Learning Disabilities

• There are some people, though they have no medical training, like to lend medical advice to others. When you have cancer, it seems to bring out the "inner-physician" in some people, prompting unwanted medical advice to be given. How do you deal with it?
• Recently in the Alzheimer's About.com forum, a reader described hurtful comments made by his or her Grandma who has Alzheimer's disease. The question asked was, "How should I respond to Grandma?"
• How many times have you heard, "Too much tv and video games will rot your brains?" Well, as it turns out, it may not be true!
• A Federal judge has ruled that it is okay for the Greater Los Angeles Council on Deafness to continue with its lawsuit against CNN for its failure to closed caption online.
• Last week Gallaudet University announced it was offering a new master's degree in Public Administration. The article quotes the Gallaudet president citing the need for such a degree to help deaf and hard of hearing government and nonprofit employees advance. The new program starts this coming fall.

• If you are pregnant or planning to conceive a child in the near future, then you may have been given a lot of information about prenatal testing. However, you may have heard some things about prenatal testing that just are not true. Discover four common myths about prenatal testing.
• The decision to place your child on medication for treatment of a psychiatric disorder is a difficult and painful choice for parents. When a child has a psychiatric disorder, parents often face seemingly insurmountable problems. They may face societal isolation, are stigmatized by their children's mental illness, and may have little or no support. Learn about one parent's nightmare of having her child taken away because she refused to medicate her with a drug that is proven to be dangerous.

• Are you concerned about hearing loss? When my aunt was recently asked at her golden wedding celebrations to what she attributed her marital success to, she stoically replied that her increasing hearing loss over the last forty years may have been a significant factor! Learn more about hearing loss.
• What parent doesn't worry about teenagers' safety online? Teens in general, and those with a learning disability, are vulnerable online for many reasons. Teenagers are spending more time online in one way or another than ever before. If they are not on their ipads or laptops, they're surfing on their smartphones. Many can access social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter anytime anywhere. This near-constant connection coupled with teenagers' infamous tendency to impulsively post personal information, "friend" people without a lot of forethought, and the general anonymity of the Internet make online activity a potentially perilous pastime. Learn ways to keep them safe.

• What is music therapy? Learn about music therapy and how it can help.
• May is Lupus Awareness Month. Learn more about this autoimmune disorder.
• For someone with clinical depression or bipolar disorder, it's not all that difficult to become conditioned to depression. Learn more.
• Going on disability for a mental disorder can be difficult emotionally and financially. Explore some of the issues.
• Paying for medical treatment for a serious illness can be devastating financially. Find ways to pay for treatment for serious illnesses such as cancer.

This week on Learning Disabilities, find educational and educational technology to keep your child busy on long trips and online educational games for preschoolers.

• Traveling with children, even just to school or the grocery store, can be a stressful adventure. Looking ahead to a longer trip can be downright daunting, bringing up a chorus of "are we there yet?" while your own driveway is still in site. There is help though, if you know where to look (and it's not in that shopping bag full of coloring books and toys). Explore five fun, entertaining, and educational apps for your child to enjoy on family road trips.
• How do preschoolers, or anyone for that matter learn best? While they're having fun of course! Online preschool games for kids ensure that children are engaged in a fun activity that is also teaching them something. Check out these online preschool games that teach and entertain.

• Music has been noted for centuries as being a wonderful way to soothe the soul. Learn more about music therapy.
• Thinking about homeschooling your child with a disability? Here are five good reasons to consider it.
• HumanWare has long been recognized for its rapid advancements in digital technology to create and deliver solutions for persons who are blind or have low vision or and learning disabilities. This trail-blazing company is celebrating its 25 year anniversary! Check out their work.
• Looking for a way to make audiobooks more convenient and portable? Read2Go is a mobile app for Apple iOS products that enables print-disabled readers to download DAISY audiobooks. There are over 125,000+ titles available to qualifying members on Bookshare for listening to on users'iPads, iPhones, and iPod touch devices.
• Children who are exhibiting disruptive behaviors at young ages are at increased risk for further problems. Early interventions can help to improve outcomes and put the child on a better trajectory.
• What are some ways that hyperactivity may appear differently in adults and children? Learn what to look for.
• Check out these Mothers'Day resources from Special Education.
• Enjoy Mother's Day gifts and more fun things to do.

• Helping a family member cope and recover after a medical emergency may involve dealing with injuries, illness, and disability. If you have a family member returning home from the hospital or rehabilitation center, there can be a range of necessary changes to provide adequate mobility that must be made. Find tips to help make the transition go more smoothly.
• Are you a bundle of nerves when it comes to exams? Do tests stress you out? Everyone stresses about tests to some degree, and it may be an especially difficult problem to deal with for individuals with learning disabilities. These strategies can help.
• It is hard for a parent to sit back and watch as your child falls behind in school. Sometimes success in school comes slowly, and the easiest of tasks can be the most troublesome for your child. Learn ways to encourage your child to be successful.

• According to the ADAPT Action Report, disability activists blocked the entrance to the People's House at the 17th Street entrance on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C. on Monday, April 22, 2013.
• Traveling with a disability doesn't have to be a stressful experience. These tips can help.
• You've survived the wedding day and now are looking forward to a relaxing and accessible honeymoon vacation. Find suggestions to make your trip more accessible.
• Origami and more fun things to do!
• Is your child college ready? Check out this curriculum guide and find out.
• Read&Write for Google Docs is a Chrome extension providing many of the literacy tools found in the Texthelp Systems application, Read&Write GOLD.
• Iimmobility or sluggishness often reflects the impairments in executive functioning that can be associated with ADHD.

• One of the most stressful times in a relationship is immediately after the birth of a any child. This can be especially true if the child has a disability. The stress of the baby's disability, coupled with lack of sleep and new monetary issues can become a powder-keg for arguments. Find tips to help you keep your intimacy intact.
• Children deal with divorce in different ways. Some kids become rebellious, while others become angry or depressed. Yet, no matter how they deal with, divorce is almost universally difficult for children. Here are few ways you can help make divorce a little easier on your kids, especially during the first few years of divorce, which are always the most difficult. Find tips to make the process easier for your child.

• Is SSI reform needed? The National Council on Disabilities thinks so. Learn more about what they recommended to the president.
• Looking for disability resources? Look no further! Check out these helpful resources for New York, Massachusetts, and for Jewish individuals with disabilities.
• Did you know that children who experience sleep apnea are more likely to develop behavioral problems that can resemble ADHD - including hyperactivity, attention problems, aggressiveness, and reduced social competency?
• One of the skills that is critical for success in both school and life is the ability to follow directions. Check out these shoebox art centers to help you create activities that older students can pursue independently.
• Games for talking, typing, and more fun things to do.
• Learn about Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.