These are ‘hot’ topics of interest

Girls With ADHD Are Different From Boys With ADHD

/in /by

Girls With ADHD/ADD

The majority of children diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD) are boys.  Boys are generally identified more frequently than girls are because they are more active, always on the go, and demonstrate acting-out behavior more noticeable than girls.  Girls are often overlooked because they are quieter, are taught to conform, and are less likely to demonstrate acting out behavior.  Signals that your daughter may have ADHD or underlying problems include school phobia, low self-esteem, poor organizational skills, messiness, sleep problems, high intelligence and creativity with low academic performance, and messy appearance.

One Girl With ADHD

I recently worked with a family that was concerned about their daughter because she was very forgetful, her grades were slipping, and she was not feeling good about herself.  We worked together to do a comprehensive school neuropsychological evaluation and determined that there was inattentive type ADHD (ADD) as well as some processing difficulties that were making learning much harder.  This girl was very intelligent so she had been able to get by on her intelligence but the academic demands of middle school finally caught up with her and she became overwhelmed.  Before coming to me, her parents thought she just was not trying and was getting lazy but it turned out she really had legitimate needs.

You Suspect Your Daughter has ADD/ADHD

If your daughter is struggling and you are unsure if there are underlying problems, consider these important questions: (1) Are these behaviors things you have noticed for a while?  Are they interfering with life functioning at home or at school?,(2) Are the behaviors a continuous problem, not just a response to a temporary situation like final exams or a teacher conflict? (3) Do the behaviors occur in several settings or only in one specific place like the home or in school?  If you answered ‘yes’ to most of these questions, my evaluation may help you and your daughter.  I give parents strategies to use at home and in school that can help your daughter.

When you are ready to help your daughter call me or fill out my contact form.

Dyslexia Testing in Jupiter- Palm Beach

/in /by

Are you searching for a certified dyslexia testing specialist to test your child?  You’ve found the right source as Dr. Jim Forgan is a certified dyslexia testing specialist and licensed school psychologist.  This means his testing is accepted by all Florida public and private schools, colleges, and universities.

Dyslexia is a language disorder that is neurological in origin and often hereditary.  According to the National Institute of Health, approximately 15-20% of school age children have dyslexia.  This means in a class of 25 children as many as 5 children could have dyslexia.  It is the number one type of learning disability served in public schools.  Children with dyslexia have difficulty with reading and spelling.  Unfortunately, most teachers and reading specialist have not been trained in the most effective methods that children with dyslexia need in order to be successful readers and spellers.  If you think your child is dyslexic, get him or her evaluated as soon as possible so you can begin the most effective remediation program.  According to dyslexia expert Susan Barton, programs that don’t work well for children with dyslexia include: Hooked on Phonics, the Phonics Game, Reading Recovery, Accelerated Reader, Reading Recovery, and most commercial learning chains.

What Works for Teaching Kids With Dyslexia?

Scientific, independent, replicated reading research supports the reading programs based on Orton-Gillingham sequence and methodology.  Dr. Sam Orton and Anna Gillingham developed a unique method and sequence to significantly improve the reading and spelling skills of children and adults with dyslexia during the 1930’s.  Orton-Gillingham programs are “best practices” when teaching reading to students with dyslexia.  An Orton Gillingham based reading system is simultaneously multisensory, systematic, and cumulative with direct and explicit instruction in phonics.  This type of program shows how reading and spelling are related and provide intense practice for a child with dyslexia.

One-on-one tutoring using Orton-Gillingham methodology is the gold standard for dyslexic reading instruction.  The benefits of this type of tutoring are supported by research.  Consider the evaluation and tutoring the best investment you can make for the future success of your child.  Their self-esteem will rise along with their academics.  For a list of local tutors using Orton-Gillingham methods, call me.

I am a certified dyslexia testing specialist located in Jupiter, Florida (West Palm Beach area for anyone reading this out of town) and I can test your child for dyslexia.  Dyslexia testing is a four hour process that is completed in two, two hour sessions. It can be done in one day. Use my contact form or call me so I can help you determine if your child has dyslexia and how to help him or her overcome it.  I can also help you find a dyslexia tutor or dyslexia school in the West Palm Beach area.

Palm Beach Homeschool Evaluations

/in /by

If your child is a homeschooled student in the Palm Beach school district then you know each year you must have the annual homeschooled form signed off.  I attached the form (homeschool_annual_evaluation_Palm Beach) so you can have easy access to the Palm Beach Schools homeschool annual certification form by clicking here.

