Dyslexia symptoms and biological dysfunction According to some internationally recognized diagnostic manuals, dyslexia is a condition in which the normal ways of skills’ acquisition are blocked in the early stages of development.  This is not a consequence of absent opportunities for learning or some form of brain injury or disease. It is considered that the causes of dyslexia are rooted in cognitive functioning abnormalities resulting from some type of biological dysfunction. That is why, dyslexia is defined as problematic learning which limits the ability of students to have a full command over information processing, motor skills, and the working memory. In individuals with the disorder, difficulties in recognizing, identifying, and discovering stimuli have been reported. In turn, these lead to difficulties in mastering some or all skills associated with speech, reading, spelling, writing, and arithmetic.

via Dyslexia Symptoms and Emotional Problems | Center Harmony.

Here is a solid article that describes the arc of knowledge development that surrounds ADHD interventions, and brings the cognitive paradigm to the forefront in a very thoughtful manor.

The second to last paragraph points to current cerebellar studies which is of course our area of focus.

When the cognitive paradigm became dominant, inattention became the focus of ADHD, and disorder was renamed attention deficit disorder (ADD). Two subtypes would later appear in the literature, which correspond to ADD with or without hyperactivity. The diagnostic nomenclature reflects the notion that the primary problem was an attentional (and thus, cognitive) one and not primarily behavioral. The attentional problems had to do with the ability to shift attention from one stimulus to another (something that Jonah Lehrer has called an attention-allocation disorder, since it isn’t really a deficit of attention). The hyperactivity symptoms were also reformulated as cognitive: connected with an executive processing deficit termed “freedom from distractibility.”

In DSM-IV, published in 1994, the subtypes were made standard and there wasn’t much change in the diagnostic criteria per se, but there were changes in the name of the disorder, which reflected changes in the literature in terms of the understanding of the etiology of the disorder. The term ADD did not hold up, and the disorder became known as ADHD, with three subtypes: ADHD with hyperactivity/impulsiveness, ADHD with inattention, and a combined subtype in which patients have both hyperactive and attention-related symptoms. Due to improved neuroimaging technology, these subtypes seem to reflect structural and functional abnormalities found in the frontal lobe, and in its connections with the basal ganglia and cerebellum.

The set of the symptoms associated with ADHD seem not to have changed much in the last one hundred years. However, paradigm shifts within the field of psychopathology have changed the way in which researchers understand the underlying causal factors, as well as which of the symptoms are thought to be primary.

via What is ADHD? Paradigm Shifts in Psychopathology | Child’s Play.

Page 74-75 The Still-Missing Core

“One of the basic principles of a two-engine airplane is the synchronicity between the two engine systems that are fixed on either side of the plane. If one engine puts out more thrust than the other, it causes problems in flight. If the disparity is sufficiently severe, it can cause the plane to go out of control and crash. Remembering this principle caused an idea to begin to percolate: was the issue these children were experiencing related to the balance between the two sides of their bodies?

In the mid-1960s, It was not a popular idea to look for learning ability in the body, but the more I observed the children in my classroom, the more the two problems seemed corollary. And why shouldn’t they be? The movement of the body through space is defined by brain functions, just as the ability to read and do arithmetic are defined by brain functions. If the knee bone’s connected to the thigh bone, wouldn’t it make sense that the various departments in the brain are connected, too? I began to wonder: what if an individual’s body provides a graphic representation of the inner workings of the brain?”

Dr. Frank Belgau-author of A Life in Balance, Discovery of a Learning Breakthrough

via Facebook 2 | Excerpt from Life in Balance, Discovery of a Learning Breakthrough

10 Revolutionary iPad Apps to Help Autistic Children | Gadgets DNA.

A good piece on iPad Apps for Autistic Children. The benefits that technology is bringing and will bring to children with disabilities is truly remarkable! Information sharing at web speed and the tools that support it are so helpful to all of us.

Dr. Edward (Ned) Hallowell, ADHD expert and best-selling author, announces making the Learning Breakthrough Program available at the prestigious Hallowell Centers in both Massachusetts and New York.

Dr. Hallowell’s inclusion of Learning Breakthrough’s proven balance and sensory remediation program is a welcome addition to the therapy options offered at his US centers. Learning Breakthrough will be critical to his positive, multidisciplinary, “strength-based” treatment aproach and is being used to help solve the challenges of ADHD, Dyslexia, CAPD as well as other cognitive needs. The program’s value lies in enabling clients to further their developmental and academic objectives as well as social, behavioral and self-esteem ones, which is exactly why it has been so valuable as a complementary treatment in similar clinics for decades.

Article by Rebecca Goniwich: adult with ADHD, proud mother of three children (including one with Autism) as well as an LBP contributor and editor.

School mornings are hard on every family, especially those with a child with ADHD. To make mornings easier, as parents we need to organize ourselves before we organize our children.  I wanted to post MY list of morning routine (evening really) tricks for everyone after being reminded by the Health Central article linked at the bottom. I hope some of these tips are helpful to those of you that struggle with the morning routine like I sometimes do.

