Alan Barret, who was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in second grade, had been my patient for five years. In that time, he’d done really well. At 13, he was a stocky, cheerful boy who loved to draw, did well in school, and had good friends. He was particularly close to his brother – the two boys played
In the season of giving thanks, I often think of a family I will call the Renfields. Their first child, Ray, was diagnosed early in life with moderate autism spectrum. Some parents are overwhelmed by such a finding, but the Renfields stayed positive. “This is a child with real strengths,” the dad told me. “We’re so lucky to have the
Recent federal and state legislation known as Response to Intervention (RtI) has influenced current trends in education policies across state school districts. The RtI movement identifies procedures and methods for identifying and intervening with children who have potential learning disabilities. As of the 2010-2011 school year, the legislation mandates that schools serving grades K through 12 use RtI as an
“Abbie is a complete puzzle to me,” her mother, Julia Mason, confided. “Last year in first grade she had a meltdown at the class Halloween party. She wouldn’t talk to anybody. She stared at the floor. Finally she just went out and sat on the stairs and when people tried to get by her, she cried and said they were
RNBC is pleased to introduce the newest member of the clinical team; Anne Howard, Ph.D. Dr. Howard is a certified school psychologist and will be licensed as a clinical psychologist this November. “My dual training allows me to assess children through both a clinical and school lens,” says Dr. Howard. “The school is often the first place parents and teachers
For the past few years I’ve been involved with a wonderful family called the Warners. The little girl, who’s about six, was diagnosed with autism at the age of two. Her parents are so healthy about the way they think about their child and how they interact with her. They want to foster her development, but they are realistic about
We at Rush NeuroBehavioral Center are pleased to announce a new service, starting in September, for the assessment and treatment of stress and anxiety disorders in children and adolescents. We’ve all experienced some level of anxiety during childhood. It may be short-lived and not have much of an impact on our lives. But when a child experiences fear or worry
The 3rd grade teacher, Mrs. Sweeney, held out the vocabulary assignment that Francie Baker’s mother had seen her daughter do two weeks before. “I found it blowing across the playground,” Mrs. Sweeney said. “Francie said it must have fallen out of her pocket when she was upside down on the jungle gym. It’s one more of those things she never
When I think of the difference mothers make in the lives of their children, I think first of Alesandra Arimany – a fiery, bright, determined woman who swept into my office with her arms full of charts and paperwork. She explained that her child had a problem, and in Guatemala, where she was from, people who have wealth go to
There are two things (that happen to be polar opposites) that wise parents can do to ensure their children’s happiness as summer winds down. One is to plan and prepare. The other is to enjoy the moment wholeheartedly. As a start to both, the beginning of August is a good time to get a calendar and show your child exactly