Educational Inspiration

There are lots of professionals who are qualified to evaluate children for written language disorders, sometimes referred to as dyslexia.  Included in this group are speech-language pathologists (SLPs). The American Speech-Language Association (ASHA) says that one of the roles of the SLP includes: Diagnosing disorders of reading and writing - including dyslexia - and describing the relationship between these disorders and the student's spoken language difficulties.   https://www.asha.org/PRPSpecificTopic.aspx?folderid=8589942549&section=Roles_and_Responsibilities There are lots of different perspectives on how to evaluate, what should be included in the evaluation, and what we should call "it."  The people who don't win in all this confusion are the parents and kids. Google and social media outlets are flooded with both expert advice and pseudo-science snake oil.  It's hard to tell the difference as a parent. Often, parents don't realize t

Every year at about this time I hear the same question - "Should I keep coming to therapy during the summer or take a break?" I get it.  By the time we roll around to the end of the school year and are experiencing the end-of-year May activities, a break sounds really good.  Here are some things to think about. Do I need a break from everything, or just a break from the daily routine?   While you take a break from school can you still continue to devote a few hours a week to language or reading therapy?  Chances are that your child isn't tired of learning.  They're more tired of the daily grind.  If you are taking a much needed break from the schooling routine, consider whether you can still squeeze in an hour or two of therapy. Can we take a small break and feel refreshed, or do we need the extended break? If you want to take a break, consider taking two weeks off instead of the entire summer.  Think about that winter break you get around Christmas.  I

One of the important skills we teach children is categorization.  Many people don't realize how necessary categorization is to everyday life.  Think about when you go to the grocery store.  How do you know where to look for flour?  The thought process might go something like this: What do we do with flour? We use it for baking. So, the flour might be located with other baking items. Therefore, head to the aisle with all the cake mixes to find the flour. Bet you didn't realize all that thinking went into grocery shopping!  Now what about when you get home to unpack those groceries?  You probably have a place where every item goes.  Maybe you store the poptarts next to the cereal in the cabinet because they both are breakfast items.  Or the apples and oranges you bought maybe go in the same refrigerator drawer with other fruit items.  You are more organized than you think because you are able to categorize, or sort items that go together. Sometimes children who struggle

When I talk with parents about dyslexia, the topic of vision therapy almost always comes up.  It is heavily discussed on parent dyslexia support forums and one of the first results on a google search about dyslexia.  As a parent it is difficult to sift through all the information and determine what's good research and what's pseudoscience. In 2009 the following professional organizations issued a joint statement that explains the scientific evidence does not support vision therapy : That list of reputable and respected medical organizations should definitely give you pause.  In summary, their joint statement said this: "Currently, there is no adequate scientific evidence to support the view that subtle eye or visual problems cause learning disabilities. 8,30,31,45,46,48–59 Furthermore, the evidence does not support the concept that vision therapy or tinted lenses or filters are effective, directly or indirectly, in the treatment of learning disabi