LD News http://www.ldonline.org/ en-us LD OnLine Administrator hourly 1 http://backend.userland.com/rss College: How to Do More Than Just 'Get By' http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/College%3A_How_to_Do_More_Than_Just_%27Get_By%27 Thu, 14 Feb 2013 16:00:45 GMT Many of the college students who have returned to campus for another semester will struggle to pass their classes and graduate. To find out how students can get on the path to success, host Michel Martin talks with Melvina Noel, author of How to Thrive in College. http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/College%3A_How_to_Do_More_Than_Just_%27Get_By%27 Engaging Students Through Multiple Literacies http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Engaging_Students_Through_Multiple_Literacies Thu, 14 Feb 2013 12:00:41 GMT Teachers of all subjects must expand their instruction to include—or further emphasize—reading, writing, and critical thinking. In a recent paper from The Educational Forum, one teacher describes engaging students through creative work that expands the definition of "text" as well. http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Engaging_Students_Through_Multiple_Literacies Study finds 43 percent of MA third-graders read below grade level http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Study_finds_43_percent_of_MA_third-graders_read_below_grade_level Wed, 13 Feb 2013 16:00:15 GMT An alarming number of third-graders continue to read below their grade level despite Massachusetts leading the nation on standardized reading assessments, according to a new report. http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Study_finds_43_percent_of_MA_third-graders_read_below_grade_level Appreciating Special Education Students' Diversity http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Appreciating_Special_Education_Students%27_Diversity Wed, 13 Feb 2013 12:00:25 GMT A new concept has emerged on the horizon that promises to establish a more positive foundation upon which to build new strength-based assessments, programs, curricula, and environments for these kids.

The concept is neurodiversity. The term, which was coined by Australian autism-activist Judy Singer and American journalist Harvey Blume in the late 1990s, suggests that what we've called in the past "disabilities" ought to be described instead as "differences" or "diversities." Proponents of neurodiversity encourage us to apply the same attitudes that we have about biodiversity and cultural diversity to an understanding of how different brains are wired.

]]> A new concept has emerged on the horizon that promises to establish a more positive foundation upon which to build new strength-based assessments, programs, curricula, and environments for these kids. The concept is neurodiversity. The term, which was coined by Australian autism-activist Judy Singer and American journalist Harvey Blume in the late 1990s, suggests that what we've called in the past "disabilities" ought to be described instead as "differences" or "diversities." Proponents of neurodiversity encourage us to apply the same attitudes that we have about biodiversity and cultural diversity to an understanding of how different brains are wired. http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Appreciating_Special_Education_Students%27_Diversity Nudging Schools to Help Students With Learning Disabilities http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Nudging_Schools_to_Help_Students_With_Learning_Disabilities_/55935 Tue, 12 Feb 2013 16:00:00 GMT Parents have extensive rights under IDEA, including the right to ask for an evaluation or a re-evaluation of their child at any time. Most important, however, is the parents’ right to be part of the team that decides what special education services and therapies the child will receive. http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Nudging_Schools_to_Help_Students_With_Learning_Disabilities_/55935 Sesame Street Goes Sensory Friendly http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Sesame_Street_Goes_Sensory_Friendly Tue, 12 Feb 2013 12:00:29 GMT Sesame Street Live will do a performance designed to meet the special needs of those with autism and other disabilities.

Organizers say they are providing parents with production notes in advance so that kids can be prepared. What’s more, there will be quiet areas at the venue for anyone needing a break during the performance and extra space will be offered in the seating areas so that audience members can move around.

