WE HAVE some good items today, but personal prejudice dictates that we start with Calvin and Hobbes and the effect it can have on young males (and on mothers). A writer at the Washington Post relates the changes in her household resulting from finding several Calvin and Hobbes books in the free bin at the library. Some of the writer-mom’s revelations concerned the energizing power of imagination; others, transitions in household dynamics, as when the mom realized she was transferring her allegiance from Calvin to Calvin’s mom. Here’s our favorite quote from the story: “Perhaps a stuffed Hobbes is the symbolic representation of parental limitation and inadequacy, the depth and degree to which we lose sight of what it’s like to be a child. Hobbes is real because children’s feelings are real.” Find the story.
TECA STORY. Recently we pointed to a story at the site of Twice-Exceptional Children’s Advocacy by a mom whose child had severe reading difficulties and had been “written off” by school. (He did manage to attain a PhD later on.) TECA has posted another episode of the story on its website, a story illustrating the criticality of teaching to a child’s strengths. Find it.
PARENTING RESOURCE. Debbie Reber of TiLT is organizing a “Differently Wired Club” for parents of you-know-what-kid-of kids. Reber calls the club a community to provide tools, support, coaching, and other aides to parenting your kiddo. The enrollment period ends tomorrow, January 24. A fee applies. Find out more.
CODING SKILLS FOR THOSE ON THE SPECTRUM. A New Jersey program funded through Autism Speaks and GameStop provides scholarships for students with ASD to develop their skills in computer coding, including web design and game design; this according to New Jersey 101.5. Find out more.
WRIGHTSLAW SAYS THIS: “Your school system, under IDEA, is required to fully evaluate any child who may need special education services.” And in the current issue of Special Ed Advocate from Wrightslaw you can find out what that means for your family. Find the newsletter.
THE CHILD MIND INSTITUTE, in this week’s newsletter, covers “positive attention” as a way to influence a child’s behavior. The organization asserts, “If you want to change a child’s behavior, telling them what they’re doing wrong is NOT the most effective way to do it.” Read more.
MEDICINE, RESEARCH, AND A LOT OF UNPLEASANT NEWS
— IQ loss from heavy metals is less prevalent now, but flame retardants and pesticides are the new villains, according to Science Daily. Find the study write-up.
— Another study gives details on the role of flame retardants in reading problems. Find the study write-up.
— “Children with elevated exposure to early life stress in the home and elevated prenatal exposure to air pollution exhibited heightened symptoms of attention and thought problems, according to researchers.” Find the study write-up.
— And the last bit of bad news: “New research shows soybean oil not only leads to obesity and diabetes, but could also affect neurological conditions like autism, Alzheimer’s disease, anxiety, and depression.” Find the study write-up.
Booklets for Three Common Exceptionalities
The Spotlight on 2e Series from the 2e Resource offers three booklets devoted to particular “e’s”:
— Understanding the Gifted Child with Attention Deficit
— The Twice-exceptional Child with Asperger Syndrome
— The Twice-exceptional Child with Dyslexia
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