These are ‘hot’ topics of interest

Autism or Just an Awkward Kid?

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A concerned mom came to me seeking insights on her son’s behavior.  She explained, “Sometimes Joseph can seem zoned out and not always in tune with what it going on around him. He can be socially awkward at times. Joseph can also be so hyper focused on something like his hobby and interest. He can get easily bored and likes to be pretty active all of the time which is a good thing but sometimes it is hard for him to relax.” This mom wanted to know if her son might have autism, ADHD, or anxiety so she knew how to best support him.

Upon meeting Joseph for the first time, he presented as a well-groomed and athletic adolescent.  He was slightly rigid in his social mannerisms as if he had been taught skills such as greeting someone by looking them in the eye and shaking their hand.  While this was an appropriate behavior, his interaction came across as scripted or practiced. While talking with him I learned he had an advanced vocabulary and could converse about many different topics. He understood humor and could joke around. Joseph also understood idioms such as when I was referencing a told secret and said, “She let the cat out of the bag.” He understood what that meant.

My school neuropsychological testing with Joseph revealed two main contributing factors.  First, he had low cognitive flexibility which is a fancy term for flexible thinking.  His mental rigidity contributed to him being a blacker and whiter thinker. He saw things his way which created his social awkwardness. The second factor was slower processing speed which helped explain why he seemed zoned out at times.  In certain situations Joseph quickly used up his mental fuel which resulted in mental fatigue. When his occurred he disengaged and seemed out of touch with what was going on around him.

I helped create a plan and recommended certain exercises he could do to improve these areas.  Call (561) 625 4125 if you are concerned about your child and would like understanding and answers. We test kids and young adults ages two* through college. Check out my books if you want to learn more about ADHD, autism, dyslexia, or dysgraphia.

*Autism testing is the only testing which starts at age 2.

Three Step Process for College Planning

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Planning for college does not have to wait until the senior year.  Students obtain better outcomes when college planning starts in tenth or eleventh grade.  A rising junior student I recently worked wanted to attend a large state university but he had not yet accomplished anything to position himself as a competitive applicant.  During our interview he revealed he did not participate in any school clubs, student government, sports, or arts.  He was not working or volunteering.  This put him at a disadvantage.

First Step

Working with a college planner helps students accomplish three important steps. First, resume building.  College applicants submit a resume as part of the admission process.  Teens benefit from coaching on the best activities to become involved with to include on their resume. Most college admissions officers prefer a well-rounded individual as compared to a one dimensional book worm.

Second Step

A second important step is test preparation.  Have you heard that test scores are often optional and don’t really matter for college admission? That’s not exactly true.  When applying to highly competitive universities the admission officer examines applications and when two applicants are equal on paper, the one with test scores has the admission edge. Thus, your student needs test preparation for the ACT and SAT tests.

Third Step

A third step to preparing for college is crafting an amazing essay.  Admission officers really read every applicant’s essay. They look for a distinguisher that captures the essence of the teen and how they will contribute to making the university a better institution.  Thus, participating in essay workshops and working with an expert essay college planner helps to best position your student.

Class 101 College Planning Made Simple

I recommend the one-to-one college planning services of Class 101 North Palm Beach.  They provide ten college planning services which includes the three in this article to give your student an edge in the competitive college admission process.

We test high school students who need ACT and SAT accommodations such as extended time, stop the clock brain breaks, and small group testing.  Call (561) 625 4125 to discuss your child.

Is it Autism, ADHD, or Both?

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A parent recently brought her 10-year-old child to me to answer the question, “Is it Autism, ADHD, or Both?” Her son was having difficulty in school with friendships, concentrating, transitioning, and his teacher was labeling him as a problem child. This parent tried to find answers on Dr Google but was left feeling more confused than clear. She wanted answers to know how to help her child and stop the downward spiral.

Autism and ADHD Characteristics

Autism and ADHD share many overlapping characteristics such as difficulty concentrating, friendship struggles, rigidity, quirky behaviors, and emotional dysregulation. Two key features of identifying autism include looking for a child’s restricted interest and repetitive behaviors as these often interfere with social skills.

Ongoing Restricted Interests

A restricted interest is an interest that is unusually strong and hyper focused to the extent the child only wants to discuss, play, or research the topic. This boy had heightened interest, but they changed about every month. He obsessed about Legos, then Fortnite, and then Star Wars.  These short intense, and then move on, interests were unlike a child with autism who would rather have one extended hyper focused interest such as planets.

