by Dr. Garforth | May 3, 2019 | Learning Disabilities, Parents
According to the DSM-5*, the term Specific Learning Disorder (aka SLD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with a biological origin that affects an individual’s academic skills, not their developmental milestones. Let me break down some of those terms for...
by Lynn Givens | Apr 26, 2019 | Reading Science
Reading Fluency ** A guest post by Lynn Givens ** Fluency is made up of “accurate reading of connected text at a conversational rate with appropriate prosody or expression.” (Hudson, Lane, & Pullen, 2005) Reading fluency is an essential component of reading....
by Dr. Garforth | Apr 24, 2019 | Learning Disabilities, Reading Science
Literacy Screening Most children begin kindergarten excited by the prospect of finally learning how to read. The idea of reading excites them because it opens the door into a world they only had access to when someone else would read to them. They are excited to be...
by Lynn Givens | Apr 19, 2019 | Phonemic Awareness, Reading Science, Skill Development
** A guest post by Lynn Givens ** A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound in spoken language. There are about 25 consonant phonemes and about 18 vowel phonemes, or sounds. Seven phonemes such as /ch/ and /sh/ are represented by two letters. Phonemic Awareness is:...
by Dr. Garforth | Apr 17, 2019 | IEP, Parents
A Parent’s Guide to IEP Meetings There is no way to deny it, IEP meetings are stressful and hard for any parent. I know professionals who go into meetings as advocates for other families regularly but still struggle with attending an IEP meeting for their own...
by Dr. Garforth | Apr 15, 2019 | Uncategorized
There are so many different terms that parents need to understand when it comes to Individualized Education Plans (IEP). It can be very stressful going into an IEP meeting or reading through documentation about supports available to your child, and the last thing you...
by Dr. Garforth | Apr 7, 2019 | Anxiety
** A guest post by Colleen Wildenhaus ** Test anxiety is no longer associated with only high school finals and college entrance exams. Sadly, it is being seen in children as young as kindergarten due to the abundance of standardized tests required in most schools. ...
by Dr. Garforth | Apr 6, 2019 | Fine Motor Skills, Skill Development
Easter will be here before we know it! There are a number of Easter activities you can do with your children to help them develop their fine motor skills. The fine motor skills of today’s children are not where they once were, and educators see the effects in their...
by Dr. Garforth | Feb 26, 2019 | Advocacy, Learning Disabilities
Before talking about disability awareness, it is necessary to discuss self-awareness: not only is an individual more than their disability, disability awareness is an extension of self-awareness. It is crucial for an individual with a disability to have...
by Dr. Garforth | Feb 11, 2019 | IEP, Parents
What is an IEP? An IEP is an Individualized Education Plan, and it is developed for students with special needs. It is a document that summarizes their needs and how their program has been individualized to meet their needs. It includes the student’s goals,...
