ParentConfidante Blog

Changing the Diagnostic Criteria for Autism and Asperger Syndrome

The American Psychiatric Association is reassessing the diagnostic criteria for autistic and the proposed changes, as described in the NY Times article of Jan. 20,2012, may exclude many people who are now diagnosed as having Autism, Asperger Syndrome or Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (P.D.D.-N.O.S).  These diagnoses would be consolidated under one category - Autism Spectrum  Disorder - eliminating the Asperger's and PDD-NOS categories.  While the new criteria will have little impact on the diagnosis of youngsters who are "classically autistic" - those who have severe limitations in their cognitive and social functioning- there may well be an impact on those youngsters who are cognitively able but have a social disability.

Parents are understandably concerned given that mandated services (IEP) are often dependent on a diagnosis.  It will be important to see how the changes  will ultimately affect the delivery of services, but the attempt to clarify diagnosis is an important and needed undertaking. In the past, there has been a good deal of confusion especially regarding the identification of Asperger Syndrome - does every child who prefers to play alone have Asperger's and are deficits in social intreraction the main determinant?  In fact, there are other determining factors for a classification of Asperger Syndrome and many children who fall within this group need continued support.

There was some concern when it was first divulged that there would be a consolidation in criteria with Asperger's eliminated, because Asperger Syndrome, properly diagnosed, is distinct from classical autism and descriptive.  It will be important, in the tightening up of this diagnostic category, that those who need services continue to receive them.  While these youngsters are cognitively able, their narrow interests, perseverative behavior, and social incapacity makes it very difficult from them to succeed without support.

 

 

Homework Hints: Taking the Power Struggle Out of Studying

As kids return to school, there is already anxiety about homework and parents are already rehearsing the tried, but maybe untrue, advice regarding homework and studying – find one place to study, study material until you master it, don’t move on to more complex material until you know the basics, etc.  In addition, parents do their own homework to make sure that a teacher’s teaching style matches their children’s style of learning.   However, as pointed out by Benedict Casey (NY Times, 9/6/10) there is research which points to some counter-intuitive advice that really makes a difference. 

* VARYING THE STUDY PLACE is important for retention.  So instead of insisting that Johnny do all of his homework in his room, having hims also study in the kitchen or den is beneficial because the brain makes multiple associations with the material studied. 

*VARYING THE MATERIAL STUDIED in a single sitting also makes a difference.  For instance, it’s a good idea to alternate between studying vocabulary words and working on an essay. 

*VARYING THE MATH PROBLEMS IN AN ASSIGNMENT.  Rather than concentrating on one problem set, mixing up the assignment forces the brain to really learn the material rather than a set approach.  This is important in studying for a test.  Mix up the problems when studying. 

*SELF-TESTING AS A MEANS OF LEARNING THE MATERIAL.  Cognitive scientists see practice tests and quizzes as a tool of learning since the harder it is to learn something, the harder it is to forget it.  Quizzing your student in the living room on material learned in the den is a good idea. 

*There is no empirical evidence that a certain teaching style is better for children than others.  Good teachers can teach any child by recognizing those who need visual reinforcement and those who can learn best from oral presentation.  A mixed style of delivery benefits all students. 

I always believe that if something isn’t broken, why fix it.  So if your child’s study habits are working for her, just leave it.  But, if you can’t get her to stay in her room, stick to one subject at a time or learn the material in one sitting, that's OK.  She may just do better in the long run.

 

 

 

 

 

Does Attending Stuyvesant Make A Difference?

Each year thousands of students anxiously wait to see if they have been accepted to selective public high schools in NYC and throughout the nation.  There has always been a debate about how much a difference attending such a school really makes.  Some people feel that attending a school of motivated, high functioning students is crucial.  Other people state that the high achievers who attend these schools would do well no matter where went and in fact have better odds of getting into an Ivy League College from a less competetive school.

 A recent study, “Exam High Schools and Academic Achievement:Evidence from New York City”, by Roland G. Fryer Jr. and Will Dobbie, seems to settle the controversy.  They found that there is essentially no stubstantial benefit in attending an exam school in either SAT scores or college enrollment.  However, there was one important exception: the borderline student benefited by taking higher level courses and graduating from high school with a more advanced diploma than they would in a mainstream school.

