Beyond the Label: A Guide to Unlocking a Child's Educational Potential

by Karen L. Schiltz PhD, Amy M. Schonfeld PhD, Tara A. Niendam PhD

Overview

When a child is struggling with a learning disability or behavioral disorder, it can be overwhelming for their parents, who often do not know what to do or where to turn for help. This groundbreaking book is a "must have" for any parent, educator, or person who cares for and wants to help children who face challenges in school. It will help you to recognize the warning signs that may indicate a potential problem with a child and explain how to find the best help. This superb guide shows you how to obtain the necessary assessment(s) that will help you to better understand a child's strengths and weaknesses. It also describes what an educational "accommodation" is and how it can serve as a bridge to learning. Every child has the legal right to fully access the learning environment and to show what they truly know when taking tests. The authors describe how accommodations specifically target a child's weaknesses in order to level the playing field in the classroom and during test taking situations. Accommodations can be as simple as giving the child extra time to finish a test or allowing them to take a test in a smaller group to minimize distractions. In addition, this handbook outlines the relevant research to help you understand the big picture of a child's learning and emotional needs. The authors offer extensive discussion of issues such as attention and concentration, memory, executive functioning, language, visual perception and processing, emotional functioning, and social skills. Throughout, they stress that, by focusing on behaviors and not labels, you will be able to better understand the whats, whys, and hows of a child's learning and emotional challenges.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780199912087
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	09/29/2011
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Karen L. Schiltz, PhD is an Associate Clinical Professor (volunteer) at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Behavior at the University of California, Los Angeles. She has 25 years of experience assessing children with attention, memory, learning, and behavioral difficulties. She maintains a private practice in pediatric neuropsychology in Calabasas, California. Amy M. Schonfeld, PhD is a clinical psychologist with a specialty in pediatric neuropsychology. Her research interests and publications have involved neuropsychological functioning and the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure. Tara A. Niendam, PhD is an Assistant Professor at the UC Davis Department of Psychiatry. She has published multiple articles on cognition and functional outcomes in psychiatric illness.

Table of Contents

CONTENTS Introduction PART ONE: THE BASICS 1. The Law 2. The Tools 3. The Team PART TWO: BEYOND THE LABEL 4. Attention and Concentration 5. Memory 6. Executive Functioning 7. Language 8. Visual Perceptual Ability 9. Visual Processing Speed 10. Achievement 11. Emotional Functioning 12. Social Skills PART THREE: THE BIG PICTURE 13. Things to Remember 14. A Success Story Appendix 1: Classroom Accommodations Appendix 2: Testing Accommodations Appendix 3: Assistive Technology Appendix 4: Organizations References Index

Editorial Reviews

This book provides 'roadmaps' for parents to develop a practical plan to allow their child to succeed in the educational setting and in life. The book assists parents in developing both short and long-term plans for success as well as providing valuable information regarding obtaining necessary accommodations for special needs children in educational settings and in critical standardized testing situations. This is a valuable resource for parents to reduce their anxiety regarding their child, determine if issues are significant enough to warrant intervention, and to obtain the information necessary to develop an appropriate plan for addressing their issues in a manner that will optimize their chances of success. — Roger Light, Ph.D., Clinical Neuropsychologist, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA

"Overall, the message of the book is important, and it is written in a way that is very accessible, encouraging, and validating for parents who are coming to realize that their children require additional support in their educational environment. Because of the breath of chapters on specific functional deficits, this book would be a great resource for teachers as well. Parents are most likely to find only one or two of the chapters to be relevant to their child, but teachers may use the full breath of the book over the course of their careers to find guidance for whether a referral for assessment is appropriate." — Jodene Goldenring Fine, Michigan state University. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology

"I found Beyond the Label to be a very practical, informative, and thorough guide. The information it contained is applicable to teachers, school administrators, parents, therapists, and anyone who is involved with helping a child with special accommodations be successful in school... this book is going on my bookshelf. It is already ear-marked, highlighted and annotated. As I read through it, I thought of several of my past and present students and their families. This book is a fabulous resource for many students, parents, therapists and teachers as it provides everything from basic information to specific treatment techniques. I am pleased to have it as a part of my personal library." — Aimee E. Ketchum, OTR/L CNMI, Pediatric Occupational Therapist, Aimee's Babies: Aimiee's Blog

From the Publisher