Category: Learning Differences

I’m not saying that I am any good at my job. I’m not saying that I do good work with spectrummy kids. But if in fact I am able to do a good job with kiddos on the spectrum, it’s because I “get it.” I connect with spectrummy kids because,

It starts with a glance followed by a whisper in a supermarket. Why is that child so fussy? Why doesn’t his mother just tell him ‘no’? “No, you cannot push over that stack of canned peaches.” “No, you cannot keep poking that stranger on the arm.” “No, you cannot climb

Vizzini and Fezzik guard the Princess Bride in the bow of the ship. Inigo, standing in the stern, watches intently as the Dread Pirate Roberts’s vessel, silhouetted against the full moon, draws closer and closer. “Inconceivable!” Says Vizzini. “You keep using that word,” replies Inigo. “I do not think it

As devoted readers of these columns will attest, sunshine, lollipops and unicorns have nothing on my opinion of a father-daughter hike on a crisp fall day where the twigs pop under your sneakers, the stream runs cold over the stones, and the panoramic view from the top of the mountain

1)     “Turn left at the third light pole before the church that burned down where Lee Ann’s grandfather got married that first time.” 2)     “Take half the coefficient of the linear term, square it, and add it to both sides.” What do these directives have in common? That not everyone

Any communication can be misinterpreted. Even the simplest of greetings can be processed in multiple ways. “Good morning” can be non-committal, inviting, or threatening. “Good morning” can be heard as an invitation to conversation or as a dismissive end to one. For an example of the contemptuous salutation look no

What no one acknowledges-parents, teachers, administrators, elected officials-is what every high school student already knows. The great unspoken, tacit agreement throughout our culture in general and our schools in particular, is that every student can learn every subject at the same level of proficiency. The reality is that in our

Following is a gentle guide to help you determine when it is appropriate to make a comment and when it might be better to keep your thoughts to yourself. 1) “Teachers should be compensated based on the test scores of their students.” You get to remark about compensation for teachers

Having carefully studied the ph levels of the dirt, I dug a garden plot in the yard with full sun and proper drainage. Having prepared the soil with the appropriate levels of fertilizer, I planted seeds according to the almanac, waiting for the most propitious day. The seed package said