Below are links to articles on various topics please browse at your leisure. Feel free to send me an email after with your thoughts or comments. I love to hear from you.

The Most Important Skill Kids Can Develop Right Now

Closed Schools Are Creating More Trauma For Students

CHADD-Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Information and links on Dyslexia

Greater West Bloomfield Community Coalition, Local Supprt for Teens and Pre-Teens

Learning Disabilities (LD)

Information on a variety of Learning Disabilities. For Parents, Educators, and Students

Schawb Learning, A Parent’s Guide to Helping Kids with Learning Disabilities

Behavior Treatments

LD On-Line

Medications

Alternative Treatments for ADD/ADHD

Basic Information on ADD/ADHD

Tips for Living Healthy, Personalized health and wellness information to help you look and feel years younger

How sleep impacts productivity and attention

ADHD and Sleep Disorders

CHADD-Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Information and links on Dyslexia

Greater West Bloomfield Community Coalition, Local Supprt for Teens and Pre-Teens

Learning Disabilities (LD)

Information on a variety of Learning Disabilities. For Parents, Educators, and Students

Schawb Learning, A Parent’s Guide to Helping Kids with Learning Disabilities

Behavior Treatments

LD On-Line

Medications

Alternative Treatments for ADD/ADHD

Basic Information on ADD/ADHD

Tips for Living Healthy, Personalized health and wellness information to help you look and feel years younger

How sleep impacts productivity and attention

ADHD and Sleep Disorders

Last Friday representatives from the Michigan Cyber Safety Initiative (CSI) were here presenting to our students and parents.

The Michigan CSI Program consists of customized presentations for kindergarten through eighth-grade students and a parent seminar. The program was piloted in the spring of 2007 to over 8,500 students and since the program launch in the fall of 2007 has been presented to more than one million Michigan students statewide. The primary focus is to emphasize students should: keep safe by not sharing any personal information, keep away from Internet strangers, and keep telling parents or a trusted adult about anything that makes them feel uncomfortable.

Older students are cautioned about revealing personal information on social networking sites. They are taught not to share inappropriate material via cell phones and about the long term consequences that can occur. Several videos ware incorporated in the sixth through eighth-grade presentation to drive home the importance of responsible online behavior. All students are provided with an Online Safety Contract to discuss with parent(s) or guardian(s).

The parent seminar provides practical tools, including internet safety tips and how to: 1) access the Michigan Sex Offender Registry; 2) understand the impact of digital footprints; 3) realize the risk of sharing photos with embedded location information; 4) identify the possible privacy risks of different apps; 5) recognize the potential dangers and legal ramification of sexting; and 6) identify cyberbully warning signs and develop a plan of action.

This seminar also overviews the student safety programming that has been presented to nearly 1.7 million Michigan children in kindergarten – 12th grade. Students in K – 5th grade receive the Michigan Cyber Safety Initiative (CSI), a national, award-winning program that teaches students how to be safe and responsible online. Students in 6th – 12th grade receive OK2SAY student safety programming covering topics facing youth today, including appropriate online behavior, cyberbullying, and threats to student well-being. Launched in September 2014, OK2SAY provides a confidential way to file tips on criminal activity or potential harm directed at students, school employees, or schools.

All handouts, videos, and additional information is available on the Michigan CSI website (www.michigan.gov/csi).

16 Apps and Sites you Need to Know About

Social Networking Resources

Online Resources

WHAT IS TEST ANXIETY?

Too much anxiety about a test is commonly referred to as test anxiety. It is perfectly natural to feel some anxiety when preparing for and taking a test. In fact, a little anxiety can jump start your studying and keep you motivated. However, too much anxiety can interfere with your studying. You may have difficulty learning and remembering what you need to know for the test. Further, too much anxiety may block your performance during the test. You may have difficulty demonstrating what you know during the test.

HOW DO I KNOW IF I HAVE TEST ANXIETY?

