Category Archives: Educational Diagnostician

What Texas Parents Need to Know about Dyslexia Programs

Overview of Federal Law Governing Special Education The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) sets specific standards for the education of children with learning disabilities, including dyslexia. IDEA serves to provide protection for handicapped children by making sure that each … Continue reading

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Obtaining Learning Disability Services for DYSLEXIA under IDEA in Texas  in 2022

In this post I am writing ONLY about children diagnosed with specific learning disabilities (including dyslexia and dysgraphia). These children ARE qualified for special education services if a “severe discrepancy” between present levels–academic achievement and intellectual ability (specific cognitive processing weaknesses … Continue reading

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The Value of an Education

The attached article is re-posted from Governor Mike Huckabee’s March 14, 2022 newsletter. Everything that Gov Huckabee writes is consistent with what I have learned during my over 30 years of involvement in the Texas, Florida, North Carolina, and Puerto … Continue reading

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ARD Meetings Aren’t Supposed to be Run by Lawyers

12 THINGS TO PAY ATTENTION WHEN DEALING WITH SCHOOL DISTRICTS “I’m retiring,” my friend said. “You aren’t old enough to retire,” I replied. “Yeah, I am. I’ve been a teacher in this district for nineteen years and I’ve never lied … Continue reading

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Without a Paper Trail, We’re Toast!

PARENTS, YOU MUST CREATE A PAPER TRAIL BEFORE YOU HIRE AN ADVOCATE, OTHERWISE YOU’RE JUST SPINNING YOUR WHEELS Lots of things that school districts get up to these days don’t pass the smell test but few of the actions taken … Continue reading

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TEACHER, CAN YOU PLAY WITH ME?

Today is April 18, 2020. I’m only marginally stir crazy as Gov. Abbot announced yesterday that Texas will soon reopen for business, although it is beyond infuriating that the DISTRICT is using the Corona virus as its latest reason to … Continue reading

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Aleczander November 2015-May 2017

November 2015: I met Aleczander when he was halfway through first grade and his parents asked me to help them figure out what was going so badly wrong for him at the public school. Aleczander’s articulation skills were less than those … Continue reading

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First of All, Do No Harm

UPDATE to 8.29.17 post Aleczander, age 7,  had been getting speech therapy for his entire first grade school year  when this May 2016 language sample was done pro bono by a wonderful speech therapist who used to, but no longer, … Continue reading

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Multisensory Teaching in Action

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Aleczander’s Communication Skills Midway Through First Grade

MIGDAS Preschool Diagnostic Interview 11/3/15 During the MIGDAS diagnostic interview conducted on 11.3.16, Aleczander played appropriately with sensory toys as well as his own familiar and favored toys. He never lined toys up, refused to share, or insisted on performing … Continue reading

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It’s Been Three Years Since I Quit My Day Job!

It’s been three years since I quit my day job, and it’s time and then some for me to create a new bio. This is an adaptation of one that I wrote for REDNews, the commercial real estate publication that … Continue reading

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Some Kids Just Break Your Heart

This little guy  enrolled in one of the two bilingual PreK Classrooms on an Early Childhood Campus and was referred for assessment by his teacher and mother. My play-based early childhood assessment team (educational diagnostician, school nurse, school psychologist, bilingual … Continue reading

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