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5 Stars With Headphones*
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| OCTOBER, 2008 | REALIZATION ISSUE |
"Do you realize..."The KOG has been questioning not only how we identify it, but if SLD even exists, for years. But since it's been brought up again, this time on the national level, ”Maybe if we reached a consensus on what a learning disability actually is, we could identify it…” (NASP-ListServe, August 27, 2008, Message #53876), the KOG wilI provide another opportunity for you to make a great choice regarding the myth of SLD. KOG's OCTOBER FEATURE
ARTICLE
01. The Government Approach:
02. The Diagnosed Needs Approach:
03. The NCLB Approach:
04. The Team Approach:
05. The Teacher's Approach:
06. The Job Security Approach:
07. The Oh Well! Approach:
08. The RtI Approach:
09. The Chicken and the Egg Approach:
10. The Two Wrongs Don't Make a Right
(or Blackmail) Approach:
11. The Shotgun (or H & P)
Approach:
12. The There Must Be Something Wrong
With Him Approach:
13. The Logical Approach:
14. The Nepotistic Approach:
15. The Processing Deficit/Neurological
Approach:
16. The Making the Best of a Bad
Situation Approach:
17. The Let's Pretend We're Psychiatrists
Approach:
18. The Just Relax Approach:
19. The Empathetic Approach:
20. The Consensus Approach:
21. The We're Just Playing The Game
Approach:
22. The FAPE Approach:
23. The General Education Approach:
24. The Legal Approach:
25. The Let's Flip A Coin Approach:
What's your favorite approach to SLD? Ultimately, it really doesn't matter how the victim of the process was diagnosed and placed... it most likely won't help. Below is a quote from our own KASP Past President, John Householder, from the CASP forum... "Typical special education during 4th and 5th grade increases reading by only .04 SD over what would occur in the classroom. In addition, SDC's, when looking at LD and ED students (which typically can also be served in RSP's) have effect sizes of +.29. An effect size of +.50 is interesting and +.75 is something that is probably worth a look into. So for most...special education is NOT working. If the argument is that we are using it because someone wants it that to me poses some ethical issues. People also thought that Indian Reservations managed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs was a great idea as well as Japanese Internment Camps." If... oh, never mind.
ON
THE POLITICAL FRONT...
KOG's Official 2008 Presidential Endorsement! The KOG considers this election a test of the value and effectiveness of public education in America... Let's start with "value." Do you feel there is value in an education? I hope you do. I know I do. Let's take a moment to compare the candidates' educational accomplishments: Obama:Regarding the "effectiveness" of education, how well have the schools met their goal to produce capably thinking citizens? If education "works," then citizens should be able to think effectively, right? Therefore, The KOG officially endorses:*Assuming your vote is actually counted. Good luck to us all.
KOG SPOTLIGHTS DR. THOMAS SZASZ... http://www.szasz.com
KOG
RETRACTION & APOLOGY...
KOG's SEPTEMBER RtI RESEARCH CHALLENGE RESULTS...
Results are in -- no one was able to produce any type of research suggesting that your new RtI might work in any way for students. This not unexpected result left the $10.00 award unclaimed.. Maybe you'll have better luck in the KOG's October Challenge (see below).
KOG's NEW OCTOBER ASPERGER'S RESEARCH CHALLENGE...
Here is this month's new KOG Research Challenge: maybe you can find any kind of actual research supporting the actual existence of Aspergers Syndrome and/or how the diagnosis of it could ever in any way actually help a student? If so, you know how it works... send it in by the October 25th deadline) and The KOG will recognize it (if it is valid, peer-reviewed research, of course) and either publish it in full or provide a link to it and, viola! You will have won the KOG's October Research Challenge Award of Ten Dollars! It's that easy! CLICK HERE to submit your entry. "There must be a faulty gene, there must be, because we've already hypothesized and named this syndrome and put it in the DSM even without any research to support it's existence! Hopefully we can find some kind of research to suggest AS really exists, 'cause I just diagnosed three third graders with it!"
YOUR
KOG EDITOR DISCOVERS A NEW DISORDER...
