Something to chew on, for kids that can’t stop
By Kathy Kuhl Do you have children who can’t stop chewing on things? Kids and teens with sensory issues and other issues may struggle with this—or give in to it without a thought. No matter how well they know that pencil has been handled by many people, it pops into their mouths. And […]
Teaching a Child with Special Needs: Book Review
Book review by Kathy Kuhl Judith Munday’s new book is out at last: Teaching a Child with Special Needs at Home and at School. That’s good news for homeschoolers with children with learning challenges. Back in the 1990s, when I was a new homeschooler, Judi was the first expert I heard who understood homeschooling students with special […]
How to read faces: a vital skill for your child
By Kathy Kuhl Some children with learning challenges are highly attuned to emotion and can read faces with ease. For other children (and adults, for that matter), faces speak in a code they cannot break. But almost all of us—adults, teens, and children—can improve our ability to read faces. Teens in particular struggle to read […]
Harnessing a passion for cartoons: a review of Life, Animated
Review of Ron Suskind’s Life, Animated: A Story of Sidekicks, Heroes, and Autism Audiobook read by Ron and Owen Suskind Review by Kathy Kuhl Life, Animated: A Story of Sidekicks, Heroes, and Autism is a revealing portrait worth the time of anyone interested in family and communication. In the first chapter, “Growing Backward,” author Ron […]
Secrets of Social Success
(Part 3 on finding the right extra-curricular activities) By Kathy Kuhl Last time, I wrote about helping your child with learning challenges get ready for their new group (a club, scouts, choir, or the like.) But for some kids, getting the work done and getting the gear together is the easy part. It’s the social […]
Review: The Mislabeled Child by Drs. Brock & Fernette Eide
The Mislabeled Child by Drs. Brock and Fernette Eide. Review by Kathy Kuhl Whether you want clear explanations of particular learning problems, their causes, tools for identifying them, or practical solutions, The Mislabeled Child by Drs. Brock and Fernette Eide is a helpful and clear guide. They help families identify and build on their children’s […]
Related to Autism
Many groups advocate different views of and responses to autism. Here is a sampling of sites related to autism: Autism Speaks Autism Society of America Defeat Autism Now, the website of the Autism Research Institute. My favorite public service announcement on autism is Act Early’s poignant “The Red Flags of Autism.” To prove autistics have […]
Heads Up Helping! by Melinda L. Boring
Review by Kathy Kuhl: Heads Up Helping: Teaching Tips and Techniques for Working With ADD, ADHD, and Other Children with Challenges Melinda L. Boring is not the least bit boring. This homeschooling mother of three and speech pathologist has written a book filled with practical advice for teaching struggling learners. Her writing is clear and easy […]
The Mislabeled Child by Brock Eide, M.D., M.A., and Fernette Eide, M.D.
Looking Beyond Behavior to Find the True Sources—and Solutions—for Children’s Learning Challenges Hyperion, 2007. 510 pages. ISBN: 978-1-4013-0899-5 Review by Kathy Kuhl Drs. Brock and Fernette Eide have tackled a tough task: explaining many different kinds of learning problems in clear language with practical advice. The result is impressive. If the size—over 500 pages—puts you […]
Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger’s by John Elder Robison
Review by Kathy Kuhl Know someone who avoids eye contact, who doesn’t know how to converse, but will talk endlessly about a favorite subject? John Elder Robison’s memoir, Look Me In the Eye: My Life with Asperger’s, gives an inside look at life at one end of the autism spectrum. He provides an example of an “Aspergian” […]