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ACCEPTING AUTISM. A Maryland mother writes in the Washington Times about how she came to understand what it was like to have a child with autism and how she accepts it. Now, she writes, "It is hard to imagine Jack without autism. If he were typical, would he still be so gentle and kindhearted? Would he still find so much joy in very small things? Would he still come up with the delightful and quirky thoughts he manages to articulate?" Read the article.
CHILDHOOD BIPOLAR DISORDER. In Newsweek, a psychiatrist contends that "hundreds of thousands of children in the U.S. have been wrongly diagnosed with the trendy disorder." He calls it a "diagnostic fad" and cites differences between bipolar disorder in adults and in children. His opinion is that cases of severe AD/HD combined with severe ODD are being diagnosed, wrongly, as childhood bipolar disorder, resulting in unwarranted and even dangerous medications. Find the article. PERSONALITY DISORDERS: A MATTER OF DEGREE. The chairman of the DSM work group on personality disorders has noted a shift in perception of those disorders: that they're not binary but a matter of degree. Some personality disorders might disappear from the DSM-5, leaving antisocial, avoidant, borderline, narcissistic, obsessive/compulsive, and schizotypal. Read more. A NEW BOOK ON AD/HD takes a strength-based approach to the disorder, noting that many kids with AD/HD "have tremendous passion, creativity and are often outstanding individuals." Along with his approach, the author titled the book Attention Difference Disorder. Read an interview with the author, and be sure to make it to the final paragraph. VIDEO RESOURCES. A video on the Scientific American website treats the topic of how motherhood changes the brain. A video on the website of TECCA, a technology-following organization, features a new Dutch-designed font that supposedly helps dyslexics differentiate similar letters such as v and w. And from Deborah Ruf's newsletter we learned that the American Psychological Association will be publishing videos about recent psychological research, such as a recent video about children's mental health; find it. AND FINALLY, THIS. If your bright child is interested in outer space, note that Scientific American has posted a collection of in-depth reports on the U.S. space shuttle programs, including a visual history, the final mission, and close calls experienced by those manning the spacecraft. Find it.
GOOGLE SCIENCE FAIR. We've mentioned this new, online competition before, but want to pass on a pointer to an article with more details about the fair. The article discusses the differences between in-person and online fairs and also speculates on what's at stake for Google -- but if you're thinking about encouraging a teenager to enter this fair, find out more. ABDOMINAL MIGRAINE? A child with belly pain may be experiencing an abdominal migraine, according to a new study. Reuters points out that the label is a common diagnosis in Europe and the UK, but not in the United States. According to the article, the condition affects about two percent of kids. Read more. ATTENTION RESEARCH UPDATE. The March issue is now posted, and in it David Rabiner reviews an approach to helping "inflexible and explosive children" who are prone to outbursts and meltdowns. The approach was tested in a study that showed ODD kids and their families benefited long-term from a particular approach conceived by Dr. Ross Greene called collaborative problem solving. Find the issue. SENG WEBINAR. SENG has announced an April 26th webinar titled "Stress, Anxiety, and Gifted: Coping with Everyday Life." Presented by Michele Kane, the webinar "examines the sources of stress as well as explores specific strategies designed to minimize stress and develop self-awareness." Find out more about the 1.5-hour, $40 event at the SENG site. TREATMENTS FOR AUTISM. If you've been considering any of a variety of autism treatments, check out an article about the effectiveness of such treatments, based on studies reported in Pediatrics. ANXIETY seems to plague lots of gifted and twice-exceptional children. If your child is one of them, an article at PsychCentral lays out various forms of anxiety, the ages at which they typically occur, and when you the adult should worry about the child's worries. Find the article. WOODWORKING FOR KIDS is the topic of a a recent article in The New York Times. Benefits to the kids of participating in woodworking projects -- pride of accomplishment, satisfaction from solving problems, and being engaged. The article profiles a woodworking program or two and lists a few programs across the country. Read it. DEEP BRAIN STIMULATION is used for severe cases of depression, OCD, and Tourette's, as well as for adult conditions such as Parkinson's disease. The current print issue of Brain in the News from the Dana Foundation contained two articles on the topic, one of which was reprinted from the Associated Press and the other from The New York Times. AND FINALLY, THIS, about physical safety for your college student in Texas. CBS in West Texas reported last week on Texas Senate Bill 354, which would allow those over 21 who have a license for a concealed handgun to carry their weapons on Texas college campuses. The bill has been approved by a committee and is apparently ready to be voted on by the Senate. CBS notes polls indicating that "67 percent of Texans are against guns on campus." Read more.
2e ACHIEVER. The newly-elected governor of Connecticut, Dannel Malloy, recalls that he was a "floppy kid," with developmental delays in gross and fine motor skills, coordination issues, and reading problems. Although he was able to move beyond most of those issues, reading is still hard because of his dyslexia, according to an article in the Connecticut Post. He spoke of his LDs during his inauguration speech. Read more. KNOW A DESERVING TEACHER for that 2e child? Students in grades 1-12 can write an essay nominating a teacher for a Disney vacation in Orlando through the "A+ for Teachers at Downtown Disney" contest, which runs until April 15. The essay should explain how the teacher has made a difference in the student's life and will be judged on its relevance to theme, creativity, originality, and the merit of the teacher's accomplishments as outlined in the essay. Find out more. TIGER MOTHERING. Scientific American weighs in on the currently raging discussion of rigor in bringing up children. The magazine interviews developmental psychologist Laurence Steinberg, who has written about ethnic differences in parenting in the US. Find it. EDUCATORS GUILD NEWSLETTER. The January issue is out, focusing on acceleration. The Guild is sponsored by the Davidson Institute for Talent Development. Find the issue. TESTING HELPS LEARNING, according to research described today in The New York Times. Immediate testing led students to recall more information than two other learning methods -- repeated studying, and diagramming what is being learned. The article says that the latter two methods "give students the illusion that they know the material better than they do." The more successful learning method is called "retrieval testing." Find out more. EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES. Deborah Ruf, in her "Talent Igniter" newsletter, shares a variety of resources for enhancing the education of that gifted learner you know. The resources include The Bard Online, online lessons from the Khan Academy, and others. Find it. TREATMENT RATES FOR MENTAL DISORDERS. A study reported by Science Daily found that only half of adolescents with severely impairing mental disorders ever receive treatment. The treatment rate is highest for AD/HD -- 60% -- lower for ODD and conduct disorders -- 45% -- and lower still for other disorders like anxiety, eating, or substance abuse. Read about the study. Separately, an NPR report indicates that depression is "on the rise" in college students. Find the report. AND FINALLY, THIS. Do you know a kid with a pierced tongue? A study indicates that plastic studs are a better choice than metal because they reduce the risk of infection. Chipped teeth and receding gums are also more of a problem with metal studs, according to the article. Read it.