Donald J. Asbridge, Ed.S., LEP, RSP, School PsychologistI am proud to announce my discovery of the newest disorder, the Asbridge Syndrome (AS2). Students with Asbridge Syndrome (AS2) typically hate homework and often get poor grades due to low homework completion. Often they will engage in odd behaviors such as skateboarding, playing video games, watching television, or just standing around talking with others their age. These AS2 students often are described by their teachers as possessing low motivation and/or a poor attitude. Students afflicted with AS2 are five times more likely to be male (5:1 boy-girl ratio). Brain studies have consistently documented many differences in brain structure and functioning between boys and girls. Behavioral observations have consistently documented a lower rate of homework completion for AS2 boys when compared with non-AS2 female students. AS2 might afflict up to 50% of the populatio providing a great opportunity to As you work with, and diagnose, these AS2 students, remember the following diagnostic criteria: 1) Is almost always maleIf at least five of the seven diagnostic criteria are true -- you must follow through! Be sure to account for intensity in your diagnosis. AS2 is on the spectrum (i.e., normal curve) from mild-moderate-severe. Effective interventions and treatments for AS2 include: • Utilize 504 to develop reasonable accommodations (e.g., reduce homework) for the AS2 condition; and/orCertainly, at some point in the future, someone will document this actual sex-linked gene anomaly, but in the meantime, please feel free to go ahead and diagnose it just like you feel free to diagnose Aspergers Syndrome. Who cares if there's any research to back it up? We all know AS2, just like Aspergers -- and SLD, exists, right? "Girls do homework... AS2 boys don't."Your KOG Editor is planning an extensive longitudinal research project to further understand, and develop effective interventions for this important new syndrome. This research project, if approved, will cost the the taxpayers approximately $25,000,000 (which is nothing compared to what you're already paying for research related to Aspergers). NIH, where and how do I apply for that grant money?
OBTAIN YOUR SCHOOL PSYCH DEGREE RIGHT HERE IN BAKERSFIELD...
Fresno Pacific University offers the school psychology credential in Bakersfield.
KOG's
OCTOBER COMMUNITY SERVICE
KOG EDITORIAL
From the NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF NEUROLOGICAL
DISORDERS AND STROKE (NINDS)
I challenge you to read every word of this. Defend the existence of AS if you can; find any real research to support AS (if you find any real research, enter the October KOG Research Challenge). Then speak out! Who, in addition to your KOG Editor, will have the courage to speak out, pro or con, regarding the validity of AS? The following "facts" are from the NINDS
website. Bold Red indicates the
KOG Editor's observations, comments, and questions.
What is Asperger syndrome? Asperger syndrome (AS) is a developmental disorder oh really? that is characterized by: 1limited interests or an unusual preoccupation with a particular subject to the exclusion of other activities that means they really like to skateboard and hate math • repetitive routines or rituals they prefer a well-run classroom, if not, they get boredAS is an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), (oh really?) one of a distinct group of neurological conditions can you prove that? characterized by a greater or lesser which is it? degree of impairment in language and communication skills, give them speech therapy then as well as repetitive or restrictive patterns of thought you can read their minds -- I'm impressed that your test can do this... what test do you use? Maybe I'll buy it and behavior maybe they really enjoy Barbies and Kens. Other ASDs purportedly include: classic autism, Rett syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (usually referred to as PDD-NOS). In real language, NOS means, l have no idea what the heck this is! Parents usually sense there is something unusual about a child with AS by the time of his or her third birthday, but most often they aren't sure their child has AS until he's formally misdiagnosed by an overzealous IEP team when he's in the fourth grade and some children may exhibit symptoms as early as infancy yet most children won't be misdiagnosed with AS until the fourth grade. Unlike children with autism, children with AS retain their early language skills do they have language deficits or not?. Motor development delays, crawling or walking late, clumsiness, are sometimes sometimes? If not that, then what? the first indicator of the disorder. What would be another first indicator of this, um, syndrome? The incidence of AS is not well established, obviously not much of any of this is well established but experts who are these "experts" and where is their "research?" in population studies conservatively that's right, it's probably more like four out of every 10,000 children estimate that two out of every 10,000 children have the disorder is it really a "disorder?" -- I thought it was a "syndrome". Boys are three to four times more likely than girls to have AS. of course they are... you don't want to be a boy and not be able to throw a baseball... Studies of children with AS suggest that their problems with socialization and communication continue into adulthood many children have problems with socialization and communication -- that's what education and speech therapy are for. Some of these children develop additional psychiatric symptoms and disorders if you believe in that kind of stuff in adolescence and adulthood. just like the rest of the population. Although diagnosed mainly in children but in only 2 out of every 10,000 children, AS is being increasingly diagnosed in adults why not? Here's a gift for you -- not only do you have adult ADHD, but you have Aspergers too! Go home and celebrate! You hit the jackpot! who seek medical help for mental health conditions such as depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) so that a lot more money can be made. No studies no studies...? It's probably something like three out of every 10,000 then have yet been conducted to determine the incidence of AS in adult populations. or child populations... maybe it's five out of 10,000... 1Adapted from the Diagnostic
and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV that
must
make it true. Let me see, doctors are using the DSM-IV? Doctors?
