the famed pediatrician who is facing five lawsuits accusing him of molesting young boys during physical examinations, has resigned from All Kinds of Minds, the North Carolina institute he founded in 1995 to train teachers to help children with learning disabilities.
The Times (NJ)
As a teenager at Franklin High School, Frances Deavereaux became close with a teacher who recognized her learning disability. But with the teacher's sudden death, Deavereaux gave up on literacy. Until recently, that is. She's now working with Literacy Volunteers of America, and making strides in her reading.