You probably have test anxiety if you answer YES to four or more of the following:
1. I have a hard time getting started studying for a test.
2. When studying for a test, I find many things that distract me.
3. I expect to do poorly on a test no matter how much or how hard I study.
4. When taking a test, I experience physical discomfort such as sweaty palms, an upset stomach, a headache, difficulty breathing, and tension in my muscles.
5. When taking a test, I find it difficult to understand the directions and questions.
6. When taking a test, I have difficulty organizing my thoughts.
7. When taking a test, I often “draw a blank.”
8. When taking a test, I find my mind wandering to other things.
9. I usually score lower on a test than I do on assignments and papers.
10. After a test, I remember information I couldn’t recall during the test.

WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT TEST ANXIETY?

Here are some things you can do before, during, and after a test to reduce your test anxiety.
1. Use good study techniques to gain cognitive mastery of the material that will be covered on the test. This mastery will help you to approach the test with confidence rather than have excessive anxiety.
2. Maintain a positive attitude as you study. Think about doing well, not failing. Think of the test as an opportunity to show how much you have learned.
3. Go into the test well rested and well fed. Get enough sleep the night before the test. Eat a light and nutritious meal before the test. Stay away from junk foods.
4. Stay relaxed during the test. Taking slow, deep breaths can help. Focus on positive self-statements such as “I can do this.”
5. Follow a plan for taking the test such as completing the answers you know first and then going back to work on the rest. Review the test before you hand it in. Don’t panic even if you find the test difficult. Stay with your plan!
6. Don’t worry about other students finishing the test before you do. Take the time that you need to do your best.
7. Once you finish the test and hand it in, forget about it temporarily. There is nothing more you can do until the graded test is returned to you. Turn your attention and effort to new assignments and tests.
8. When the graded test is returned to you, analyze it to see how you could have done better. Learn from your mistakes and from what you did well. Apply this knowledge when you take the next test.
You have to know the material to do well on a test. You have to control test anxiety to show what you know.

What is ADD/ADHD

Some parents see signs of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity in their toddler long before the child enters school. The child may lose interest in playing a game or watching a TV show, or may run around completely out of control. But because children mature at different rates and are very different in personality, temperament, and energy levels, it’s useful to get an expert’s opinion of whether the behavior is appropriate for the child’s age. Parents can ask their child’s pediatrician, or a child psychologist or psychiatrist, to assess whether their toddler has an attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or is, more likely at this age, just immature or unusually exuberant. ADHD may be suspected by a parent or caretaker or may go unnoticed until the child runs into problems at school. Given that ADHD tends to affect functioning most strongly in school, sometimes the teacher is the first to recognize that a child is hyperactive or inattentive and may point it out to the parents and/or consult with the school psychologist. Because teachers work with many children, they come to know how “average” children behave in learning situations that require attention and self-control. However, teachers sometimes fail to notice the needs of children who may be more inattentive and passive yet who are quiet and cooperative, such as those with the predominantly inattentive form of ADHD. Children or teens with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) often have more problems than other people with paying attention, being hyperactive, or being impulsive (doing things rashly or suddenly, without thinking first). These problems may last throughout their lives.

Facts

If AD/HD is not diagnosed and treated early, it may lead to failing in school or dropping out. The symptoms might also lead to not doing well in a job, depression, and serious behavior problems. AD/HD can also cause children and adolescents problems with relationships, not living up to their ability, substance abuse, or serious antisocial or even criminal behavior. About 3 percent to 7 percent of children — boys and girls — have AD/HD. Research shows AD/HD tends to run in families. AD/HD is not caused by bad parenting, or by other factors in the child’s home or family life. There is no single test to diagnose AD/HD. Anxiety, depression, and some learning disabilities are conditions that may seem like AD/HD. Health professionals (for example, psychologists or psychiatrists) must find out if the child has any of these conditions instead of — or along with — AD/HD. To diagnose AD/HD, a health professional needs to know how the child or teenager is doing both at home and in school, socially as well as emotionally. The healthcare provider will ask questions of parents, teachers, and, of course, the child. Ideally, the diagnosis should be made by a professional in your area with training in ADHD or in the diagnosis of mental disorders. Child psychiatrists and psychologists, developmental/behavioral pediatricians, or behavioral neurologists are those most often trained in differential diagnosis. A physical exam by a medical professional should include hearing and vision checkups. This exam is also done to rule out other medical problems with symptoms that seem like AD/HD, but are not.
 