I used to think the medical field was based on some kind of actual science
and
the International Classification of Diseases - 10 well,
that must make it true then.
Why is it called Asperger syndrome? In 1944, an Austrian pediatrician named Hans Asperger observed four FOUR!!! FOUR??? ONLY FOUR!!!!!????? children in his practice who had difficulty integrating socially. Although their intelligence appeared normal, the children lacked nonverbal communication skills, failed to demonstrate empathy with their peers, and were physically clumsy. let me get this straight... they had a hard time making friends in the clinical setting, they had normal intelligence, they couldn't throw a baseball, and they, uh, lacked empathy toward other weird kids... sounds pretty serious to me... Their way of speaking was either disjointed or overly formal, and their all-absorbing interest egocentrism is developmentally expected in young children in a single topic dominated their conversations. Dr. Asperger called the condition “autistic psychopathy” now that has a nice pleasant ring to it, eh? and described it as a personality disorder is it a personality disorder or a genetic syndrome? primarily marked by social isolation. well, okay then. This was 1944, in [wartime] Austria!!!!!? Nowadays, everyone's seemingly socially isolated... it's us vs. them -- or I should say, me vs. you in America in 2008. Do you know America is spending $4000 per minute on the Iraq occupation? That fact alone doesn't make me want want to um,... fit in with the rest of you who voted for this. I guess I probably have AS too. Maybe these shell-shocked AS boys are just petrified they are going to someday go to war? Asperger’s observations, published in German,
were not widely known until 1981, when an English doctor named Lorna Wing
published a series of case studies of children showing similar symptoms,
which she called “Asperger’s” syndrome thank you,
Lorna Wing for your great scientific contribution based on some "case studies"...
I'm sure it will help millions of children and adults. Wing’s
writings were widely published and popularized therefore
they must be true. AS became a distinct invented
disease
and diagnosis in 1992 which was only 16 years
ago -- right about the time of Desert Storm, when it was included
in the tenth published edition of the World Health Organization’s diagnostic
manual, International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10), and in 1994
it was added to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
(DSM-IV), the American Psychiatric Association’s diagnostic reference book
that
means AS is here forever, whether valid or not.
What are some common signs or symptoms? The most distinguishing symptom of AS is a child’s obsessive interest in a single object or topic to the exclusion of any other. such children used to be described as "driven" or "motivated." Some children with AS have become experts on vacuum cleaners, makes and models of cars, even objects as odd as deep fat fryers. Let's see... it's, um, now bad to become an expert? Are you an expert at anything? Children with AS want to know everything about their topic of interest and their conversations with others will be about little else maybe those topics are more interesting to them than the things you choose to talk about, like homework, following your rules, tucking in their shirt, and how you used to walk four miles to school, for example Their expertise, high level of vocabulary, and formal speech patterns make them seem like little professors. "Little professor" used to be a good thing back in the good old days... too bad the kid can't throw a baseball... then he would have some worth in modern American times. Children with AS will gather enormous amounts of factual information about their favorite subject and will talk incessantly about it, but the conversation may seem like a random collection of facts or statistics, with no point or conclusion. Like our president? Does George Bush have AS? Their speech may be may be? let's toss a coin just to make sure marked by a lack of rhythm, an odd what's "odd" to you? I think it's odd that you buy into any of this inflection, or a monotone pitch. Children with AS often 63.28 percent of the time? lack the ability to modulate the volume of their voice to match their surroundings. For example, they will have to be reminded to talk softly every every time? Every single time? time they enter a library or a movie theater what about when they enter a game at Dodger Stadium? Do they have to be reminded to talk softly at a Green Day concert?. Just provide speech therapy twenty -- no, thirty -- minutes per session, twice a week. And buy the kid some headphones. Unlike the severe but what about "mild" autism? withdrawal from the rest of the world that is characteristic of the 359% increase in children who are misdiagnosed with autism, children with AS are isolated because of their poor social skills and narrow interests that means they spend all their time on the internet, playing video games, or aren't interested in signing up to fight your War in Iraq. In fact, they may approach other people, but make normal conversation impossible by inappropriate or eccentric behavior, or by wanting only to talk about their singular interest. Steve Jobs fixated on his interests too. Children with AS usually usually? Do you have any data to back that up? How often is "usually?' 51% of the time? have a history of developmental delays in motor skills that means they can't throw a baseball such as pedaling a bike, catching a ball, or climbing outdoor play equipment. They are often awkward and poorly coordinated with a walk that can appear either stilted or bouncy well, which is it, stilted or bouncy?. If you don't play sports, there must be something, you know, wrong with you. Heaven help you if you are a boy in America who can't throw a baseball... you must be some kind of a, a, Asperger's kind of kid if you don't have what it takes to become a good shortstop or soldier. Many children with AS are highly active
in early childhood that's a good thing, right?,
and then like so many others trying to cope with
our dysfunctional American system, develop anxiety or depression
in young adulthood
please think about what you're
saying... do you have any research supporting that?. Other
conditions that often co-exist with AS are ADHD if
you believe in that kind of thing, tic disorders (such as Tourette
syndrome), depression, anxiety disorders, and OCD. but
all those, if they even exist, can co-exist with anything, right?
