Posts
I guess I've been busy because it has been THREE months since I blogged? Wow. It has been busy as I look back at the end of school, the start of summer and here we are ... nearing back to school. Yikes!
I want to invite you to check out our August E-Letter http://campaign.constantcontact.com/render?v=001ClIWeGrG49dlJYRD5u3LrutphoAfD18AtrfxP3SRDbQrvk4g8T6AIYuD5lzagk9AbSwIJ06lByVisvnklQCn9X4se5AQ6d1BtTXhsIIuSxE62uVwY-ZNFjJX30JwXvfo to see our latest.
My plan is to get back to this blog on a regular basis. I know I have a lot to say ;-) In the meantime, hello again!
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Thursday, April 8, 2010
what matters to you ? a hodge podge of ideas today...
Hello out there. This blogging idea is brand new to me. If you know me personally, you know I like to talk! I am passionate about the field of "Communication Disorders" and all things related to "the brain". So blogging gives me the opportunity to rant and rave .... and YOU OUT THERE can choose to read ... or not! But please reply in some way because I'm starting to think that I'm essentially talking to myself. So bring up a topic, comment on mine, or tell me to go back to my day job.....
I had a great conversation with a mom and a grandma yesterday in the lobby of our Center. It all started when the grandma asked me for a game recommendation for her 4 1/2 year old grandson. Her grandson is very bright and has always been interested in letters, numbers, words .... and since he enjoys that - grandma and grandpa spend time doing it with him. Great grandparents and a lucky kid! So we were looking at the Discovery Toys display and at the catalog - and I called attention to the Motor Works toy. My sister in law just told me that her friends almost 3 year old son really enjoyed playing with my nephew's toy (Aunt Mindy picks great gifts!!!), and she wants to get it for his upcoming birthday. I mentioned that I've seen boys ranging from 3 years to 9 years of age really enjoy that toy. She replied that her grandson doesn't like
that type of play at all. In fact, she shared that she and grandpa aren't much into tinkering with tools and such.
Hmmmm We talked about it some more....
I remember that my son didn't like to color when he was little. I didn't push him to color. He didn't want to do it. As it turns out, he, at 15 years of age, has great difficulty with writing legibly. Coincidence? I think not. What if I had handled it differently when he was younger? What if I had made it really really fun to color and make letters and do fine motor activities. Even though he wasn't 'good at it'. Even though he 'didn't like it'. What if I had trusted my instincts and taken him for Occupational Therapy back then ... even though the school said he was "fine". Darn, I hate looking back and realizing I took the wrong path.
So, learn from my experiences - please! Remember my other topic about "mindset"? The healthy mindset is a growth mindset. Don't just do things that you are good at ... go beyond your comfort zone and try something that makes you put forth effort. Show your kids that working at something is rewarding, even when it doesn't come easily. Even when you aren't 'good' at it. Let's encourage our kids (and ourselves) to learn a new skill, try something challenging, focus on the PROCESS not the PRODUCT. Our kids look to us as an example. What kind of an example are you setting in your mindset?
My "new" project is this blog. I'm not so good at it yet. I just went back and added the "hodge podge of ideas" phrase to the title because I strayed from my first idea ... but that's ok, I"m trying!
Check out my e-newsletter and I hope you add yourself to follow this blog and to receive my newsletters. Click to take you to the site! -------> Communication Matters: Spring News!
Goodbye for now! Mindy
I had a great conversation with a mom and a grandma yesterday in the lobby of our Center. It all started when the grandma asked me for a game recommendation for her 4 1/2 year old grandson. Her grandson is very bright and has always been interested in letters, numbers, words .... and since he enjoys that - grandma and grandpa spend time doing it with him. Great grandparents and a lucky kid! So we were looking at the Discovery Toys display and at the catalog - and I called attention to the Motor Works toy. My sister in law just told me that her friends almost 3 year old son really enjoyed playing with my nephew's toy (Aunt Mindy picks great gifts!!!), and she wants to get it for his upcoming birthday. I mentioned that I've seen boys ranging from 3 years to 9 years of age really enjoy that toy. She replied that her grandson doesn't like
that type of play at all. In fact, she shared that she and grandpa aren't much into tinkering with tools and such.
Hmmmm We talked about it some more....
I remember that my son didn't like to color when he was little. I didn't push him to color. He didn't want to do it. As it turns out, he, at 15 years of age, has great difficulty with writing legibly. Coincidence? I think not. What if I had handled it differently when he was younger? What if I had made it really really fun to color and make letters and do fine motor activities. Even though he wasn't 'good at it'. Even though he 'didn't like it'. What if I had trusted my instincts and taken him for Occupational Therapy back then ... even though the school said he was "fine". Darn, I hate looking back and realizing I took the wrong path.