Famous People With Attention Deficit and Learning Disorders With Perseverance, they made it….  so can you!!

Although, not all these famous people have been “officially diagnosed,” they have exhibited many of the signs of ADD, AD/HD & LD. The point of this list is to inspire those of us who have similar challenges. Albert Einstein Galileo Mozart Wright Brothers Leonardo da Vinci Cher Bruce Jenner Tom Cruise Charles Schwab Henry Winkler Danny Glover Walt Disney John Lennon Greg Louganis Winston Churchill Henry Ford Stephen Hawkings Jules Verne Woodrow Wilson Alexander Graham Bell Hans Christian Anderson Nelson Rockefeller Thomas Edison Gen. George Patton Agatha Christie John F. Kennedy Whoopi Goldberg Rodin Thomas Thoreau David H. Murdock Dustin Hoffman Pete Rose Russell White Jason Kidd Russell Varian Robin Williams Louis Pasteur Werner von Braun Dwight D. Eisenhower Robert Kennedy Luci Baines Johnson Nugent George Bush’s children Prince Charles Gen. Westmoreland Eddie Rickenbacker Gregory Boyington Harry Belafonte F. Scott Fitzgerald Mariel Hemingway Steve McQueen George C. Scott Tom Smothers Beethoven Suzanne Somers Lindsay Wagner George Bernard Shaw Carl Lewis Jackie Stewart “Magic” Johnson Wrigley Weyerhauser family John Corcoran Sylvester Stallone

(Retrievedfrom http://www.oneaddplace.com/famous.htm)

Common Signs of Learning Disabilities

The good news about learning disabilities is that scientists are learning more every day. Their research provides hope and direction.

If parents, teachers, and other professionals discover a child’s learning disability early and provide the right kind of help, it can give the child a chance to develop skills needed to lead a successful and productive life. A recent National Institutes of Health study showed that 67 percent of young students who were at risk for reading difficulties became average or above average readers after receiving help in the early grades.

Parents are often the first to notice that “something doesn’t seem right.” If you are aware of the common signs of learning disabilities, you will be able to recognize potential problems early. The following is a checklist of characteristics that may point to a learning disability. Most people will, from time to time, see one or more of these warning signs in their children. This is normal. If, however, you see several of these characteristics over a long period of time, consider the possibility of a learning disability.

Preschool

• Speaks later than most children
• Pronunciation problems
• Slow vocabulary growth, often unable to find the right word
• Difficulty rhyming words
• Trouble learning numbers, alphabet, days of the week, colors, shapes
• Extremely restless and easily distracted
• Trouble interacting with peers
• Difficulty following directions or routines
• Fine motor skills slow to develop

Grades K-4

• Slow to learn the connection between letters and sounds
• Confuses basic words (run, eat, want)
• Makes consistent reading and spelling errors including letter reversals (b/d), inversions (m/w), transpositions (felt/left), and substitutions (house/home)
• Transposes number sequences and confuses arithmetic signs (+, -, x, /, =)
• Slow to remember facts
• Slow to learn new skills, relies heavily on memorization
• Impulsive, difficulty planning
• Unstable pencil grip
• Trouble learning about time
• Poor coordination, unaware of physical surroundings, prone to accidents

 Grades 5-8

• Reverses letter sequences (soiled/solid, left/felt)
• Slow to learn prefixes, suffixes, root words, and other spelling strategies
• Avoids reading aloud
• Trouble with word problems
• Difficulty with handwriting
• Awkward, fist-like, or tight pencil grip
• Avoids writing assignments
• Slow or poor recall of facts
• Difficulty making friends
• Trouble understanding body language and facial expressions

High School Students and Adults

• Continues to spell incorrectly, frequently spells the same word differently in a single piece of writing
• Avoids reading and writing tasks
• Trouble summarizing
• Trouble with open-ended questions on tests
• Weak memory skills
• Difficulty adjusting to new settings
• Works slowly
• Poor grasp of abstract concepts
• Either pays too little attention to details or focuses on them too much
• Misreads information

Above information provided by: http://www.ldonline.org/ldbasics/signs

Parents: I have placed videos, available for parents only, in the school library to check out on the topic of Human Sexuality.

