The School Survival Guide for Kids With LD

Executive functions are the cognitive skills that help us manage our lives and be successful. Children with weak executive skills, despite their best intentions, often do their homework but forget to turn it in, wait until the last minute to start a project, lose things, or have a room that looks like a dump! The good news is that parents can do a lot to support and train their children to manage these frustrating and stressful weaknesses.

This book was written by a leading expert in the field for people of all backgrounds and abilities and will help readers to master complex organisational skills, deal with a large workload and cope with the demands of deadlines. It also shows how to improve confidence, deal with stress, and build on the creative talent that many dyslexics possess.

“I’m normal because I am a normal kid — going to school, being happy, getting homework, having a family. I’m not normal because I’m dyslexic…” Thus begins the autobiography of an eleven-year-old boy who describes how he created a board game based on the popular Harry Potter series and entered it into his school’s yearly Invention Convention, where it became an instant hit.

Joey Pigza really wants his six-week visit with his dad to count, to show him he’s not as wired as he used to be, to show his dad how much he loves him. But Carter Pigza’s not an easy guy to love. He’s eager to make it up to Joey for past wrongs and to show him how to be a winner, to take control of his life. With his coaching, Joey’s even learned how to pitch a baseball, and he’s good at it. The trouble is, Joey’s dad thinks taking control means giving up the things that “keep Joey safe”. And if he wants to please his dad, he’s going to have to play by his rules, even when the rules don’t make sense.

This revised and expanded edition of To Be Gifted and Learning Disabled offers up-to-date information on identifying and meeting the needs of gifted and learning disabled (GLD) youngsters. Part I discusses the patterns of accomplishments and failures that many GLD students present as well as identification and diagnosis issues. Part II explores the contemporary psychological theory and research that guides educational applications for GLD students. And Part III offers practical strategies for teaching GLD students and helping them plan and explore options for their future. Three new chapters in this resource cover self regulation, developing comprehensive IEPs for GLD students, and the roles parents and counselors can play in meeting the social and emotional needs of GLD students.

This book offers practical advice and tips on areas such as learning to relax, improving your memory, staying focused, getting homework done, and making friends.