From the Publishers of 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter

AUTISM AWARENESS MONTH is this month, as you're aware if you've been reading any online materials on learning challenges or even the general press. The month-long observation, along with the April 2nd World Autism Awareness Day, was sparked by the efforts of a  variety of organizations but especially Autism Speaks. One article that appeared on April 2 on CNN profiled a highly intelligent man, now 42, whose diagnosis of Asperger's six years ago led him to "reinvent himself as an autism advocate" -- besides explaining a lot of things. From the  article: "I was invisible until I found my inner splendor... My ability to interpret and alter my throughput of judgments, feelings, memories, plans, facts, perceptions, etc., and imprint them all with what I chose to be and chose to do. What I choose to do is change the course of the future for persons with autism..." Find the article. 
2e WEBINARS. NACG has two 2e-focused webinars coming up in April:

• An overview of 2e learners by Lois Baldwin on April 11. From the blurb: "This session will explore some of the characteristics and learning differences of the twice-exceptional learner, and also provide a fresh perspective and insights into how best to support the individual child at home and at school."
• Strategies for educators and parents of 2e children, by Beverly Trail and Claire Hughes. From the blurb: "This presentation provides an expert perspective on how children, parents, and educators can develop a comprehensive plan integrating strategies from both gifted and special education to meet diverse cognitive, academic, social, and emotional needs of twice-exceptional children." 

Find out more.

GIFTED RESOURCE NEWSLETTER. Don't forget Jo Freitag's monthly source of information for:

• Gifted- and 2e-related happenings in Australia
• Pointers to gifted-related events and conferences all over the world
• A multi-page listing of articles and resources under the unassuming title of "Some Interesting Websites."

Jo Freitag's postal address has changed recently; if you correspond the old-fashioned way, check her home page for the new address. Email and website are the same. 

WRIGHTSLAW, in its current edition of Special Ed Advocate, addresses U.S. issues of privacy in education, confidentiality, and FERPA -- the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act. Sample questions addressed: Can you see your children's test results? Can you observe in the classroom? What privacy rights do parents and children have? Find the newsletter.

AND FINALLY, THIS. Fast food leads to depression. That according to a new study published in the Public Health Nutrition Journal. The net-out: fast-food consumers are 51 percent more likely to develop depression than those who eat little or no fast food. Plus -- the more fast food  you eat, the higher the risk of depression. While the study write-up used the words "linked to" rather than "caused by," draw your own conclusions. Not only should you "Hold the pickle,  hold the lettuce," as the jingle used to go, but also hold the meat and the bun and the condiments and the fries... 

MORE ITEMS COMING SOON. Stop back often.

From the Publishers of 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter

DIET AND AD/HD. Does that gifted kid you know have AD/HD? A study at Northwestern University in Chicago reviewed past research on the effectiveness of diet in controlling AD/HD symptoms -- and the news isn't that promising. The study found conflicting claims, and suggests that nutritional interventions -- while simple and inexpensive -- probably should be considered only as an alternative to therapy and medication. Read more, or find an NPR program about the study, which appeared in the journal Pediatrics.

2e VALEDICTORIAN. A young man in Michigan diagnosed with LDs and autism as a child went on to be valedictorian of  his high school class, and his mother has told the story in a book called My Child Wasn't Born Perfect, published by a Grand Rapids-area firm. Find out more.

WORKING MEMORY TRAINING. David Rabiner pointed us to a webinar from Cogmed on working memory training. Originally directed at professionals, the webinar is now viewable at no cost at the Cogmed website. Find it.

NC SCHOOLS CATER TO ASPIES. Two Asperger Connection schools catering to students with Asperger's have opened in the North Carolina, and a third is in the works. The founder of the school has Asperger's, as do her two children. An article on the school notes that "Each Asperger Connection staff member is required to either have the syndrome, have children with the syndrome or have worked with Asperger students for at least 10 years." Read more.

EXERCISE is good for the brain and grades. Maybe you knew that, but now there's a study backing up that conclusion. Find the ammunition you need to get that gifted kid off the couch.

ASPERGER'S AND DRIVING. The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (which evidently calls itself CHOP for short) has studied teens with Asperger's and the way they approach driving. The study looked at characteristics of those teens who were likely to become drivers, and also touched on a couple things parents can do to make sure their teen with Asperger's is ready to drive. Read more.

COMPETITION. The 2012 FIRST Robotics Competition is underway. If your gifted high school child is interested in robotics, find out more about this competition. 

MATT COHEN, special ed attorney based in Chicago, has formed his own law firm "to better serve my clients and to improve and expand the services I have provided in the past," he says. "We will continue to provide special education and other legal advocacy, risk management, policy consultation and related client services, as well as training that I have provided to countless individuals and families, advocacy and professional groups, mental health and social service agencies and private practitioner for thirty years." Find out more in his January newsletter.  