A.O.D. Approved Human Sexuality Resources

 Parent Books:

Always or Children (The Bishops Letter)

Jean Twenge, Generation Me (Free Press, 2006)

Jean Twenge, Generation Next (Free Press, 2006)

Ronald Rolheiser, The Holy Longing (Doubleday, 1999)

John Eldridge, The Journey of Desire (Thomas Nelson, 2000)

John Paul II, Man and Woman He Created Them: A Theology of the Body (Pauline

Books and Media, 2006) A Family based program on Relationships and Abuse Prevention) (Ave Maria Press, 2006)

Neil Howe & William Stauss, Millenials Rising (Vintage Books, 2000)

Lauren Winner, Real Sex: The Naked Truth About Chastity (Brazos Press, 2005)

Kieran Sawyer, SSND, Sex and the Teenager (Choices and Decisions) (Ava Maria Press, 1999)

Lisa G. McMinn, Sexuality and the Holy Longing (Jossey-Bass, 2004)

Dr. Meg Meeker, Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters (lifeline Press, 2004)

Fr. Kris D. Stubna and Mike Aquilina, Talking to Youth About Sexuality (A Parents’ Guide) (Our Sunday Visitor, 2006)

Eugene Kennedy, The Unhealed Wound (St. Martin’s Press, 2001)

Anthony Percy, The Theology of the Body Made Simple (Pauline Books and Media, 2005)

Peter Liuzzi, With Listening Hearts (Paulist Press, 2001)

Dean Hoge, W. Dinges, et al., Young Adult Catholics (University ofNotre Dame Press, 2001)

Teen Books:

Joshua Harris, I Kissed dating Goodbye

Molly Kelly, Chastity: The Only Choice

Work with your child at home

Parents are a child’s first and best teachers. Show your child that reading can be fun. Read to your child every day. Visit the library frequently. Point out words on billboards and traffic signs as you drive, on food labels at the grocery store, on packages, mail, and letters. Play word games. Set an example by giving your child a chance to see you reading and writing at home.

See the tips below on how to help your child with schoolwork.

Join with others who care

You are not alone. By joining with other parents and professionals you can increase awareness of the issue, dispel popular misconceptions, help establish educational systems that provide for the needs of children with learning disabilities, and get support for yourself.

Work with professionals

There are many trained professionals who can help your child. Ask your child’s teacher, Pediatrician or a resource consultant for names of individuals who can help.

Professionals who can help

• Audiologist – measures hearing ability and provides services for auditory training; offers advice on hearing aids.
• Educational Consultant – gives educational evaluations; familiar with school curriculum but may have a background in special education issues.
• Educational Therapist – develops and runs programs for learning and behavior problems.
• Learning Disabilities Specialist – a teacher with specific training and credentials to provide educational services to students with learning disabilities and their teachers.
• Neurologist – looks for possible damage to brain functions (medical doctor).
• Occupational Therapist – helps improve motor and sensory functions to increase the ability to perform daily tasks.
• Pediatrician – provides medical services to infants, children, and adolescents; trained in overall growth and development including motor, sensory, and behavioral development (medical doctor).
• Psychiatrist – diagnoses and treats severe behavioral and emotional problems and may prescribe medications (medical doctor).
• Psychologist (Clinical) – provides psychological and intellectual assessment and treatment for mental and emotional health.
• School/Educational Psychologist – gives and interprets psychological and educational tests; assists with behavior management; provides counseling; consults with parents, staff, and community agencies about educational issues.
• Speech and Language Therapist – helps children with language and speech difficulties.

 Tips for helping with schoolwork

• Show an interest in your child’s homework. Inquire about the subjects and the work to be done. Ask questions that require answers longer than one or two words.
• Help your child organize homework materials before beginning.
• Establish a regular time with your child to do homework-developing a schedule helps avoid procrastination.
• Find a specific place for your child to do homework that has lots of light, quiet, and plenty of work space.
• Encourage your child to ask questions and search for answers, taking the time to figure out correct answers.
• Make sure your child backs up answers with facts and evidence.
• Practice school-taught skills at home.
• Relate homework to your child’s everyday life. For instance, teach fractions and measurements as you prepare a favorite food together.
• Be a role model-take the opportunity to read a book or newspaper or write a letter while your child studies.
• Praise your child for both the small steps and big leaps in the right direction.

