News You Can Use

from

Melissa Sornik, LCSW PLLC,

A Family-Centered Practice Supporting Gifted and 2e Children 

Growing Up Alongside a Sibling With a Disability

Not long after my mother learned that my brother, David, was autistic, she began what she called “little school”: sessions in which she taught him to draw faces, cut with scissors, read and cook. He was 4, I was 2. I recently asked her how she balanced David’s needs with mine. “You were the teacher’s assistant,” she said. “I was trying to make you feel important.” Read the article at The New York Times.

10 Tips for Parenting Anxious Kids

Many well-meaning parents try to protect anxious kids from their fears, but overprotecting can actually make anxiety worse. Here are pointers for helping kids cope with anxiety without reinforcing it.  Read the full article at Child Mind Institute.

How Do I Choose ADHD Medication for my Child

If you’re considering an ADHD medication for your child, you need to know how stimulants — methylphenidate or amphetamine — and nonstimulants work, whether risks exist, and what dosages and frequencies are normal. Here, experts answer these and other frequently asked questions about treating your kid’s ADD. Read more about this at ADDitude.

What is the Orton-Gillingham Method For Teaching Reading?

In recent years, the once-esoteric term “evidence-based reading instruction” has spread beyond research institutions to become part of the vernacular of classroom teachers tasked with teaching young children to read.

This increasing popularity of evidence- or science-based reading instruction, which refers to practices proven successful in improving reading achievement, goes hand in hand with efforts in many states to legislate mandatory support for teacher training and instruction in these approaches. As part of this legislation, some states provide lists of approved providers of evidence-based reading methods. Read more at Education Week.

Autists For Change - Join the Movement!

Autists For Change is dedicated to improving the special education system, through the advocacy of autistic voices.

We are looking for kids ages 13-22 to join our movement. Our goal is to advocate for change in the special education system, and to get our voices heard. We are looking for people who are interested in social media, as that is the main way we push to an audience, but anyone who has a story to tell is welcome. Contact us at contact@autistsforchange.org to see how you can get involved. You can also learn more about us by visiting our website at https://autistsforchange.org/.

We envision a world where autists are heard, supported, and accepted in the school system.

The practice of Melissa Sornik, LCSW PLLC is happy to share this announcement on Autists for Change, a grassroots, student-run, parent-supported organization run by and for autistic teens and young adults. The organization was founded by Sam Henderson, a high school student in New York City.

We hope you found these articles thought-provoking. If you have an article you think our community would find interesting, please forward it to us and we will review it. Maybe we will include it next time!