Dysgraphia is more than just bad hand writing. In my last article Smart Kids Who Hate to Write I described the main areas of breakdown with dysgraphia and what it looks like. Many people, including professionals think that the main issue with dysgraphia is poor fine motor control. Language-Based Dysgraphia Dysgraphia is more layered than...
Does your child hate to write? Have they been accused of being lazy and careless because their writing is sloppy? Moms are often crushed when their child finally gets a diagnosis and they learn their child has more than one diagnosis. ADHD and dyslexia. Dyslexia and SPD. ASD and OCD. Dyslexia and Dyspraxia. The combinations...
Let me tell you about Julie – a bright 14-year-old girl. She has always had a hard time with reading, but has always been able to get by with C’s – until grade 6. The more that she had to read in order to learn the worse her marks became. Julie can ‘read’ but she...
Blake is a kid who loves playing ball. He is 9. He was diagnosed with ADHD and a Learning Disability. When Blake was playing with his ball outside, I asked him why he liked playing ball. He said, “I like trying to figure out which one to catch after they hit the wall.” I said...
The signs were all there… When I first meet with parents and I am taking their child’s early development history – Mom will often say one of two things: “I had a feeling all along.” But… Everyone told her she was over-analysing. …or “I wish I had known.” She wished she had known that certain...
In my last article I described the primitive reflexes that are part of your child’s ‘baby brain’ and how they can prevent the development of higher brain levels. After about twelve months, these reflexes should integrate with the development of more complex movements. When they don’t disappear (known as integration), they can interfere with the...
If a child is impulsive, unable to sit still, has poor motor skills or has difficulty learning—the most common diagnosis is ADHD or a learning disability. Yet these symptoms might have nothing to do with a disorder and may be occurring because a child’s ‘baby brain’ didn’t totally disappear. Child development researchers have found that...
When parents are creating a sleep routine, ensuring their child is getting plenty of exercise during the day and is eating healthy food, they can feel like they have run out of options and that getting their child to sleep is hopeless. In previous articles I discussed the importance of sleep for good behaviour and...
Addressing poor sleep can help your child be more focused and better behaved and this can be a win for you on so many levels – like better mornings and behaviour. I have seen far too many parents who are burnt-out and can’t even get their head above water to help their child with their...
Sleep Matters. It’s super easy to underestimate its value amidst all the other ways to help your child focus, learn and behave better. But trust me – sleep is definitely not something you want to overlook or put off and address later on. Sleep could be the biggest part of the equation. The impact...
If you find yourself wondering why they don’t have a breakfast wine – you need to read this. As much as some parents love back-to-school more than Christmas there are also a ton of parents who actually hate the start of the school year. Sure, it’s nice to have the kids back into a routine...
As a mom you are always getting advice on how to speak to your children – but what if your child is having trouble communicating or listening to you despite all of your coaching? Your child might not be trying to drive you crazy – they might have weak back-to-front processing which can means what...
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LORRAINE DRISCOLL