What causes AS? Is it genetic? Current research please cite this "research" points to brain abnormalities yeah, right as the cause of AS give me a break*****. Using advanced brain imaging techniques yeah, right, scientists is it doctors, scientists, or who? have revealed structural and functional differences in specific regions of the brains of normal versus AS children. These defects are most likely caused by the abnormal migration of embryonic cells during fetal development that affects brain structure and “wiring” and then goes on to affect the neural circuits that control thought and behavior. The typical parent reading this might buy this, but I don't. What's wrong with my kid? He's not the starting quarterback on the football team! It must be AS!!! Why won't the school recognize that my child has AS? If there is even
a little bit of truth to any of this (proof of AS through brain imaging),
then doctors need to be diagnosing it, not anyone in the schools...
*****Okay... I just can't let that statement stand on it's own without following-up a little more. Let's see what www.aspergers.com/aspbiol.htm ("What is the biology of Asperger's Syndrome?") has to say about current research and brain anomalies:
For example, one which one? study found a reduction of brain activity in the frontal lobe of AS children when they were asked to respond to tasks that required them to use their judgment they were probably thinking, "how did I ever get stuck in this laboratory with a bunch of weird people who think I'm the weird one?". Another study found differences in activity when children were asked to respond to facial expressions that proves it then. A different study investigating brain function in adults with AS previously you said there is no research that has proven AS exists in adults revealed abnormal levels of specific proteins that correlate with obsessive and repetitive behaviors. Are we talking AS or OCD? And remember, correlation is not causation! If the problem is proteins, then maybe the kid needs a nutritionist? Scientists have always known that there had to be a genetic component to --of course there is a genetic component... nature and nurture are always involved in everything human -- AS And the other ASDs because of their tendency to run in families. A prevalence of 2 out of 10,000 has allowed you to infer a genetic component? Please let me see that inferential research. If there are only 2 in 10,000, why are there six new fourth graders in each school site in America being diagnosed with this new cool "syndrome?" And why aren't their brothers and sisters and mothers and fathers being diagnosed? Oh, I forgot... they apparently are being diagnosed with this new cool "syndrome." As the school psychologist diagnosing AS, you should feel highly privileged to come into contact with such a unique human being. Think about it... only 2 in 10,000 have this syndrome and you -- YOU -- are the chosen one. Hopefully, you will document, save, and publish all information from your case study so the rest of us can learn. I know that in over twenty years in the field I've never come across a child with AS, nor have I ever suspected it... I'm anxiously awaiting further information related to this rare syndrome so I can effectively recognize it and diagnose it if and when this 1 in 5000 child comes along. Additional evidence additional evidence? I haven't seen any evidence yet... do you believe any of this? for the link between inherited genetic mutations oh, now it's mutation? and AS was observed in the higher incidence of family members who have behavioral symptoms similar to AS but in a more limited form you mean they like to watch tv or surf the internet?. For example, they had slight -- slight? You and I have slight difficulties with social interaction, language, or reading. slight? If it's a slight problem, it's not a disability. A specific gene for AS, however, has never
been identified OF COURSE IT HASN'T AND IT NEVER
WILL BE. Instead, the most recent research which
is? Please share... indicates that there are most likely
most
likely? This means you're just guessing, right? You're forwarding
a hypothesis that has yet to be proven scientifically, right? Admit
it!!! a common group of genes whose variations or deletions
make an individual vulnerable to developing AS. This combination of genetic
variations or deletions will determine the severity and symptoms for each
individual with AS. or in other words, everyone
falls somewhere on the normal curve. Some are better at throwing
a baseball... some are worse.