Help your child become a better reader (for early readers)

• Work on the relationship between letters and words. Teach younger children how to spell a few special words, such as their own names, the names of pets or favorite cartoon characters, or words they see frequently like stop or exit.
• Help your child understand that language is made up of sounds, syllables, and words. Sing songs and read rhyming books. Play word games; for instance, think of words that rhyme with dog or begin with p.
• Teach letter sounds. Sound out letters and words. Make up your own silly words with your child.
• Sound out new words and encourage your child to spell by speaking each sound aloud.
• Notice spelling patterns. Point out similarities between words, such as fall, ball, and hall or cat, fat, and hat.

Above information provided by: http://www.ldonline.org/ldbasics/signs

Prevention Partnerships with Catholic Archdioceses and Dioceses:

Since 2005, Child Lures Prevention has worked in partnership with many Catholic Archdioceses and Dioceses to help them fulfill the obligations set forth in Article 9 and Article 12 of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Youth People, adopted by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in June, 2002. Since that time, the Catholic Church has equipped 5.7 million children across the United States with the skills to help protect themselves from sexual abuse.

The Think First & Stay Safe School Program is being used in parochial schools and religious education classes across the United States to fulfill safe environment programming needs. Because child sexual abuse is a societal problem, and not a church problem, the program focuses on behaviors of all sexual offenders. A separate spiritual component compliments each lesson plan.

Prevention Education Begins at Home

• Profile of the Molester
• Understanding the Grooming Process
• Online Safety Tips
• Online E-Safety Pact
• Early Response System
• Tips for Safeguarding
• Child Discloses Sexual Abuse
• Teen Discloses Sexual Abuse

Parent Videos: Please use school code: 4par3nts

Child Lures Prevention

As parents, one of the most important responsibilities we have is to keep our children safe and happy. When it comes to their personal safety, the best way to prevent child exploitation is to have open, honest discussions on a regular basis. These conversations begin at home.

Child Lures Prevention’s 30 years of research shows the same lures have been used by sexual offenders generation after generation to exploit our nation’s youth. Today, these lures are also used electronically, but their essence remains the same. The Think First & Stay Safe™ Parent Guide is an invaluable resource to prevent crimes against children.

Parent Resource: 

Think First & Stay Safe™ Parent Guide

Talking about sexual exploitation is an uncomfortable subject for most parents and caregivers. The illustrated Think First & Stay Safe™ Parent Guide is designed with this in mind. The Parent Guide gives parents and guardians current, relevant personal safety information – including proven prevention strategies – to sit down and share with youngsters. The Parent Guide provides the words and illustrations to ease personal safety discussions.

The Parent Guide is heralded by parents, educators and law enforcement alike as the ultimate resource for keeping youngsters safe from sexual exploitation. It also comprehensively addresses abduction, Internet luring, bullying, harassment (electronic and offline), drugs, and school violence. The Guide is continually updated to reflect the latest issues and safety concerns facing today’s youngsters.

The Think First & Stay Safe™ Parent Guide includes:

• Helpful Safety Tips for parents and caregivers
• Explaining the concept of law to children
• Debunking the Stranger/Danger Myth
• Detailed explanations of the 16 lures commonly used by child molesters & abductors
• Evidence-based prevention strategies for each lure
• Essential Online/Electronic safety information & family safety pact
• Strategies to combat bullying, sexual harassment, school violence, & bias crimes
• Drug resistance education, as it relates to personal safety
• What to Do if Your Child Discloses Sexual Abuse
• What to Do if Your Child is Missing

By reading the Parent Guide and having face-to-face discussions with children, we can change the unacceptable current statistics: 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys will be sexually exploited by the time they graduate from high school. The good news is that many of these crimes are preventable with increased awareness and knowledge of sexual offender behaviors.

www.childlures.org