Learning Styles: Are they a Myth?

We may be required to unlearn what we once thought was true about learning styles. Teachers must ditch ‘neuromyth’ of learning styles, say scientists Sunday 12 March 2017 20.01 EDT Last modified on Sunday 7 May 2017 12.28 EDT Teaching children according to their individual “learning style” does not achieve better results and should be ditched …

Speech and Language Deficits Impact Life

Recently the Museum of Science exhibited Leonardo da Vinci’s work.  Recreations of his drawings were made into physical models.  I was struck by his inventiveness and his ability to both write and sell his ideas. His communication strengths were obvious from his displayed writings convincing Ludovico Sforza of Milan to hire him to his elaborate …

Language is the Key to Academic Success

When there’s inequity in learning, it’s usually baked into life, Harvard analysts say. Source: The Costs of Inequality: Education Is the Key to It All – US News Language is the key to academic success. A few students from backgrounds with limited resources do well often because they love reading and in that way acquire the …

Discovering What Works: Managing homework battles

My daughter is now in the 8th grade. Our “homework battles” are primarily behind us, but not forgotten.  I wish I could say it just took time. That would negate all the wonderful help she’s received.  Managing homework battles takes a thoughtful, comprehensive approach.  It requires perseverance, patience, and sometimes skilled help to address the underlying …

Mindblindness vs Context blindness

Replacing the generic term of “mindblindness,” often used to refer to people on the autism spectrum, with a more specific term such as “context blindness” has been proposed by Peter Vermeulen, PhD.   Simon Baron-Cohen created the term “mindblindness,” to refer to the deficit  people on the autism spectrum have in reading others mental states. This term …

Researching Homework Problems

Parenting is a hard job.  When your child begins to have difficulties with homework, parents often panic. Is it my fault? What can I do? Our minds, race. Will they ever learn to read?  How come I have to keep repeating myself so much? Why won’t he sit down and just do his work? Why …

Identifying speech and language challenges

Sometimes children and adults come to me using strategies and tools that do not address their learning problem. What is the result? frustration! If your child struggles with homework because of speech and language challenges finding the right help is critical. How do you find the right intervention to align with your child’s speech and language …

Not Qualified for Services: Twice Gifted Students

Twice gifted students with learning problems can go through their entire academic career struggling with school work, but unable to receive services.  The struggle is primarily encountered on the home front.  Frustrated children and parents, battle through homework and self-esteem issues that leave everyone exhausted. Often twice gifted students’ strengths effectively hide their weaknesses. As …

Language Challenges Uncovered: The Foundation for Academic Achievement Part 2

If language is the foundation for academic achievement then what do language challenges look like in everyday life? There are many areas that can impact language including word finding, auditory processing, comprehension and As a speech therapist one of the most telling signs of word finding problems  in children and adults is the frequent use …