]]> Sesame Street Live will do a performance designed to meet the special needs of those with autism and other disabilities. Organizers say they are providing parents with production notes in advance so that kids can be prepared. What’s more, there will be quiet areas at the venue for anyone needing a break during the performance and extra space will be offered in the seating areas so that audience members can move around. http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Sesame_Street_Goes_Sensory_Friendly At Book Summit, Access to Reading Matters Most http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/At_Book_Summit%2C_Access_to_Reading_Matters_Most Mon, 11 Feb 2013 16:00:34 GMT Publishers, writers, preservationists, technology experts, and literacy advocates gathered at the Library of Congress last week to discuss the future of reading and reading technology at the first International Summit of the Book. While the summit offered a variety of perspectives on the evolving role of the book in knowledge-sharing, access to reading emerged as a shared interest and challenge for those concerned with books in relation to literacy. http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/At_Book_Summit%2C_Access_to_Reading_Matters_Most Athletics and Special Education: Reaction to New Guidelines http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Athletics_and_Special_Education%3A_Reaction_to_New_Guidelines Mon, 11 Feb 2013 12:00:54 GMT A document from the U.S. Department of Education intended to clarify schools' responsibility to make sure students with disabilities have access to extracurricular sports has drawn sharply different opinions. Disability-rights advocates welcome the guidance, while critics say federal officials are pushing requirements that could place new financial burdens on districts. http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Athletics_and_Special_Education%3A_Reaction_to_New_Guidelines Live Chat on Neurodiversity in the Classroom http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Live_Chat_on_Neurodiversity_in_the_Classroom Fri, 08 Feb 2013 14:00:28 GMT Understanding Neurodiversity to Build a Strengths-Based Classroom.

The deficit model in education and psychology frames student ability in terms of what cannot be accomplished. Join Education Week in a conversation that focuses instead on students' strengths and interests!

TODAY, Friday, Feb. 8, 2013, 4-5pm, Eastern time.

]]> Understanding Neurodiversity to Build a Strengths-Based Classroom. The deficit model in education and psychology frames student ability in terms of what cannot be accomplished. Join Education Week in a conversation that focuses instead on students' strengths and interests! TODAY, Friday, Feb. 8, 2013, 4-5pm, Eastern time. http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Live_Chat_on_Neurodiversity_in_the_Classroom Concerns About ADHD Practices and Amphetamine Addiction http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Concerns_About_ADHD_Practices_and_Amphetamine_Addiction Thu, 07 Feb 2013 16:00:16 GMT This article presents a harrowing example of what can go wrong when a diagnosis is only partially addressed.

"Young adults are by far the fastest-growing segment of people taking A.D.H.D medications. Nearly 14 million monthly prescriptions for the condition were written for Americans ages 20 to 39 in 2011, two and a half times the 5.6 million just four years before, according to the data company I.M.S. Health. While this rise is generally attributed to the maturing of adolescents who have A.D.H.D. into young adults — combined with a greater recognition of adult A.D.H.D. in general — many experts caution that savvy college graduates, freed of parental oversight, can legally and easily obtain stimulant prescriptions from obliging doctors."

]]> This article presents a harrowing example of what can go wrong when a diagnosis is only partially addressed. "Young adults are by far the fastest-growing segment of people taking A.D.H.D medications. Nearly 14 million monthly prescriptions for the condition were written for Americans ages 20 to 39 in 2011, two and a half times the 5.6 million just four years before, according to the data company I.M.S. Health. While this rise is generally attributed to the maturing of adolescents who have A.D.H.D. into young adults — combined with a greater recognition of adult A.D.H.D. in general — many experts caution that savvy college graduates, freed of parental oversight, can legally and easily obtain stimulant prescriptions from obliging doctors." http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Concerns_About_ADHD_Practices_and_Amphetamine_Addiction Interview: Dr. Ross Greene Talks About Explosive Kids http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Interview%3A_Dr._Ross_Greene_Talks_About_Explosive_Kids Thu, 07 Feb 2013 14:00:51 GMT Ross Greene, Ph.D. is Director of the Collaborative Problem Solving Institute in the Department of Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital, and an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

Read his interview and learn problem-solving strategies that will help your child regulate emotions and frustration.