AND FINALLY, THIS. The makers of Play Attention have developed and are marketing a wearable (on the arm), wireless sensor that can report levels of attention, cognitive processing, relaxation, or anxiety and stress to a nearby PC, allowing its use in a variety of applications related to education,attention management, sports training, driving safety, or stress management. At the moment, however, the device and system costs $1795. Find out more at the website of Freer Logic, the developer, or read a press release about the product.

From the Publishers of 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter

NOT JUST INTELLIGENCE: CURIOSITY TOO. "Personalty traits like curiosity seem to be as important as intelligence in determining how well students do in school." That's the conclusion of a study published recently in a publication of the Association for Psychological Science. Conscientiousness also affects academic performance. Read more.

WRIGHTSLAW. The current issue of Special Ed Advocate examines whether children with AD/HD  -- which is not a "specific LD" -- are eligible for IDEA services or eligible for Section 504 accommodations. Find out more.

THE WEINFELD GROUP is presenting an event on November 10 titled "Helping Your Worried Child -- Behavioral Treatment of Childhood Anxiety." The presenter is Bonnie Zucker. To be held in Rockville, Maryland, the event is an hour and a half long; the cost is $25 for those who register by 11/3, $35 afterward. More information.

AD/HD DRUGS do not increase the risk of heart problems in children or young adults, according to a U.S.-funded study involving over a million subjects. Included were meds such as Adderall, Concerta, Strattera, and Ritalin. Find out more.

SCREEN THOSE PRESCHOOLERS. A study funded by the National Insititutes of Health found that many more preschoolers have vision problems than previously thought -- about 25 percent compared to the previous figure of 5 percent. The net-out -- screen that preschooler to make sure vision problems don't masquerade as learning problems, and also, of course, to make sure that kid can see. Read more.

MAYO TOOLKIT FOR CHILDREN'S MENTAL HEALTH. The Mayo Clinic has published a toolkit to help identify mental health problems in children and teens. The motivation? The fact that up to 75 percent of children with problems evidently don't get help. Read more about this. Find the toolkit.

AND FINALLY, THIS. If  you've ever worried about food safety -- whether what manufacturers put into the food you buy is really safe -- you'll not enjoy a recent item at ScienceDaily on the topic. It seems that U.S. law:

• "Allows manufacturers to determine that the use of an additive is "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS), and then use that substance without notifying the FDA.
• "Does not require that manufacturers inform the FDA when health reports suggest new hazards associated with additives already used in food."

If that makes you dangerously excited and you want to know more, go to ScienceDaily.

From the Publishers of 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter

EIDES IN WIRED. Drs. Fernette and Brock Eide have a Q&A in Wired Science centering on their new book The Dyslexic Advantage. In the Q&A, the Eides provide their definition of dyslexia, cover various misconceptions of the condition, and get into the strengths that may be associated with dyslexia. At the Q&A page you may also read an excerpt from the new book. Go there.

HIGH PERFORMERS: LOSING IT. Education Week reports on a Fordham Institute study showing that "many high-performing students lose ground from elementary to middle school and from middle school to  high school." The study raises the issue of whether programs such as NCLB impose a trade-off, helping kids at the bottom but hurting those at the top. Find the EdWeek article.

METHYLPHENIDATE: LATER PUBERTY -- in monkeys, at least. The active ingredient in Ritalin delayed puberty in young male monkeys, although the treated monkeys later caught up in development. Read more.

APPS FOR AUTISM is the goal of a partnership between Hewlett-Packard and two autism-focused organizations. HP will bring together developers to build free apps addressing areas such as communication and scheduling. Find out more.

2e  SOLUTION IN VANCOUVER. The Vancouver Observer published an article about a gifted young man with learning challenges for whom "school never quite fit." [Sound familiar?] The young man and his family found a solution through a company called BrainBoost Education, which tailored a curriculum for him based on online learning courses. The results: a more engaged, confident, and achieving young man. Read more.

AD/HD RELIEF. A study has indicated that playing outside in green areas may ameliorate symptoms of AD/HD, compared to playing in other settings. Find out more.

JUNK FOOD, DEPRESSION, AND ANXIETY. Adolescents eating diets of junk or processed foods are more prone to depression and anxiety, according to a new Australian study. While the results are consistent with what's been seen in adults, the researchers had this to say about the results: "[W]e think it could be more important because three quarters of psychiatric illnesses start before adulthood, and once someone has depression they are likely to get it again." So serve up those fruits and veggies. Read more.

THE THINKING PERSON'S GUIDE TO AUTISM is a book and website with the following mission: "to help people with autism and their families make sense of the bewildering array of available autism treatments and options, and determine which are worth their time, money, and energy." As part of that mission, TPGA accepts submissions on the topic of autism from writers 13 and over. Find out more.

EARLY-LIFE STRESS. Twice-exceptional kids can suffer more stress than other children for a variety of reasons. To find out how stress may affect children, check out a new article at Cerebrum on the Dana Foundation website. 

