Mayo Researchers Discover Tactic to Delay Age-Related Disorders

by Dr. Risa Tabacoff
November 6, 2011 · Posted in Aging, Brain Age · Comment 

MayoClinic.org  November 2, 2011

Concept Demonstrated in Mouse Model

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Researchers at Mayo Clinic have shown that eliminating cells that accumulate with age could prevent or delay the onset of age-related disorders and disabilities. The study, performed in mouse models, provides the first evidence that these “deadbeat” cells could contribute to aging and suggests a way to help people stay healthier as they age. The findings appear in the journal Nature, along with an independent commentary on Read more

Hard Decisions for Learning Disabled

by Dr. Risa Tabacoff
November 6, 2011 · Posted in LD, Learning Disabilities, learning differences · Comment 
By  New York Times, November 3, 2011

The admissions process can be stressful for even the most gifted, organized students. But to applicants with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or learning disabilities, the path to college can feel like a maze. The Choice addresses some of the issues such students face.

1. Should a student who has struggled with A.D.H.D. or dyslexia disclose it when applying to college?

The answer, like so many aspects of college admissions, depends mightily on Read more

Dyslexia May Be a Hearing Problem Too

by Dr. Risa Tabacoff
September 10, 2011 · Posted in Childrens Issues, Dyslexia, learning differences · Comment 

August 1, 2011   New York Times

By TARA PARKER-POPE

New research suggests dyslexia may be more than just a reading problem, but also an issue of how the brain processes spoken language.

A study published last week in the journal Science suggests that how dyslexics hear Read more

When Lapses Are Not Just Signs of Aging

by Dr. Risa Tabacoff
September 10, 2011 · Posted in Aging, Behavior Issues, Evaluation, Memory loss · Comment 

By JANE E. BRODY

Published: September 5, 2011   New York Times

Who hasn’t struggled occasionally to come up with a desired word or the name of someone near and dear? I was still in my 40s when one day the first name of my stepmother of 30-odd years suddenly escaped me. I had to introduce her to a friend as “Mrs. Brody.”

But for millions of Americans with a neurological condition called Read more

Words Failed, Then Saved Me

by Dr. Risa Tabacoff
September 5, 2011 · Posted in Behavior Issues, Childrens Issues, Dyslexia, Learning Disabilities, learning differences · Comment 

By PHILIP SCHULTZ

Published: September 3, 2011  New York Times

Philip Schultz is a winner of the Pulitzer Prize for poetry and the author of the forthcoming memoir “My Dyslexia.”

I WAS well into middle age when one of my children, then in the second grade, was found to be dyslexic. I had never known the name for it, but I recognized immediately that the symptoms were also mine. When I was his age I’d already all but given up on myself.

Repeating third grade at a new school, after having Read more

Little-Known Disorder Can Take a Toll on Learning

by Dr. Risa Tabacoff
April 27, 2010 · Posted in Childrens Issues, Learning Disabilities, learning differences · 1 Comment 

Many children with auditory processing disorders are not diagnosed which can lead to trouble in school, behavior issues and low self esteem. The article below in the NY Times brings light to this important issue.

By TARA PARKER-POPE

Parents and teachers often tell children to pay attention — to be a “good listener.” But what if your child’s brain doesn’t Read more

Concocting a Cure for Kids With Issues

by Dr. Risa Tabacoff
March 14, 2010 · Posted in Behavior Issues, Childrens Issues, Evaluation, Learning Disabilities, Testing · 3 Comments 

Below is a great article from The New York Times discussing psycho-educational testing. For the original, please click here.

By JUDITH WARNER
Published: March 10, 2010

If you’re the parent of a child who’s having trouble learning or behaving in school, you quickly find yourself confronted with a series of difficult choices.

You can do nothing — and watch your child flounder while teachers Read more

What to Do if You Suspect a Learning Disability

by Dr. Risa Tabacoff
February 23, 2010 · Posted in Childrens Issues, Evaluation, LD, Learning Disabilities, Testing · 4 Comments 

Below is a great article from The NY Times discussing psycho-educational testing. For the original, please click here.

By LESLEY ALDERMAN
Published: February 19, 2010

The first sign may be that your bright child is having trouble reading, or organizing school assignments, or concentrating on homework. Your child may be frustrated with school, and you may find yourself frustrated with what looks like a lack of effort. And a teacher may also notice that something is amiss.

If you suspect that your child has a learning disability, and you’ve ruled out Read more

College Board Changes Affect Students with Learning Disabilities

by Dr. Risa Tabacoff
October 7, 2009 · Posted in DAIC News, Learning Disabilities · 3 Comments 

Parents take note: Back in September 2003, two important changes by The College Board, which provides the SAT as well as the PSAT and AP tests, took effect changing how colleges view students with learning disabilities.

First any students who take the SAT’s (Scholastic Aptitude Test) with testing accommodations, such as extended time, will no longer have their scores “flagged” for colleges indicating that the “scores were Read more


  • How Your Child Learns Best-
    Friendly Strategies You Can Use to Ignite Your Child's Learning and Increase School Success
    -by Judy Willis, MD, M. Ed

    A groundbreaking guide for parents that combines the latest brain research with the best classroom practices to reveal scientifically savvy ways to improve your child's success in school.
    Written by Judy Willis, MD, MEd, a board-certified neurologist who is also a full-time classroom teacher, How Your Child Learns Best shows you not only how to help your child learn schoolwork, but also how to capitalize on the way your child's brain learns best in order to enrich education wherever you are, from the grocery store to the car - a necessity in today's "teach to the test" world.
    By using everyday household items and enjoyable activities, parents of children ages three to twelve can apply targeted strategies (based on age and learning strength) in key academic areas, including:
    • Reading comprehension
    • Math word problems
    • Test preparation
    • Fractions and decimals
    • Oral reading
    • Reports and projects
    • Science and history
    • Reading motivation
    • Vocabulary
    Discover how to help your child increase academic focus and success, lower test stress while increasing test scores, increase class participation, foster creativity, and improve attention span, memory, and higher-level thinking.


    Paperback: 336 pages; Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc. (September 1, 2008)

    ISBN-10: 1402213468 ISBN-13: 978-1402213465