Once completed, return your form to: The School District of Palm Beach County, Home Education Office, 3308 Forest Hill Boulevard, Suite C-141, West Palm Beach, FL 33406-5813.  Their phone and fax numbers are: (561) 434-8052, FAX (561) 434-8447.  The current Palm Beach Home Education director is Beth Gillespie.

I can help test your child(ren) and sign off on the annual homeschool evaluation and it’s a process that takes about an hour.  I assess your child in reading, writing, and math and provide you with grade equivalency, age equivalency, percentile rank, and standard scores.  These scores allow you to compare your child to national norms.  I provide a written report that you can choose to mail the Palm Beach School District Homeschool coordinator.  You mail the results to the address above after I sign off on the certification form.

My son is registered as a homeschool student in the Palm Beach School system so I am very familiar with the annual homeschool certification as well as the progression requirements.  The Palm Beach Homeschool Certification Form must be signed by a licensed teacher or psychologist.  In addition to my testing I can also review your child’s homeschool portfolio and curriculum to make the homeschool progress decision.  One benefit you receive by using my services is that I can look for possible information processing problems or other hidden issues that might cause your child difficulty.  Then, you can teach to these areas and strengthen any areas of need as part of your homeschool curriculum.

Again, I provide psychologist certified homeschool evaluations in Palm Beach and Martin counties.  The cost for the homeschool evaluation certification is $150 and I advise you to schedule your appointment two weeks in advance of when you want to come in.  When your child comes in for the homeschool evaluation tell him or her that I am like a teacher and will work with them one-to-one to do school work.  Make it a low stress and like a typical day of school and they’ll do fine.

Bahamas ADHD Help

/in /by

I was over in the Bahamas recently (Grand Bahama) during part of my kid’s week of spring break from school and got to meet some friendly and wonderful Bahamian citizens.  I was not offering Bahamas ADHD help as it was a refreshing vacation where I was able to relax and unwind.  As my Bahamian bus driver explained that in the Bahamas folks, “Go with the flow and ride with the tide.”  I appreciated this advice and him sharing that philosophy with me.  As I sat on the beach with my toes in the water and chair in the sand, looking out at the beautiful blue, green, and turquoise Bahamian waters I felt the stress start to disappear and my creative energy start to flow.  I’ll share another catchy saying I picked up from my bus driver that in the Bahamas there’s, “Nothing to it, just do it.”

Sitting on the beach I watched the Bahamian men at the watersports set up their daily equipment, recruit people to use the various watersports, and enjoy what they were doing.  Some guys would ferry tourists out to a platform where they went parasailing.  Others pulled tourists on an inflatable banana tube, and others worked the equipment.  I couldn’t help but think that is a great job for a boy or young man with ADHD.  It’s fulfilling (they are helping people enjoy their vacation), hands-on, active, and outdoors.  These are qualities that I believe help many boys with ADHD find success in a job or career.

Then I started thinking about boys with ADHD and the similarities and differences between Bahamian boys with ADHD and American boys with ADHD.  My list had many more similarities between the boys with ADHD as compared to differences.  Sure, there are some cultural differences and dialect differences but boys with ADHD are found everywhere.  Boys with ADHD are as common in the Bahamas as they are in the USA.

I offer testing for Bahamians at your location or in Jupiter, Florida.  We can work together so that your son or daughter can reach their potential.  There are a lot of effective strategies you can use with your child to make a difference.

Contact me for personal ADHD help or to discuss more about  overcoming your child’s struggles.  After all, isn’t everything, “Better in the Bahamas?”

Make Your Child’s IEP Great

/in /by

If your child has an IEP (Individualized Education Program) have you ever wondered if it’s any good?  As a parent of a child with an IEP, I have.  There are some simple steps you can take to get an expert second opinion on your IEP and take the IEP from good to great.  A colleague and I wrote an E-book “Get A Great IEP in 45 Days or Less” and it’s available as a premium member of www.SeeMyIEP.com.

In this series of 4 short presentations I walk you through the steps of how to get a great IEP for your child.  It takes some time and work to really make your child’s IEP great but it’s well worth it.  Your child’s IEP goals will be strong and really match his or her priority educational needs.

Video one starts out describing days 1-17, how to recognize your child’s priority educational needs, and how to write a great ‘present level of performance.’ http://tinyurl.com/3z7p622

Video two really helps you learn how to write or recognize great IEP goals and IEP objectives. http://youtu.be/LE0PIab0SMM

Video three helps you learn how to advocate for the best accommodations for your child. http://youtu.be/gLMVHFon6Hk

Part four is one of the best parts because it teaches you about the IEP least restrictive Environment and how to ‘pull it all together’ to bring to the IEP meeting. http://youtu.be/a4mLIFvzEwo