New documentary on Tourette’s

I saw a new documentary called  Different is the New Normal  this week.  The documentary was produced by the parents of a young man with Tourette syndrome, and quite frankly, it is the best documentary I have ever seen in terms of conveying what children and their families may be living with.  If you want to gain some awareness and perspective on what life may be like for your student, I encourage you to watch it.

The documentary will air again on Tuesday, September 20, 2011 at 10 pm (EST) on NJTV (public television in NJ) then again Thursday, September 22nd at 4 am (EST), Sunday, September 25th at 5 am (EST) ) and Sunday, September 25th at 11 pm (EST), Tuesday, September 27th at 10:30 pm (EST) on WLIW21 (public television in metropolitan and suburban NYC and NJ)

After the broadcast, it will be on this website for a limited time: http://watch.thirteen.org/.

Don’t Forget Added Safety Measures in the Student’s Plan

New research confirms what I’ve been saying for years: students with ADHD are twice as likely to be injured as their non-ADHD peers and they are likely to experience more serious injuries.

So where in your student’s 504 Plan or IEP has the school team addressed any safety concerns?

See the article on this site on ADHD and safety, if you haven’t read it already.

Workshop for Educators on December 5th

I’ll be conducting an all-day workshop for educators on Monday, December 5, 2011 at the Grappone Conference Center in Concord, New Hampshire. The event is sponsored by the University of New Hampshire Institute on Disability and is geared to regular and special education teachers, school psychologists and social workers, behavior specialists, occupational therapists, administrators, and parents.

Description:

Neurological disorders that emerge in childhood often have significant impact on students’ academic, behavioral, and social-emotional functioning. Participants will learn about the cardinal features of Tourette’s Syndrome, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Executive Dysfunction, Mood Disorders such as Depression and Bipolar Disorder, and the memory deficits, sensory issues and “storms” that sometimes accompany them. Strategies and assistive technology to accommodate symptom interference in activities such as handwriting, homework, math calculation, and written expression and big projects will be described. Pitfalls in behavioral interventions, and simple social skills and problem-solving interventions will also be identified.

For more information on the workshop and registration information, download the brochure or register online at www.iod.unh.edu.

Hope to see you there!