Special Needs

Articles

...critical for minimizing the impact of dyslexia. Parents with histories of reading/language difficulties should take note of their children's early development....difficulties should take note of their children's early development. Documenting milestones can be a useful tool for determining if intervention is needed. If you've...

You've noticed your child struggling with reading, reversing letters, or avoiding books altogether....education services under IDEA." Specific concerns: reading difficulties, letter reversals, trouble with phonics,...difficulties, letter reversals, trouble with phonics, slow reading speed, difficulty spelling Any observations from...

If you've searched for brain-computer interfaces for your child, you've seen headlines about mind-reading devices and direct neural communication. What you haven't seen is a clear answer to whether any of this applies to your 7-year-old who can't speak,...

...same year, that found no significant difference between intensive and standard therapy schedules. Now what? This isn't a problem you can solve by reading harder. Conflicting research exists across nearly every intervention parents consider: gluten-free diets for autism, screen time limits for ADHD, optimal...

...another: Braille is essential for literacy. Audio alone won't develop the reading and writing skills your child needs for school and work. Both perspectives...Listening to a textbook chapter at 200 words per minute is faster than reading it in Braille at 100 words per minute. For web browsing, email, and navigating...

...them focus, what makes them overwhelmed, and what they need when they're struggling. "I notice you do better when you have your fidget toy during reading time. Why do you think that is?" Name the pattern together. Practice asking for accommodations in low-stakes situations....

...work might qualify for a 504 plan (accommodations like extended time) but not an IEP (specialized instruction). A child with the same diagnosis whose reading comprehension has fallen two years behind because of attention difficulties would likely meet both parts of the test. Schools evaluate educational...

...may have a language disorder even if their pronunciation is perfect. Social communication (pragmatics). This includes turn-taking in conversation, reading social cues, staying on topic, understanding...

...phonics. Rather than expecting a child to absorb letter-sound patterns through reading exposure, structured literacy teaches decoding directly: phonemes, spelling...this multi-pathway approach as one of the most effective ways to build new reading skills. Where they diverge is in delivery: who teaches it, how structured...

...add up. Medication helps with focus during homework, but they still avoid reading. Behavioral strategies reduce impulsivity, but anxiety about school keeps...untreated ADHD can lead to secondary anxiety. A child who repeatedly fails at reading because of undiagnosed dyslexia may develop task avoidance that looks...

...dyscalculia, and other learning disabilities, the result isn't a lack of effort. It's a neurodevelopmental difference that shows up as disorganization, reading struggles, or math confusion. Understanding that difference changes everything about how we respond. What Executive Function Does. Executive function...

...something for your child. What "Research" Means in Assistive Technology. When you see "breakthrough assistive technology research," you're usually reading about one of three stages: Proof of concept. A university lab built a working prototype. It functions in controlled conditions with researchers present....