As a new practitioner to school psychology (first year getting paid!), I of course have some trepidations about my skills as anyone working without a net should. A new decision from the Dept of Elementary and Secondary Education from the department of special education made it possible for school psychologists to find children with attention issues eligible for services without a doctor's diagnosis. This has led to a massive influx of attention assessments for me, resulting in a need to be extremely well versed in all the facets of attention and cognitive processes.
I had a student in first grade referred to me for an attention assessment. I sent home the appropriate protocols to the parents and teacher, and did a classroom observation. Looking at the student, it did not look purely attentional. I took my notes, mulled it over in my head and waited for the protocols to come in. I got both in just before vacation, and lo, they were inconclusive. I had just purchased the BRIEF, as I had been seeing an increasing number of students looking more executive functioning than attention impaired. Surprise! The student came up with issues in memory and executive functioning, not attention!
I would not have diagnosed that particular student as having an attention disability, because the evidence was so inconclusive. It was a wonderful feeling, scoring the BRIEF, to find yes, my instincts were on point.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Monday, April 25, 2011
Things that are awesome
Another super stellar day that makes me want to rip my hair out and choke someone else with it. So, now, a list of things that are awesome to balance out the horror.
1. Super friends willing to drive getaway cars and alibi my crazy self, who clearly understand this crazy bs life.
2. My partner, who lets me call to rant, rave, shout, and curse.
3. Cat yoga http://www.moderncat.net/2007/11/16/perfect-gift-yoga-loving-cat-owner/
4. Coffee
5. Old-er school hip hop (including Lauryn Hill's Doo Wop (That Thing) and B2K's Bump Bump Bump)
6. New business cards, and new business card holders
7. Hugs from first graders, and the way they really do believe when I tell them things are going to be okay.
8. Safe shoes with colorful dresses.
9. A boss who has my back, and is confident in my skills even when I'm not.
10. Spring is finally coming to New England.
What is awesome to you?
1. Super friends willing to drive getaway cars and alibi my crazy self, who clearly understand this crazy bs life.
2. My partner, who lets me call to rant, rave, shout, and curse.
3. Cat yoga http://www.moderncat.net/2007/11/16/perfect-gift-yoga-loving-cat-owner/
4. Coffee
5. Old-er school hip hop (including Lauryn Hill's Doo Wop (That Thing) and B2K's Bump Bump Bump)
6. New business cards, and new business card holders
7. Hugs from first graders, and the way they really do believe when I tell them things are going to be okay.
8. Safe shoes with colorful dresses.
9. A boss who has my back, and is confident in my skills even when I'm not.
10. Spring is finally coming to New England.
What is awesome to you?
Saturday, April 9, 2011
"But getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air."
I don't believe in coincidences. I believe that we are where we need to be -whether that is easy or hard - for some reason. We may not know why now, or ever, but we have a purpose and a lesson greater than ourselves as individuals. We just need to be open to that experience - open minds, open hearts - to be able to live to our own fullest potential.
One early morning I woke up, and checked my facebook. A friend had posted a link to a video on youtube, about the red sox/yankees rivalry in one home. It was a bit of a sad video as the father (a red sox fan) was harsh with his young son (an about 4-year-old yankees fan). The boy's older brother (about age seven?) stepped in to comfort him, which redeemed the video. I then clicked over to the "featured" tab, to see what was new. And through no coincidence I found this performance by Sarah Kay at TED: (make sure to stay tuned to the end - she does two poems, "B" first, and "Hiroshima" at the end)
Things have been hard recently - hard at work, hard in life - but hearing these words reminded me that I'm not alone in that; that other people are struggling, too. Its not about who has it the "worst", its about how we are handling what we are given today. Someone else feels like "When you step out of the phone booth and try to fly and the very people you want to save are the ones standing on your cape." And that each day is called the present for now, so I should try to focus on that, making an impact today, not when I get around to it, when I'm feeling better, or when I have time. To be the "permanent shadow of positive light" for the people in my life - my students, my coworkers, my friends, my family, my partner. I don't want to change anyone, because I wouldn't learn from them if I tried. I want to support them, to listen to them, to be there in a way that in however-many years it takes, they look back and think, "Miss M. was there for me" or "Meghan accepted me for who I am", even though I am imperfect myself.
One early morning I woke up, and checked my facebook. A friend had posted a link to a video on youtube, about the red sox/yankees rivalry in one home. It was a bit of a sad video as the father (a red sox fan) was harsh with his young son (an about 4-year-old yankees fan). The boy's older brother (about age seven?) stepped in to comfort him, which redeemed the video. I then clicked over to the "featured" tab, to see what was new. And through no coincidence I found this performance by Sarah Kay at TED: (make sure to stay tuned to the end - she does two poems, "B" first, and "Hiroshima" at the end)
Things have been hard recently - hard at work, hard in life - but hearing these words reminded me that I'm not alone in that; that other people are struggling, too. Its not about who has it the "worst", its about how we are handling what we are given today. Someone else feels like "When you step out of the phone booth and try to fly and the very people you want to save are the ones standing on your cape." And that each day is called the present for now, so I should try to focus on that, making an impact today, not when I get around to it, when I'm feeling better, or when I have time. To be the "permanent shadow of positive light" for the people in my life - my students, my coworkers, my friends, my family, my partner. I don't want to change anyone, because I wouldn't learn from them if I tried. I want to support them, to listen to them, to be there in a way that in however-many years it takes, they look back and think, "Miss M. was there for me" or "Meghan accepted me for who I am", even though I am imperfect myself.
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