Since we are not all morning “thinkers”, consider setting up a night routine with your child, which can deliver yell and stress-free happy mornings to your house. Depending on your child’s age, a picture schedule or written list is useful, so they can take responsibility for their actions. The child should take part in planning the order, list and amount of time each task should take. In some cases you may need to wake earlier, because the child moves at a slow pace. Keep in mind to set this routine to fit your lifestyle, age of child and time constraints. You may need to begin with a shorter list then add items once the first few are mastered.

The night routine might include:
1) Packing up all homework or other school related items and setting it by the exit door.
2) Laying out all school clothes and putting socks and shoes by the door.
3) Making their lunch (giving you the opportunity to teach about healthy choices).
4) Bathing and brushing teeth (may need own picture schedule depending on age.. including where dirty clothes go)

Then set a morning routine,:
1) Wake and possibly make bed…possibly I said
2) Eat
3) Dress
4) Brush teeth

It is better to use visual cues instead of verbal cues for refocusing children to keep them on track. Timers are very helpful as a reminder instead of the parent having to nag or yell for to get your sweetie moving.

For 5 additional tips on organizing your child read the following article:

http://www.healthcentral.com/adhd/c/8689/117514/child-organized-track?ic=609

There have been a lot of articles on Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) are out this week and I posted links via previous posts to a couple of good definitional articles. The article below is noteworthy because it goes into an even more useful discussion of how SPD relates to and is yet distinct from Autism (pointing out clearly that “although a sensory processing disorder is not considered a qualifying characteristic for a diagnosis of autism, I have yet to meet a person on the autism spectrum who does not have a challenge in this area.”)

What is Sensory Processing Disorder and How Is It Related to Autism? | Psychology Today.

The author also reminds us of the effort to have SPD included in the next Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, which is currently being drafted, and which we described as a really important step in our posting from March 4:

DSM-5 Being Updated.

The person leading that effort is Dr. Lucy Jane Miller, OTR and Founder of the SPD Foundation, who has recommended our program:

“The Learning Breakthrough Program is helpful to enhance clinical therapy for a wide range of sensory processing issues. The unique program lends itself to use with a variety of therapeutic approaches. Its ease of use allows your patients to follow through with therapeutic activities at home. I have integrated this program into my practice and encourage fellow OT’s to take advantage of the benefits this program has to offer.”

SPD is a difficult topic/diagnosis for people to get their heads around; parents, teachers, scientists, therapists…lots of people. But the awareness is growing that SPD it is a unique neurological disorder that impacts many people in important cognitive areas. Addressing SPD is an important part of any treatment program for those on the spectrum.

We strongly advocate a unique DSM classification for Sensory Processing Disorder. We have seen how the Learning Breakthrough Program has produced substantial results when used to treat sensory disorders and a is wonderful complement to other therapies. This goes well beyond addressing just SPD symptoms…the point is that improved sensory processing affects higher order cognitive processes and abstract reasoning well beyond the simple notion of a “traffic jam” in the senses – the simplified definition often associated with SPD.

A newly published article by the Department of Neurology, Division of Cognitive Neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine outlines another look into the role the cerebellum plays in language development and cognition. There are many researchers investigating this part of the brain that is so deeply involved in movement and a huge variety of “automated” functions. The exact logic of how the brain uses all its various systems to divide and tackle the complex cognitive tasks it performs every day is still in its infancy. However, the efficiency of cerebellar functions and how it can be enhanced through calibrated neuro-motor and vestibular training is constantly being examined as a likely method of improving brain fitness generally and as a way to overcome specific learning challenges.

The entire article is available here: Functional Topography of the Cerebellum in Verbal Working Memory, with the abstract printed below for your convenience.

Abstract :

Many of us in the LD community have children and the need to plan summer activities just like many of the families we work with. Learning Breakthrough always gets a push at the beginning of the summer by families that know they can use the flexible time that summer brings to get kids onto the equipment and working in a fun way in advance of the next school year. We also hear from parents about their LBP advances and get recommendations on the creative ways they fill their family time.

In that vein, the following article outlining “Summer Activities for ADHD Kids” is a sampling of some great ideas and general approaches for the ADHD parent that reminds us how a little bit of structure, combined with the good fun of summer, and input from our children, can make for fun days that build family connections and memories. Working with ADHD always takes more planning for those of us who work with it but it also affords us more time than usual (outside the stressful school year) to build skills, reconnect with our families and do some “brain boosting” over long summer days instead of walking straight into the feelings of “boredom” that ADHD kids readily default to.

The Parenting Aspergers Resource Guide Volume 2

The much awaited follow to The Parenting Aspergers Resource Guide. It covers the 7 Most Common Problem Areas for Children with Aspergers and How To Cope with Them.

The Parenting Aspergers Resource Guide Volume 2

The StreetSmart Job Changing System.

Closely Guarded Secrets To Getting More Job Offers Than You Ever Thought Possible.

The StreetSmart Job Changing System.

Hyper Wiper – Instant Download.

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via The Parenting Aspergers Resource Guide Volume 2 | My Breakdown Cover.

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