How is it misdiagnosed? I can't wait to hear this one... The diagnosis of AS is complicated I'd say! by the lack of a standardized diagnostic screen or schedule I know AS exists, I just have no reliable or valid way to diagnose it!!!!!!! Still, I'll keep misdiagnosing it 'cause I know it must exist and it's money in the bank for me. In fact, because there are several screening instruments in current use, each with different criteria, the same child could receive different diagnoses, depending on the screening tool the doctor uses. That's exactly what I'm saying -- do you realize that the student is AS in one school, ADHD in the next, SLD down the street, OCD across town, and biploar in the next county? Does that work for you? Apparently it does. Are you okay with that? I'm not. To further complicate the issue, some doctors believe believe? BELIEVE? I thought this was a SCIENCE!!! that AS is not a separate and distinct disorder ahah!. Instead, they call it high-functioning autism (HFA), and view it as being on the mild end of the ASD spectrum with symptoms that differ -- only in degree -- from classic autism oh. Some clinicians use the two diagnoses, AS or HFA, interchangeably I personally prefer TIABOS. This makes gathering data about the incidence of AS difficult duh since some children will be diagnosed with HFA instead of AS, and vice versa. or whatever. Most doctors I really don't care what these new DSM-IV doctors are doing -- why are school psychologists and IEP teams buying into any of this? rely on the presence of a core group of behaviors behaviors? Are we talking about behaviors or a faulty gene? to alert them to the possibility of a diagnosis of AS via the following definitive behavioral observations which most certainly will prove the child has AS. These are: • abnormal eye contact that's always number one... maybe you haven't earned his respectSome of these behaviors may be apparent in the first few months of a child’s life or not, or they may appear later maybe they will, maybe they won't. Problems in at least one of the areas of communication and socialization or repetitive, restricted behavior must be present before the age of 3 or what, you'll miss a chance to make a lot of money off of this kid and his family? The diagnosis of AS is a two-stage process I can't wait to hear this one. The first stage begins with developmental screening during a “well-child” check-up with a family doctor or pediatrician. The second stage is a comprehensive team evaluation by who, the IEP team while the kid is in the fourth grade? If this is such a horrible disease (i.e., syndrome), why can't the doctor, who is apparently using the DSM-IV (i.e., not medical approaches), good enough to make the call? An IEPT can't make a decision any better than anyone else to rule in or out a nonexistent "syndrome" to either rule in or rule out AS. This team generally includes a psychologist, neurologist, psychiatrist, speech therapist, and additional professionals who have expertise in diagnosing children with AS. Does that sound like your IEP team? who is the "expert" at diagnosing AS in your district? the school nurse? the speech therapist? It ain't me. I've never seen or suspected an AS child. I guess the "experts" are the ones who are willing to get paid to diagnose it, just like the ADHD "experts." 
Are there treatments available? Are there "treatments" for Republicans? What will cure spring fever? Who will discover the cure for senioritis? Is there a treatment for a .193 batting average? What can ever cure a shopaholic? What must be done to make this AS kid unweird? "You don't answer my words with even a nod or a wink, but you gaze...The ideal treatment for AS coordinates therapies that address the three core symptoms of the disorder: poor communication skills that would be speech therapy, obsessive or repetitive routines meds?, and physical clumsiness more time in the batting cage. There is no single best treatment package for all children with AS, but most do most professionals really agree on this? No one asked me. professionals agree that the earlier the intervention, the better. Now there's some rocket science for you... hmmm. You can't ever go wrong recommending early interventions. Let's see what they are. An effective treatment program builds on the child’s interests, offers a predictable schedule, teaches tasks as a series of simple steps, actively engages the child’s attention in highly structured activities, and provides regular reinforcement of behavior THIS IS HOW YOU RAISE ALL CHILDREN! THIS IS CALLED SOCIALIZATION AND SETTING LIMITS! IT'S WHAT LOVING PARENTS DO FOR THEIR CHILD! IT'S WHAT GOOD TEACHERS PROVIDE FOR THEIR STUDENTS!. This kind of program generally includes: • social skills training, a form of group therapy that teaches children with AS the skills they need to interact more successfully with other children 20 minutes per session, two sessions per week Be sure to exclude them from their peers to help them interact more successfully with their peers...
