ASD & Humor, Discipline, Summer & Anxiety, More

MYTH BUSTING. The myth: People on the spectrum have no sense of humor. Busting that myth is an article in The New York Times describing how “some people on the spectrum not only get the jokes, they write them.” Think Dan Aykroyd, for example, or the members of “Asperger’s Are Us.” Find the article.

DISCIPLINE. “What If Everything You Knew About Disciplining Kids Was Wrong” is the tantalizing title of a piece at Mother Jones. It turns out the article is about the discipline methods espoused by psychologist Ross Greene, a name familiar to those who read this blog. His approach represents a “no” to the question, “Does it make sense to impose the harshest treatments on the most challenging kids” — the kind of kid that perhaps you have in your home or classroom. Find the article. (Heads-up: lots of words.)

SUMMER TIME, AND THE LIVING IS… anxious? The Washington Post notes that anxiety can spike in kids who are on summer break, offers reasons why, and tells what parents can do to help. (Hints: healthy boundaries; slow down; and more.) Find the article.

ED POLITICS. Education Week reports on the current status of legislation to fund education for fiscal year 2020, which begins on October 1. You can see how various parties proposals for 2020 compare with actual funding enacted for 2019 in areas such as special ed or educator training at Education Week.

APPROACHING DYSLEXIA. Education Dive describes three ways in which educators in the United States are working to address dyslexia, ways that are described as “more research- and science-based.” Read more.

ADDITUDE. A popular recent article at this site was one that provides examples of achievers and celebrities with ADHD. One example: Olympic gymnast Simone Biles. One of the celebrities has this line attributed to him: “If you’re a young person being called weird or different, I’m here to tell you that your critics do not count. Their words will fade. You will not.” Find the article, actually a series of 20 “slides.”

SCIENCE, RESEARCH, MEDICINE
— Good news from MedPage Today: ” Methylphenidate (Ritalin) was not associated with an increase in psychotic symptoms when used to treat attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to a within-person Swedish study.” Find the study write-up.
— Attitudes about giftedness, from the Institute for Educational Advancement. The IEA commissioned polling research to try to discover what Americans thought and felt about giftedness and gifted ed. The poll also tested potential advocacy messages. Find the executive summary.
— Music and academics — cause and effect, or effect and effect? “High schoolers who take music courses score significantly better on exams in certain other subjects, including math and science, than their non-musical peers, according to a study published by the American Psychological Association.” Find the study write-up.

Spotlight on 2e Series
Our two best-selling booklets are the primers for parents and educators, Parenting Your Twice-Exceptional Child and Understanding Your Twice-Exceptional Student. Oftentimes parents will purchase both versions, one for themselves and one for a trusted teacher. Find out more.