YES... I am alive

The Dickey's are alive and doing well. We survived the Holidays (photos below!) and a rocky BTSchool week. Our new puppy "Ridley" the Doodle Dickey is adjusting well to our chaotic home. Everyone is healthy and 2 of our 3 scheduled IEPs are behind us (and were successful!).

My coupon binder is an absolute MESS, CVS is worried about how many deals I have missed out on and my menu planning has been sketchy at best but starting today I hope to get it all cranked up again as soon we we finish our award winning Pinewood Derby car :-) wish us luck!

Thank you for all of the emails! I am amazed how many people still check-in with me and email me HOT Deals. I love a good deal. I hit the Target 75% Christmas as well as the Target 75% Toy Sale (which is still underway as some is still 30-50%, I know I am looking at some camping gear if it makes it to 75%). So if you are reading this send me your HOT Deals. I may not get them posted but if I don't I will forward them to Jodi at NeverPayRetail she is working on growing her Blog to the best on the web!

PS, If you or yours are Gluten Free - PLEASE EMAIL ME! as many of you know I have considered this for a LONG time but it is so overwhelming to me. I am looking for good Gluten Free products to try before we dive right in. I specifically need help with Pasta, Pizza Dough, Soy Sauce and Breakfast Bars and/or Cereal. Thanks!

Harry Potter has a Learning Disability....

....sort of. Daniel Radcliffe, the actor who plays Harry Potter, has confirmed that he has dyspraxia. Dyspraxia is a disorder that affects motor development. According to NCLD People with dyspraxia have difficulty planning and completing intended fine motor tasks. It is estimated that as many as 6% of all children show some signs of dyspraxia (2 of my 3 kids have it)., and in the general population, about 70% of those affected by dyspraxia are male. Dyspraxia can affect different areas of functioning, varying from simple motor tasks such as waving goodbye to more complex tasks like brushing teeth.
What a positive role model for other children who have the same condition. They could easily look at Daniel's mega success and find encouragement and hope. They could see that he overcame his disorder and succeeded in spite of it. Thanks for sharing and acknowledging your dyspraxia, Daniel. You may very well become a true hero to our LD children!
To learn more about dyspraxia visit NCLD.org. You can alo read the article pertaining to Daniel's admission on Britain's Daily Mail website.
Shared by Shane http://adhdguide.blogspot.com/2008/09/harry-potter-has-learning-disability.html

Letter From A Child

If you or your child have ADHD this is a great read! (Click on the letter to enlarge).

For more great insight and information from Kirk check his website Celebrate Calm.

Is your child quirky?
Does he bursts into song in the middle of Target shopping (or dinner at Uncle Bubbas) Does he leap or better yet somersault from room to room instead of walk? Does she weave weeds into a necklace? Do they turn your back yard into a "bug scout" meeting and pick your hand grown veggies to feed yard bugs? Do they collect every day rocks (I could bring new meaning to Rocks in My Dryer... and crayons and gosh knows what else?) like they are worldly treasures but treat their electronics like rocks and toss or lose them? Do they refuse to each dishes that contain all of their faves because the food is "mixed" together? could they teach a class on Reptiles but not write a full paragraph about it? Was your child's imaginary friend a werewolf? Has one of your kids ever used deodorant for chalk or baby powder for fairy dust? Oh I know.. do/did your kids host a 5pm lemonade stand selling orange soda and Cheetos (while barefoot and grungy and under the "supervision" of their dad!) for $1? Ok I am getting off topic. I really am not ranting. My house is interesting (to say the least). Now getting to my point....

Great Schools has a new article about How to Support Your Unique Child in fact Great Schools now has LOTS of great learning disability articles as they have successfully transfered over all of the wonderful information that Schwab Learning used to host. Check it out!

Outreach Clinic

An Outreach Clinic for Autism, Aspergers, AD(H)D, Pervasive
Developmental Disorders, Allergies and Behavior Disorders is coming to Charlotte.

It will be held July 24 & 25 by appointment only at Carolina Family Heathcare's Ballantyne location.

If you are looking for answers - this may be for you. You can read more about it here.

Got a tween/teen with ADHD? After reading Shane's review I think this sounds like a great book... what do you think?