This is an important finding in that it highlights the importance of the school the bright, unmotivated student attends.  If that student is surrounded with students who are focused and highly motivated to succeed, it rubs off.  They are influenced by the higher expectations of their peers and work more to their potential.  In choosing a school for this student, the results of this study must be considered.  ParentConfidante School Success Consulting is expert at looking at the individual student and helping him apply and be accepted by the right school.

 

 

 

Back to School – are Parents More Anxious than Children?

Camp’s out and school is about to begin and there’s understandably a great deal of anticipation regarding the new year – in both students and parents.  It’s only natural that everyone is also a bit (or more) anxious. Kids are often worried about the new teacher, about making friends, about the work load and about the dreaded return of the hectic school schedule after the fun of summer.  Parents are anxious also –especially in the super heated and competitive world of NYC private schools.   Parents are often more anxious than their children and they show it by voicing their concerns – reminding their children that it’s important to do well, that there’s a great deal of competition out there, that this year will be harder than last year, and (if last year wasn’t stellar) that they better improve (the speech!).

This is not a good strategy.  When parents voice their own fears they only increase their children’s anxieties.  Parents need to downplay their own anxieties and encourage their children by telling them that they are sure their children will have a good year, adjust to the teacher and make friends.  It’s important to LISTEN to your child’s concerns, to let them talk about what worries them and brainstorm if there’s a real problem, but it’s not good to rachet up fears.

In my experience as a school psychologist, parents often needed more help than their children- especially in the transition years – kindergarten, middle school, high school and college.  However, as they learn to think about the impact of their words the whole family benefits.

Dyslexia and Auditory Discrimination: Is There a Link?

 Unfortunately there is no definitive understanding of what causes dyslexia, a severe reading disorder.  In spite of numerous studies and theories, the underlying causes are unknown and remediation can be a hit and miss process.  A recent article in the New York Times on 8/2/11 (Study Says Dyslexia May have Auditory Tie) described a research project at MIT which found that dyslexics had much much difficulty recognizing voices than non-dyslexics.  The  difference was so great that a problem in this area could be used as a diagnostic tool.

While this study is interesting, the link between weak auditory discrimination and dyslexia is well known and in fact one of the first clues may be trouble rhyming  - the child just doesn’t hear the sounds. Early intervention is crucial because auditory discrimination can be improved and children can be taught to read by other methods if they can’t latch onto the sound/symbol relationship.

If you think your child may have a problem, early assessment by a speech/language therapist, learning disabilities specialist or psychologist is critical.  If you live in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Riverdale, Westchester, or New Jersey, I can help you by meeting your child and hooking you up with some of the most highly regarded and experienced local practitioners.  Call me at 646-300-1881 or toby(at)parentconfidante.com for information about my consulting services. 

 

Thoughts on Motivating Children-What's a Parent to do?

My sister, a college professor, has often mentioned that many of her students can't seem to cope with any academic stumble.  If they run into trouble with an assignment or get less than an A, they are immediately discouraged and often involve their parents- who are eager to get involved.  This pattern is more apparent now than in the past, and as pointed out in a recent article by Lori Gottlieb in Atlantic Magazine (7/1/11) it’s part of a trend in parenting that is meant to produce happy, successful children  but often backfires.  In her article “How to Land Your Kid in Therapy” Ms. Gottlieb describes the parent who “does too much” for their children and by never letting them fail actually impacts a child’s ability to be resilient and deal with the normal frustrations of life.  Children are told that everything they do is “great” and they expect to be successful all of the time. As adults, they can feel anxious and unsuccessful even when they are doing well – because they aren’t getting approbation at all turns.

NYC is certainly not immune from this trend in parenting.  As recent articles on high priced tutoring of private school students in NYC (starting in pre-K) indicates, well meaning parents will go to any length to make sure that their children don’t experience any failure.  Parents probably feel that if their children always do well –they’ll be motivated to continue working hard and succeed.  But what sometimes happens is that children don’t have a realistic sense of their skills and expect every production of be judged “wonderful”.  When that doesn’t happen, they become discouraged and give up.

So what’s a parent to do – it seems as if there’s always new advice and no matter what you do it isn’t right.   One thing a parent can do is let their children struggle at times, look for solutions on their own or help them think through options. Parents don't need to rush in to help immediately with every problem – from a tussle over a toy to a B on a paper.  Paradoxically, this hands off approach (at times) will help our children persevere, develop true self esteem and be more realistic.  It’s also important to start early – in elementary and middle school – so that the qualities that promote intrinsic motivation can take root before it “counts” – before high school.