http://www.ldonline.org/ en-us LD OnLine Administrator hourly 1 http://backend.userland.com/rss http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Children_Taking_ADHD_Medication_Should_Have_Heart_Health_Monitored_Periodically Wed, 23 Apr 2008 14:30:07 GMT Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder drugs can increase heart rate and blood pressure, so the American Heart Association recommends that children on such medication have their hearts checked regularly. http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Children_Taking_ADHD_Medication_Should_Have_Heart_Health_Monitored_Periodically http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Springmill_School_Students_in_Mansfield_Get_Pep_Talk_from_%27Basketball%27_Jones Wed, 23 Apr 2008 14:29:23 GMT Jim "Basketball" Jones, an expert basketball handler and motivational speaker, dazzled fourth graders while imparting life lessons he learned from his struggles in school as a child with learning disabilities. http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Springmill_School_Students_in_Mansfield_Get_Pep_Talk_from_%27Basketball%27_Jones http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/School%27s_New_Mission_Angers_Utah_Parents Wed, 23 Apr 2008 14:28:11 GMT Woodland Hills stood among the few Utah private schools for special-needs middle school students, and the only such private school for high school students. But its recent expansion and a new focus on athletics has angered some parents, who say mixing competitive athletics students with timid special education students hasn't worked. http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/School%27s_New_Mission_Angers_Utah_Parents http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Living_with_Dyslexia/23229 Wed, 23 Apr 2008 14:26:56 GMT U.S. author Debbie Macomber has written more than 100 books, and sold more than 60 million books worldwide. Not bad for someone who couldn't read until she was 11 years old. "I am dyslexic, but they didn't have a word for that when I was a child," she says. But she loved telling stories. She adored books, and she fantasized, always, about becoming a writer. http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Living_with_Dyslexia/23229 http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Catching_Problems_Early%2C_Schools_Try_to_Avoid_Special_Ed Tue, 22 Apr 2008 14:04:28 GMT Officials in districts across the country are rapidly adopting early intervention programs for students, hoping that steering a child away from expensive special education classes later will pay off for school budgets, too, in cost savings. But the adoption of these programs comes at a time when parents and educators are debating the benefits of "response to intervention" (RTI), and when districts have been trying to also cut down "over-identification" — too many poor and minority kids being shunted off to special education who don't need to be there. http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Catching_Problems_Early%2C_Schools_Try_to_Avoid_Special_Ed http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Poverty_May_Impair_Growth_of_Brain Tue, 22 Apr 2008 14:04:00 GMT Poverty can have negative effects on child and adolescent brain development, a report out today concludes. Those effects, in turn, can lead to learning disabilities, behavior problems, and other psychological and emotional problems, the report says. The report, "Child Poverty in North Carolina: A Preventable Epidemic," is being released by the nonprofit group Action for Children North Carolina. http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Poverty_May_Impair_Growth_of_Brain http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/City_Violated_Rights_of_Fireman_with_Learning_Disability%2C_Panel_Rules Tue, 22 Apr 2008 14:03:28 GMT State human rights officials have ruled that the city of Stamford, CT discriminated against a firefighter with a learning disability by denying him extra time on a promotional test. The city defended the denial by claiming a fire captain, the position Lenotti sought, must be able to read and process information quickly at a fire scene. But state officials said the city never proved that was true, never consulted with disability rights experts, and does not use a promotional test that actually measures how fast a candidate can read. http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/City_Violated_Rights_of_Fireman_with_Learning_Disability%2C_Panel_Rules http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Construction_Bids_Approved_for_Center_with_Dyslexia_Program Tue, 22 Apr 2008 14:03:04 GMT The town of Petal, MS recently approved bids on construction projects that will renovate local buildings to be used as a cultural arts center and a senior center with a school for dyslexic children on the second floor. Dynamic Dyslexia Design is a school that will provide instruction and help for students with dyslexia. http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Construction_Bids_Approved_for_Center_with_Dyslexia_Program http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/High_School_Track_Star_Overcomes_Learning_Disabilities Tue, 22 Apr 2008 14:02:24 GMT Distance runner Gabriel Lincoln-DeCusatis helped Maryland's Harford Tech H.S. outdoor track and field program grow rapidly in the past few seasons. But there's a lot more in the senior's life than track and field. He has a 4.0 grade point average and is a member of the National Honor Society and the school's student government, a feat even more impressive considering Lincoln-DeCusatis has had to overcome learning disabilities in writing, reading, and mathematics. He says that overcoming his learning disabilities makes him "more determined to do things the right way." http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/High_School_Track_Star_Overcomes_Learning_Disabilities http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Technology_Puts_More_Pupils_in_the_Mainstream Mon, 21 Apr 2008 14:58:03 GMT Bringing assistive technology into the mainstream curriculum and classroom, a process known as universal design, makes education accessible for all children, allows children with special needs to feel included in a