So, learn from my experiences - please! Remember my other topic about "mindset"? The healthy mindset is a growth mindset. Don't just do things that you are good at ... go beyond your comfort zone and try something that makes you put forth effort. Show your kids that working at something is rewarding, even when it doesn't come easily. Even when you aren't 'good' at it. Let's encourage our kids (and ourselves) to learn a new skill, try something challenging, focus on the PROCESS not the PRODUCT. Our kids look to us as an example. What kind of an example are you setting in your mindset?
My "new" project is this blog. I'm not so good at it yet. I just went back and added the "hodge podge of ideas" phrase to the title because I strayed from my first idea ... but that's ok, I"m trying!
Check out my e-newsletter and I hope you add yourself to follow this blog and to receive my newsletters. Click to take you to the site! -------> Communication Matters: Spring News!
Goodbye for now! Mindy
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
"When I'm a parent I'll never....."
How many of you have ever said or thought, "When I'm a parent, I'll never <.......>"? I remember thinking, "I'll never use one of those leash-things on my kid". Until the first time my son started to dart away from me and toward the street! Amazing how our minds can change when we are in the situation personally. How many of you are 'self help' book junkies? What are your favorites? Close to 25 years ago, I read, "The Type E woman: Do you try to be Everything to Everyone?" . I don't think I learned much, cause here I still am with a giant E on my forehead! Probably my favorite book written about Children with Special Needs is a book by that very title and written by Stanley Greenspan MD and Serena Weider, PHD. I can pick it up at any time, flip open a page, and have an "Aha" moment! I'd love to hear some of your recommendations....
Mindy
Mindy
Friday, March 26, 2010
Praise Matters...
I have just learned about "Mindset" which is a book by psychologist Carol Dweck PhD. Mindset looks at the difference between a 'growth' vs. 'fixed' mindset. A fixed mindset is like a dead end. A person with a fixed mindset believes that intelligence and talent are fixed traits and it doesn't really matter what one does. On the other hand, a growth mindset suggests that intelligence and talent are a starting place, but it is what one does that matters. Love for learning, resilience, and hard work leads to accomplishment.
Dr. Dweck's research looks at the type of praise given to children. What she recommended is to praise effort and the process the child takes - without putting too much focus on the product. Stay away from comments like, "you are so smart" - rather, try, "I like how you thought about ways to solve that puzzle!". Encourage the effort put forth for accomplishments achieved. Praise the child's willingness to tackle a tough problem. Help your child learn from mistakes! If a child takes for granted what he can do easily, he isn't learning how to work for what is challenging.
A growth mindset is healthy. How do you encourage a growth mindset in your children? In yourself?
Share with me..... I want to learn from you!
Dr. Dweck's research looks at the type of praise given to children. What she recommended is to praise effort and the process the child takes - without putting too much focus on the product. Stay away from comments like, "you are so smart" - rather, try, "I like how you thought about ways to solve that puzzle!". Encourage the effort put forth for accomplishments achieved. Praise the child's willingness to tackle a tough problem. Help your child learn from mistakes! If a child takes for granted what he can do easily, he isn't learning how to work for what is challenging.
A growth mindset is healthy. How do you encourage a growth mindset in your children? In yourself?
Share with me..... I want to learn from you!
Sunday, March 21, 2010
what will the new health plan mean??
Well as a health care provider, I don't know what to think. I am scared for the families who need the services I offer, I am scared for my ability to afford to continue to provide top quality services with the changes in healthcare service funding. My services aren't "life saving".. they are perhaps "life enhancing" in most cases. No one wants to lose the ability to say "I love you" to a loved one, or have a child who can't. My colleagues and I keep people from needing greater financial supports to live their lives as independently as they can. But America, we don't know what the new system will look like. I hope and pray that the changes allow necessary services for the people who need it to survive. I hope and pray that medical providers will be able to afford to continue to provide services under the new system. Our system has been getting worse and worse for some time now. It might be rough to acclimate... what do you think?
Saturday, March 20, 2010
My brain is plastic ???!!!?????
I hope today's blog is thought provoking as well as informative ... I hope it will drive you to action. I've been at a conference for 2 days, honored to be in the company of some of the worlds' most recognized scientists in the field of brain science (Merzenich, Tallal, Jenkins). ‘Neuroplasticity’ refers to the scientific fact that the brain CAN change !
Do you remember learning that "you are only born with so many brain cells so be careful because when they are gone, they are gone". Well, it turns out, this 'warning' is almost in the same category as "If you keep making that face at your brother, your face will stay that way FOREVER".
Thanks to technological advances in imaging, research is proving that we CAN improve the way the brain functions! It is also exciting to know that changes to the brain can occur AT ALL AGES: in young children, adolescents, adults, and seniors! This includes individuals with developmental delays, experiencing the effects of a disease process, following traumatic brain injuries, and general cognitive decline or more severe dementia.
In the work that I do as a speech-language pathologist, I am fortunate to work with individuals of all ages from many walks of life. Unfortunately, they face a variety of communication challenges. My like-minded colleagues and I are thrilled that scientists are proving things that we've believed and seen happening for years! We are optimistic and regularly celebrate the successes of our clients. That means we truly have been changing the brain, not only changing behaviors! Hooray for the team !
