Today, too many students, especially students with disabilities, are subject to seclusion and restraint at school by their teachers, principals, and other staff. There are disturbing reports that students have been locked in closets and classrooms, pinned to the ground for prolonged periods, and subject to behavior-controlling drugs not prescribed by a physician. While these actions can often be terrifying for the student, what’s even more alarming is that many children have been severely injured or died because of this practice. While harmful seclusion and restraint of children are barred in hospitals and other settings, schools continue to operate under a patchwork of unclear state and local laws and policies, rather than a clear nationwide ban on these harmful practices. Read More >

As I explained in an earlier post, elementary school students who are at risk for mathematical learning disabilities (MLD) often have trouble with even the most basic number processing skills. The good news is that researchers are developing remedial approaches to helping these children early on, and some relatively simple strategies are available for parents to assist their children in developing and practicing fundamental math skills. Read More >

Many elementary and middle school students find math challenging, but an estimated 5 to 9% experience difficulties severe enough to be categorized as having a mathematical learning disability (MLD). An emerging consensus, at least among researchers, is that such students must exhibit comparatively poor performance on a standardized mathematics achievement test (at or below the 10th percentile) over at least a successive two-year period to be properly identified as having MLD (also known as dyscalculia). As a consequence, children who meet such criteria are typically not identified prior to first grade. And while research in this field is at least 10 years behind research on reading disabilities, progress is being made in:
Read More >

When children head off to school each day, parents want and expect them to have opportunities to learn new skills and information and to be connected to a supportive network of teachers and classmates. But for children who are perceived to be “different,” school can sometimes be fraught with social, emotional, and physical risks, including bullying. Read More >

As the days get longer, it’s time to look forward to summer… and even begin thinking (a little!) about next school year. Read on for a collection of recent articles from newspapers and blogs that will help you think about summer plans for your child with learning disabilities (LD), consider new forms of assistive technology to help your child in school, and hear an inspiring story from a young actress who has overcome not only the struggles of LD but being bullied at school. Read More >