]]> Ross Greene, Ph.D. is Director of the Collaborative Problem Solving Institute in the Department of Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital, and an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Read his interview and learn problem-solving strategies that will help your child regulate emotions and frustration. http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Interview%3A_Dr._Ross_Greene_Talks_About_Explosive_Kids 50 Educational Podcasts You Should be Listening To http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/50_Educational_Podcasts_You_Should_be_Listening_To Wed, 06 Feb 2013 18:00:28 GMT Podcasts are a great way to get information when you’re driving in your car, making dinner at home, or waiting at the DMV to renew your license. Podcasts don’t force you to find more time in your day; they give you the opportunity to capitalize on all the dead time that already exists in your day by simply downloading the .mp3 or syncing a podcast to your iTunes account on your smartphone. http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/50_Educational_Podcasts_You_Should_be_Listening_To Workplace Disability Discrimination Claims Hit Record High http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Workplace_Disability_Discrimination_Claims_Hit_Record_High Wed, 06 Feb 2013 14:00:11 GMT More complaints of disability-related job discrimination were filed last year than ever before. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission received 26,379 claims of job bias citing disability issues in the 2012 fiscal year. http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Workplace_Disability_Discrimination_Claims_Hit_Record_High Number Sense, Not Counting Skills, Predicts Math Ability, Says Study http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Number_Sense%2C_Not_Counting_Skills%2C_Predicts_Math_Ability%2C_Says_Study Tue, 05 Feb 2013 17:30:21 GMT 1, 2, ... ?

A new study indicates that understanding number concepts (like being able to identify, compare, and work with numbers) may predict first grade student's future math ability more than counting skills.

]]> 1, 2, ... ? A new study indicates that understanding number concepts (like being able to identify, compare, and work with numbers) may predict first grade student's future math ability more than counting skills. http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Number_Sense%2C_Not_Counting_Skills%2C_Predicts_Math_Ability%2C_Says_Study Special Ed. Director Blazes Paths in Virginia http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Special_Ed._Director_Blazes_Paths_in_Virginia Tue, 05 Feb 2013 14:00:33 GMT As a 5th grader, well before the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act existed, requiring public schools to educate students with disabilities in the "least restrictive" environment possible, Sorrell was already indignant over the way a younger cousin with Down syndrome was being treated in school.

]]> When Judy Sorrell was a child, she knew she would devote her life to working with children with disabilities. As a 5th grader, well before the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act existed, requiring public schools to educate students with disabilities in the "least restrictive" environment possible, Sorrell was already indignant over the way a younger cousin with Down syndrome was being treated in school. http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Special_Ed._Director_Blazes_Paths_in_Virginia Increased Access to School Sports for Students with Disabilities Expected http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Increased_Access_to_School_Sports_for_Students_with_Disabilities_Expected Mon, 04 Feb 2013 22:37:23 GMT For the first time, federal officials are telling school districts that they must offer students with disabilities equal access to school sports. Click through the link to read more! http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Increased_Access_to_School_Sports_for_Students_with_Disabilities_Expected Disability Advocate to Retire from Congress http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Disability_Advocate_to_Retire_from_Congress Mon, 04 Feb 2013 19:08:02 GMT After four decades of serving, Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, revealed plans not to seek a sixth term in the U.S. Senate next year. Harkin's contributions include the Americans with Disabilities Act and several special education, employment, and health care initiatives. http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Disability_Advocate_to_Retire_from_Congress Dyslexia Center Looks to Raise Funds, Awareness http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Dyslexia_Center_Looks_to_Raise_Funds%2C_Awareness Sat, 02 Feb 2013 19:17:54 GMT For the second consecutive year, an anonymous donor has offered to give a 50 percent matching grant to the Children's Dyslexia Center in State College if the Center raises $20,000 by Aug. 31. Last year the Center raised the $20,000 needed for the anonymous donor's grant several ways. The Tour for Dyslexia, a cross-country group bike tour started and led by Larry Emigh, chairperson on the Board of Governors for the Center, raised $16,000 last year. http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Dyslexia_Center_Looks_to_Raise_Funds%2C_Awareness How Cultural Assumptions About Struggle Affect Learning Outcomes http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/How_Cultural_Assumptions_About_Struggle_Affect_Learning_Outcomes Fri, 01 Feb 2013 18:09:29 GMT A focus on persistence through intellectual struggle strengthens self-efficacy and leads to positive outcomes in Eastern Cultures. NPR takes a look at cross-cultural differences in classroom attitudes toward learning and their effect on students. http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/How_Cultural_Assumptions_About_Struggle_Affect_Learning_Outcomes Steps to Academic Success for Students with LD http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Steps_to_Academic_Success_for_Students_with_LD Fri, 01 Feb 2013 17:47:00 GMT Learn about accomodations, supports, and specialized instruction that can enable students with LD to thrive in the classroom. http://www.ldonline.org/ldnews/Steps_to_Academic_Success_for_Students_with_LD