With effective treatment (without
effective treatment, he might never reach the major leagues),
children with AS can learn to cope with their disabilities, but they may
still find social situations and personal relationships challenging just
like you and me, especially if we live in the U.S.. Many adults
with AS I thought there was no research to support
adults with AS are able to work successfully in mainstream jobs
so
it's not really a problem after all, although they may continue
to need encouragement and moral support to maintain an independent life.
just
like you and me
What research is being done? I'm not sure I can go on... The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) is one of the federal government’s that's all we need -- still another disability invented by our government leading supporters of biomedical research on brain and nervous system disorders sounds like someone's making a lot of money. The NINDS conducts research in its laboratories at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland and awards grants to support research (I wonder if they would award me a grant? I might be able to prove that there is no such thing as AS. Maybe I'll apply...) at universities and other facilities. Many of the Institutes at the NIH, including the NINDS, are sponsoring research to understand what causes AS maybe they should first research whether or not AS even exists? and how it can be effectively treated. All right, sounds great so far.... maybe they can convince even me, a skeptical social scientist, that 2 out of 10,000 students have AS... let's see if they can: One study is using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to show how abnormalities in particular areas of the brain cause changes in brain function that result in the symptoms of AS and other ASDs I wonder how that'll turn out?. Another large-scale study is comparing neuropsychological and psychiatric oh no, by psychiatric, do you mean they're using the DSM-IV? assessments of children with possible diagnoses of AS or HFA to those of their parents and siblings to see if there are patterns of symptoms that link AS and HFA to specific neuropsychological profiles. You can always find correlations in family studies. You know, something like, "Dad developed a keen interest in kayaking -- I developed a keen interest in computer programming... wow! Can you believe it? We both developed keen interests! We both have AS! Like father like son. What are the chances of that? Probably something like only 2 out of 10,000! Wow! NINDS is also supporting a long-range international study that brings together investigators to collect and analyze DNA samples from children with AS and HFA, as well as their families, to identify associated genes and how they interact. Called the Autism Genome Project, that sounds impressive -- that convinces me! it’s a consortium of scientists from universities, academic centers, and institutions around the world that functions as a repository for genetic data so that researchers can look for the genetic “building blocks” of AS and the other ASDs. ...and, ultimately, through consensus, determine what AS truly is. Since there are so many different forms
of ASD I thought there were only two -- is that
really proven, or just your assumption? You haven't yet convinced
me, understanding the genetic basis of each belief
opens the door to opportunities for more money
precise diagnosis I hope so and treatment.
Knowing the genetic profile sounds like an advertisement
for neuropsychs of a particular disorder is
it a disorder, syndrome, condition, or what? could mean early
identification of those at risk, and early intervention when treatments
and therapies are likely to be the most successful for
this imaginary syndrome.
Where can I get more information? For more information on neurological disorders or research programs funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, contact the Institute's Brain Resources and Information Network (BRAIN) at: BRAINInformation also is available from the following:" The KOG. The KOG encourages you to have some sort of scientific evidence at your disposal when you forward your diagnosis. Take a professional and ethical stand right now and refuse to diagnose Aspergers unless and until there exists any kind of real science or research to back it up.
PAST KOG CLASSIC REVISITED "Do
you realize..."
If every student in America, backed by his or her parents, tomorrow showed up at school and stated, "enough is enough... I'm not doing your homework any more," this problem would go away in a heartbeat (what are we going to do, expel millions of students?). The children shall lead. Research (see the October, 2007 KOG) states homework really doesn't help students learn. In fact all that homework really does is help those students who do their homework pass the class (not necessarily learn more) and those who don't do their homework get lower grades and establish a failure identity (not necessarily learn less).
When are those of you who keep insisting on nothing but "research-based, research-based" going to put your money where your mouth is and speak up and insist on following the research related to this topic? Do you realize that [a lot of] research indicates homework just doesn't work? Why do you keep on assigning it? Do you really want research based interventions and practices -- or not? Please feel free to copy the FREE advert/poster/banner and spread it freely around the internet, with links to the KOG, of course. Click here to revisit the 2007 October KOG Article.
*How to read and listen to the KOG: First, turn up the volume on your computer. Next, put on your headphones. Then, play the videos and enjoy the arts while you read about the sciences. If your district screens "inappropriate" materials (i.e., great songs from YouTube), you should access the KOG from home... How to enjoy the KOG: free your mind. How to use the KOG: think.
"It's strange but it's true."
October KOG Published Tuesday, September 30th, 2008 "I've got to break free."
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