Self-Stimulating Behavior

Many children with autism also have repetitive behaviors or self-stimulating behaviors. These could be hand motions when they get excited or moving their body in a certain way. This boy’s movements were related to low impulse control rather than the same repetitive behavior.

Tests of Social Perception

In addition to looking at symptoms via interview and rating scales, we completed interactive tests of social perception. We assessed if he could recognize a child’s facial affect and understand another child’s frame of reference.

The overall conclusion was this boy had ADHD, which interfered with his ability to concentrate, maintain his impulses, and was the root cause of friendship difficulty. Other kids rejected him due to his unpredictable behavior and intense emotional reactions.v We created recommendations to help him learn to regulate his attention and emotions. The parents also shared the testing results with the school for an accommodation plan.

I’ve written books on autism and ADHD for parents like you and you can find them on Amazon .

Call (561) 625 4125 to discuss your child.

Do Students with Disabilities Attend College?

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The high school to college transition is a huge step in a teen’s life and independent living. With hard work students with learning disabilities, mild autism, ADHD, and other disabilities attend and graduate from college.

College Planning

In addition to your student’s hard work, college planning is an important factor to set your student up for success.  Expert college planners such as those at Class101.com help all high school students, including those with disabilities, identify the right college. They specialize in supporting families through the entire process from identifying colleges for their unique needs, applying, essay writing, and ensuring that accommodations are available.  Class 101 college planners even guide families on available scholarships for making college more affordable.

College Executive Functioning Support

While many college students live on campus, some live in off campus housing with support. The organization called College Living Experience.com provides off campus housing along with coaching or mentoring to students with disabilities.  They help facilitate the transition to college by providing tutoring, executive functioning skills coaching, and socialization for students.

Developmental Disabilities and College

Students with developmental disabilities or Intellectual Disabilities also attend college.  Florida Atlantic University offers the Academy for Community Inclusion on the Jupiter and Boca Raton campuses. This program allows students to participate in college activities, clubs, and organizations as they take college courses to earn certificates. Students receive a college experience while gaining skills for independence and employment.

College Alternatives

Of course, college is not the right fit for everyone and there are plenty of well-paying jobs that don’t require a degree. Mike Rowe is a television personality and host of Dirty Jobs. He is a huge advocate of the trades and has resources on his website or podcast.

We know students with disabilities who are successful in college and life because of caring parents, family, and mentors. Reach out if we can help you as we test students from preschool through graduate school. If you need updated testing or are concerned about a potential learning disability, autism, or ADHD, call (561) 625 4125.

When Kids Say, “I’m Better Off Dead.”

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A concerned parent came to us for testing because on more than one occasion her son said, “I shouldn’t be alive. I’m better off dead.” Before contacting us, this mom had already hid all the sharp knives in her home.  She was wise to seek professional support rather than dismissing or scolding her child for saying that since suicide in children is a real concern. According to the Center for Disease Control’s website and Youth Risk Survey Data, among adolescents aged 12-17, 18.8% had seriously considered attempting suicide, 15.7% made a suicide plan, and 8.9% attempted suicide. These percentages are higher for youth of color and those identifying as LGBTQ.

Our school neuropsychological testing revealed he had ADHD and learning disabilities which caused significant school problems. This boy was viewed as the class clown and became the one people pointed to and assumed was the disruptive cause when there was a problem. This contributed to him feeling rejected by most of his peers and teacher. Furthermore, his learning disabilities interfered with his reading, writing, and spelling so he was academically behind his peers. This caused embarrassment and he felt stupid.  His circumstances created the perfect storm for him to cry out to his parent that he was better off dead.  This boy had no suicidal plan but he did not have the appropriate words to express he wanted help and understanding.

This boy’s mom wanted to know how to help and our testing results report provided recommendations.  They obtained a public school plan called an Individualized Education Plan which provided specialized instruction. As a family they began working with a counselor to improve home communication and understanding.  Step by step they made changes to help their child’s mental health and learning.

If you or your child have suicidal thoughts or behaviors, call or text 988 for the suicide and crisis lifeline. You know your child best so if you are concerned about a potential learning disability, autism, or ADHD, call to discuss your child (561) 625 4125.