Archive for December, 2008
« Previous EntriesLooking Forward, Looking Back
Wednesday, December 31st, 2008Another year is winding down. As 2008 draws to a close and 2009 approaches, many Americans are busy drawing up their New Year’s Resolutions. Lose weight. Quit smoking. Go back to school. Exercise more. Resolutions have their place. They can motivate individuals to make badly needed changes in their lives. Unfortunately, however, it seems that [...]
Rebuilding Homes & Hope after Hurricane Katrina
Monday, December 29th, 2008According to the National Geographic, the word “hurricane” is derived from Hurican, the god of evil of the Carib people of the Caribbean. Hurican was himself inspired by the Mayan god, Hurakan, who destroyed humans with great storms and floods. Hurricane Katrina, which struck Mississippi and Louisiana in 2005, seemed the very embodiment of those [...]
The Uncertain Maze of Funding for ADHD Treatment
Friday, December 26th, 2008A diagnosis of ADHD for a child can often carry with it significant expense for diagnosis and treatment. These costs can include: Psychological testing and diagnosis Medication Educational tutors ADHD coaches Accommodation in private schools better equipped to work with ADHD children There are tax benefits available for ADD / ADHD and help with [...]
A Not-So-Lonely Christmas
Tuesday, December 23rd, 2008“The more he gives to others, the more he possesses of his own.” – Lao-Tzu The holidays can be a lonely time. And while most people experience some form of nagging but manageable loneliness during the holidays, some 20 percent of Americans experience debilitating “holiday blues” according to a recent article by Katharine Mieszkowski. Add [...]
New Perspectives in the Debate on Education Reform
Sunday, December 21st, 2008It is now less than a month before Barack Obama’s administration takes office. One of the items high on the administration’s agenda is making a serious effort at educational reform. The President-elect has appointed Arne Duncan to head up this effort. According to the Christian Science Monitor, Mr. Duncan will have a difficult task managing [...]
The Big Joy of a Little Swing
Friday, December 19th, 2008Got that down-in-the-dumps, financial meltdown malaise? Want to take your mind off the economy, learn something new and have some fun? Well – West coast swing dancing could be just what the doctor ordered. So what is West Coast swing? According to Kurt Lichtmann of Cornell University, its origins were with the Lindy Hop, a [...]
Uncommon Success in Sports – A Surprising Gift from ADHD
Wednesday, December 17th, 2008A diagnosis of ADHD does not have to be a negative when it comes to sports or any other endeavor for that matter. Research on ADHD has shown that there are many gifts that come with being ADHD, including: Creativity Adventurousness Seeing the big picture Thinking outside the box Being comfortable with change and even [...]
Nineteenth Century Big Infrastructure
Sunday, December 14th, 2008As the economic future seems to become more uncertain with each news report, there is much anticipation about infrastructure spending programs to be initiated early in the Obama administration. Critics of such programs argue that they don’t really provide a global economic stimulus. However, “big infrastructure” can sometimes provide something more than an economic [...]
In Search of the Outlier’s Code
Friday, December 12th, 2008American culture has always focused heavily on success through individual effort and merit. In the late nineteenth century, this was symbolized in the popular stories of Horatio Alger, whose characters triumphed over adversity on the basis of “luck and pluck.” (Usually the “pluck” factor outweighed luck and played the greater role in the hero’s eventual [...]
The Power of ADHD Coaching
Tuesday, December 9th, 2008Celebrity designer Ty Pennington, host of ABC’s popular Extreme Makeover – Home Edition and Trading Spaces programs, was diagnosed with ADHD as a teenager and now talks openly and publicly about his experience managing the disorder. He is an advocate for early ADHD treatment and wants to help other kids and families understand that it’s [...]
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