Teasing and NLD or spectrum children

Teasing.  It’s so tricky.  Teasing can be mean or playful.  It can be a way to bond or a way to hurt.  But … how to tell?

Mrs. Napier White and normal people

50 years ago, when my mother and Elizabeth Friedus were starting the Gateway School of New York (for me!) they had to raise money (there was no support for such schools at the time). So, they met with parents (more or less exclusively mothers) of children who might attend.  One woman said she did not […]

Messiness

I am not a neat person.  I don’t notice absence of neatness and I don’t know what to do about when I notice it. I think the former is mostly because I am so non-visual while the latter is due to my poor coordination and motor planning. I am not sure how common messiness is […]

The NVLD project

I’m excited to hear about a new project about nonverbal learning disabilities.  It’s called the NVLD  project and it’s pretty new.  They have a blog which welcomes guest posts (I’ve written one already) and a bunch of good information about nonverbal LD. Browse around!  

An interesting blog

I have just discovered an interesting blog about disability. It’s called Breath and Shadow . I hope you like it.

On paying attention

Pay attention! We hear it all the time and it certainly is important!  But how does one do it? And does everyone do it the same way? I can’t answer the first question, but see How Kids Pay Attention and Why some Kids Struggle with it for some good ideas. But for the second question, […]

Synchronous and asynchronous communication

Wow, what a title!  There are many ways to communicate.  One way of categorizing them is as synchronous or asynchronous. In synchronous communication, interaction is immediate.  I talk, you talk, I talk etc.  This includes regular face to face communication and phone calls it also includes Skype. In asynchronous communication, this immediacy is not there.  […]

Navigating College Search and Programs as Someone with Learning Differences

When I embarked on the journey of searching for colleges and programs such as a retail and hospitality education program, my excitement was tinged with a hint of apprehension. As someone with learning differences, I knew that finding the right fit was not just about location or reputation; it was about ensuring that my unique […]

5 reviews, 25 stars!

As a new author, I had doubts about how good or bad my book was.  I imagine most authors do.  I also imagine every author likes getting positive reviews and dislikes negative ones, so I am humbled but happy that so far, my book Screwed up Somehow but not Stupid: Life with a Learning Disability […]

America, New York, 85th street: On identifying ourselves

The other day I gave a talk at the Gateway School of New York and I got into an interesting conversation about the word “disabled”.  I am a fan of the word – as opposed to “learning differences” or some such – but the woman I was speaking with raised another point: Learning disabled sounds […]