DON'T FORGET our stash of categorized article links at http://www.delicious.com/2eNewsletter. The articles cover 2e, giftedness, various exceptionalities, child development, parenting, education, and more.

From the Publishers of 2e Newsletter

THE DANA FOUNDATION, purveyors of much information of interest to readers concerned with issues of giftedness, neuroscience, and mental heath, has posted two new items:

•  An opinion piece on what the new DSM-5 should look like, especially in terms of perceived weaknesses in the current classification scheme. The author, for example, points to problems with the "not otherwise specified" category, and suggests that "dimensional" diagnosis (as opposed to finding x number of symptoms for two weeks) might be useful. He also wants a way for the DSM to take into account the single genetic underpinnings of multiple conditions. Find the article. 
• A report on a symposium on memory, which included some presentations on working memory and AD/HD. Find the article.

ATTENTION RESEARCH UPDATE has posted its April study review, this one on diet and AD/HD. From Rabiner's review: "...nearly two-thirds of a representative sample of young children with ADHD showed a substantial reduction in ADHD symptoms when placed on the 'few foods' diet.  In fact, the authors conclude their study by suggesting that "...dietary intervention should be considered in all children with ADHD, provided parents are willing to follow a diagnostic restricted elimination diet for a 5-week period, and provided expert supervision is available." Find the review.

WRIGHTSLAW's current edition of Special Ed Advocate offers advice to parents on participating as a member of a child's IEP team. Read more.

KIDS WITH AD/HD might use drugs and alcohol more often, according to a couple of recent studies. Find more at Time.com.

BRAINWAVE "FINGERPRINTS." A researcher recorded brainwaves during two nights for a group of children, then repeated the study two years later. A computer analysis was able to match the kids with their brainwaves. The research hopes the work will lead to biomarkers for depression and schizophrenia. Read more.

BEACON COLLEGE, bills itself as "the nation's only four-year accredited institution that offers highly specialized and proven educational programs for students diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, gifted but learning disabled, aspergers and other language-based learning disabilities." The college has received a grant to hire a life transition coach to help students enter the workplace. Find out more.

GREAT POTENTIAL PRESS, publishers of materials for the gifted, was mentioned in a Wall Street Journal advice column recently. The columnist recommended GPP's A Parent's Guide to Gifted Children as well as Living with Intensity. Find the column. Separately, Jim Webb and Janet Gore were honored in February for their continued commitment to gifted children, their families, and educators. Read more.

RESOURCES. We just discovered two troves of resources that might be of interest to those in the 2e community. One is from the Australian Gifted Support Center; it offers a database of research on gifted education; from that same page you may also choose "Useful references" and "Internet links." The second site is at the Neag Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development at the University of Connecticut; find the resources there.

AND FINALLY, THIS. It could be that even when we're awake, parts of our brains are really asleep, leading to poor performance. Read more. 

From the Publishers of 2e: Twice-Exceptional Newsletter

CUSTOMIZED SCHOOLING is the title of a new book on education reform that looks at “how providers might use new tools to deliver or customize services that do not conform to conventional [school] policies or structures," according to its publisher, Harvard Education Press. EdNews.org's Michael Shaughnessey interviews one of the book's authors, who provides examples of what customized services and educational products can mean. The author makes the point several times that such an approach would focus on individual educational needs, and that it would help students with LDs. Find the interview.

WRIGHTSLAW pointed out to us a survey for parents in conjunction with the reauthorization of IDEA sometime in the next few years. According to Wrightslaw, the survey seeks to answer the question, "Are parents treated as equal partners in planning their children's education?" If you have had experience with IDEA or special ed for that gifted kid you raise, find out more about the survey.

ALLERGIES AND DEPRESSION may be linked. If your child has severe seasonal allergies, find out more about the linkages and effects.

FOOD DYES, PART III... or maybe VII, we lose track. If you're interested in reading yet another article on the relationship of food dyes to hyperactivity, the Los Angeles Times published one on April 11 that addressed questions such as "what's the evidence?" and "do food dyes have other risks?" and "how much food dye are we eating?" Find it. 

GIFTED LEFT BEHIND IN WYOMING. An article in the Wyoming Tribune Eagle notes how the state lags others in the percentage of kids identified as gifted, and how half of the state's districts identify no students as gifted. Read more about what Wyoming does -- and doesn't do -- for its gifted students.

AND FINALLY, THIS. What do we really need to teach kids in school? "Dilbert" cartoonist Scott Adams suggests entrepreneurship, based on some of his life experiences, and offers sample lessons based on same:

• Combine skills
• Fail forward
• Find the action
• Attract luck
• And more...

Adams' thesis is that it's the "B" students who should be taught entrepreneurship, rather than the "A" students; he says, "The kids in [the] brainy group are the future professors, scientists, thinkers and engineers who will propel civilization forward." But we think all students could use lessons of the type he proposes. Let us know what you think. Find the article, called "How to Get a Real Education."