school's social life, provides for a more equitable education, and better prepares them for life outside school, supporters say. http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Technology_Puts_More_Pupils_in_the_Mainstream http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Exams_Set_Up_Special-Needs_Children_for_Failure Mon, 21 Apr 2008 14:57:12 GMT Except for the 1 percent of a school's students with the most extreme disabilities, who take an alternate test, students classified as special needs take the same test as everyone else in their grade, whether they're ready or not. It's setting some of the children up for failure, says Susan Baker-Ory, the Urbana school district's director of special education, by giving them a test beyond their abilities. "Our teachers feel very passionately about the almost harm this does to the kids," she said. http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Exams_Set_Up_Special-Needs_Children_for_Failure http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Seminar_Tries_to_Clear_Up_Confusion_About_Inclusion Mon, 21 Apr 2008 14:55:21 GMT A group of parents, educators, and disability advocates met Saturday with University of Wisconsin education professor Elise Frattura, clearing up the confusion of including special education students in regular education classrooms. http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Seminar_Tries_to_Clear_Up_Confusion_About_Inclusion http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Academy_Provides_Extra_Attention Mon, 21 Apr 2008 14:54:10 GMT 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. http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Academy_Provides_Extra_Attention http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Special_Ed_Advocates_Seek_Program_Boost Mon, 21 Apr 2008 14:52:01 GMT Concerned residents who spoke to the school board at their regular meeting April 8, lobbying for special education services they say are lacking in the district. "I'm hoping more people will join so the District will realize [special education] isn't as good as they think," said parent Amy Sabalesky. http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Special_Ed_Advocates_Seek_Program_Boost http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Professors_Study_Early_Treatment_of_ADHD Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:36:22 GMT Two Lehigh professors are working toward a way to analyze symptoms related to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder among young children by studying parents' behavior and techniques. Professor George DuPaul said, "There's definitely medication that helps [kids with ADHD], but what can we do beyond that?" His project concentrated on how parents could better use behavior management strategies to reduce symptoms associated with ADHD. http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Professors_Study_Early_Treatment_of_ADHD http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Johnstown%2C_Valley_Take_Top_Honors_at_Quiz_Bowl Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:35:31 GMT The Rick DeMuth Memorial Quiz Bowl, sponsored by the Educational Service Center, gives special-education students the chance to show off their knowledge. "(These kids) a lot of times don't get the same recognition as a star athlete," said Janet Watterman, director of special education at the ESC. Teams competed in one of two divisions: cognitive disability and specific learning disability. http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Johnstown%2C_Valley_Take_Top_Honors_at_Quiz_Bowl http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/A_Life_Transformed Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:34:58 GMT Nelson Lauver, whose dyslexia wasn't discovered until he was an adult, has overcome rough times early in his life to become a motivational speaker and radio host. http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/A_Life_Transformed http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Children%27s_Book_Author_Visits_Auburn_School Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:34:11 GMT Children's author Michael Finklea told elementary students, "I experienced a lot of struggles in school and actually didn't like to write at one point." Finklea suffered with ADD (attention deficit disorder) growing up. "Now that I'm writing and have been published, I want these kids to remember that they shouldn't say they don't like something until they've actually tried it." http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Children%27s_Book_Author_Visits_Auburn_School http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Laurier%27s_Accessible_Learning_Centre_Makes_a_Difference Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:32:29 GMT Wilfrid Laurier University's Accessible Learning Centre works with students with disabilities ranging from the visible to invisible. "We're looking at building capacity ..." says ALC manager Gwen Page, "based on understanding a student's unique barriers to develop a plan that helps them to navigate and manage what's in front of them." http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Laurier%27s_Accessible_Learning_Centre_Makes_a_Difference http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/The_Creative_Energy_Behind_ADHD Thu, 17 Apr 2008 14:40:33 GMT As a mother of two children with ADHD, The Wall Street Journal's Work and Family reporter Sue Shellenbarger wonders, "How can you tell whether all that splintered energy will help your own child succeed? And how can you help channel all that mental voltage productively?" She asked a few famous ADHD sufferers and their parents for answers, including the founder of JetBlue airlines, the founder of Kinko's, and "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" host Ty Pennington. Ty's mother, Yvonne, says that while many viewers get emotional watching her son deliver remodeled homes to deserving families, she cries for different reasons. After being told years ago that her unruly son was the worst kid in his school, she says, "my tears come from the joy, at how far he has come." http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/The_Creative_Energy_Behind_ADHD