In research with children, I am thrilled to be hearing more and more about “individual differences” (ala Stanley Greenspan, MD) at a biological level, as well as confirmation that the importance of brain processing, timing, and coordination of the way the brain works is KEY.
In research with adults, I am encouraged to hear that the benefits of intervention on reducing the negative impact on brain function from chemotherapy, mental illness, and even dementia are now being documented using brain imaging technology.
So . . . . Where do we start???
My recommendation: Adults, do something new! If you always do crossword puzzles, start doing sudoko. If you have played tennis for 20 years, take up basketball! If you watch Jeopardy, but not Wheel of Fortune ... watch it too!
My opinion: Check out www.PositScience.com for affordable home computer brain-training programs based on scientific research designed for adults. It IS possible to regain brain function and gain years on how you process things you hear and see! Both Brain Fitness ™ and Insight ™ offer the opportunity to 'train your brain' in the comfort of your home. Their website offers demos and a great deal of information, so check it out! www.positscience.com You can purchase directly from their website for use at home.
My opinion: If you are the parent of an elementary school, middle school, high school, or college aged individual, check out www.ScientificLearning.com to learn about their family of programs. Appropriate for use for both enrichment for typical learners and intervention for individuals with learning challenges, Fast ForWord ™ , the Reading series, and the Reading Assistant ™ are computer programs also based on over 30 years of neuroscientific research. Full Disclosure: I am a provider of these programs and have used them for almost 10 years … because I believe in their value. I’d be honored to assist you with implementation before school ends OR during summer!
Next up…. Communicating as a Parent: How you praise and motivate your child matters.
because Communication Matters. Doesn’t it?? Let me hear from you!
Mindy
Do you remember learning that "you are only born with so many brain cells so be careful because when they are gone, they are gone". Well, it turns out, this 'warning' is almost in the same category as "If you keep making that face at your brother, your face will stay that way FOREVER".
Thanks to technological advances in imaging, research is proving that we CAN improve the way the brain functions! It is also exciting to know that changes to the brain can occur AT ALL AGES: in young children, adolescents, adults, and seniors! This includes individuals with developmental delays, experiencing the effects of a disease process, following traumatic brain injuries, and general cognitive decline or more severe dementia.
In the work that I do as a speech-language pathologist, I am fortunate to work with individuals of all ages from many walks of life. Unfortunately, they face a variety of communication challenges. My like-minded colleagues and I are thrilled that scientists are proving things that we've believed and seen happening for years! We are optimistic and regularly celebrate the successes of our clients. That means we truly have been changing the brain, not only changing behaviors! Hooray for the team !
In research with children, I am thrilled to be hearing more and more about “individual differences” (ala Stanley Greenspan, MD) at a biological level, as well as confirmation that the importance of brain processing, timing, and coordination of the way the brain works is KEY.
In research with adults, I am encouraged to hear that the benefits of intervention on reducing the negative impact on brain function from chemotherapy, mental illness, and even dementia are now being documented using brain imaging technology.
So . . . . Where do we start???
My recommendation: Adults, do something new! If you always do crossword puzzles, start doing sudoko. If you have played tennis for 20 years, take up basketball! If you watch Jeopardy, but not Wheel of Fortune ... watch it too!
My opinion: Check out www.PositScience.com for affordable home computer brain-training programs based on scientific research designed for adults. It IS possible to regain brain function and gain years on how you process things you hear and see! Both Brain Fitness ™ and Insight ™ offer the opportunity to 'train your brain' in the comfort of your home. Their website offers demos and a great deal of information, so check it out! www.positscience.com You can purchase directly from their website for use at home.
My opinion: If you are the parent of an elementary school, middle school, high school, or college aged individual, check out www.ScientificLearning.com to learn about their family of programs. Appropriate for use for both enrichment for typical learners and intervention for individuals with learning challenges, Fast ForWord ™ , the Reading series, and the Reading Assistant ™ are computer programs also based on over 30 years of neuroscientific research. Full Disclosure: I am a provider of these programs and have used them for almost 10 years … because I believe in their value. I’d be honored to assist you with implementation before school ends OR during summer!
Next up…. Communicating as a Parent: How you praise and motivate your child matters.
because Communication Matters. Doesn’t it?? Let me hear from you!
Mindy
Friday, March 19, 2010
Let's get bloggin!
We hope this blog provides the reader with information on 'all things communication'. Updates on how the brain works based on new scientific research will be summarized. Ways to enhance communication will be suggested. Myth-busting facts and surprising science will be offered. Resources will be referenced. And, please ask questions, so ANSWERS can be offered! Note, this blog is not intended to replace medical or therapeutic treatment! It IS information provided by a licensed speech-language pathologist, based upon scientific evidence and experience. "Opinions" will be disclosed as such. Let's get bloggin ! Mindy Newhouse, MS. CCC-SLP. Communication Matters, Newbury Park, CA
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