As many of you know my twins have the ABCs behind their names from ADHD to Sensory Processing to Dyspraxia etc and bigC also has low muscle tone and balance problems. Well he could not ride a bike so we decided to send him to camp/lessons upon suggestions of his old OT. There were kids from 8-18 (special needs, legally blind and neuro typical (that means "normal" whatever that is!) and one adult there. They ALL learned to ride. - not a dry eye in the room.
So now he RIDES... and thanks to Charlotte.com and News14 we have a video and article to commemorate it.

Got a comment for bigC? leave it here. He will be soooooo excited!

Read more about this awesome program here.

Free Workshop: “Becoming Your Child’s Best & Most Effective Advocate.”

Who: Parents of children with special needs including but not limited to Autism, ADHD etc... ANY area that makes your child special.

What: A workshop presented by the ECAC, “Becoming Your Child’s Best & Most Effective Advocate.”

When: TOMORROW, Wednesday, June 18th 6:15–8:30pm

Where: Waxhaw~ American Legion Hall (on Hwy 75)

Questions? krisbobie@aol.com

I received an AWESOME newsletter in my email box today and I would like to share it with you. It is written by Kirk Martin from Celebrate Calm.
I have been reading Kirk's emails for a while now but after attending his seminar on Intense Children I have been listening to his parenting CDs and sharing his commentary and today I want to share it with YOU.

If you think that your job as a parent is to control your child's behavior, you are doomed to feeling frustrated, angry and disheartened. Why?
Because you have placed your satisfaction and happiness in the hands of another human being-likely a six or sixteen year old-and that is always a dangerous place to be. Because then your child can exercise complete control over your emotions, simply by "misbehaving." Because you cannot ever control another person's behavior and it is not your job.
So let me tell you this as bluntly as I can. You are not responsible for your child's choices. Your child is. As long as you take responsibility for your child's choices, your child never will!
If you want to use your child's behavior or choices as a measuring stick of how well you are parenting your child, then I submit to you that God is a terrible parent. After all, let's look at how well He did as a parent.
(1) God creates Adam and Eve, and provides a home in paradise for them. Pretty cool, eh? So what do they do, seemingly immediately? They disobey the one negative command He gave them. Then they lied, assigned blame and tried to cover up their disobedience. Sound familiar? So does that make God a bad parent because His first two children did not listen to him?
(2) Adam and Eve have a couple boys to start: Cain and Abel. Beautiful scene, right? Well, as it turns out, one of the two boys is a murderer. Do any of you have a 50% murder rate among your children? Didn't think so.
So here we have two examples of "parents" raising their children in near perfect settings. There was no pressure from school, fighting traffic, working long hours, paying the mortgage. And in the first two families, we see the kids messing up big time with very disastrous consequences.
I promised to keep this short, so I want to encourage you. Raising and teaching a more intense, emotional child is challenging. It just is. So you should expect this to be the most difficult job you have in life (besides being married!).
But there are a couple great upsides. First, we have kids who I consider "good soil." As we sow time, patience and an unending belief in them, we will see amazing qualities blossom inside them. They just don't always blossom in our timing. So be patient and hang in there.
Second, I am so grateful for my son because had he been an easy, compliant child, I would never have been challenged to grow up and take control of my own emotions. I have been transformed by this journey in ways I never thought possible.
So take a step back, wash off any guilt and frustration, and let's begin tomorrow with a fresh perspective. You can do it!

5 Random Observations About Faith
(1) One of the qualities I like best in our kids is this: they have really good hearts and a deep spiritual sense. They often connect on a deeper level than others. So make sure you find avenues for your child to express this deeper purpose: through youth groups, serving the less fortunate, volunteering time to help others.
(2) Even if you do not have a particular affinity for a church or synagogue, your kids will often find great comfort and security in knowing there is a God, that He is in control and that He has established a certain order in the universe. Don't overlook the importance of this order and structure for your child.
(3) Many of your kids don't like going to children's church. Some of them scratch the paint off the walls while you push them into a room, screaming. Relax. Many of our kids prefer to be in adult church. They will sit and color, and soak up the lessons.
(4) Model it. Many parents get upset because their kids don't seem to share the same passion for their faith. The single most powerful thing you can do is model and live it yourself. Want your kids to be compassionate, love God and read God's word? Let them see you doing it.
(5) Some of you live with guilt, because when you try to pray for others, your mind wanders endlessly. Or when you sit listening to your Rabbi, Pastor or Priest, you find yourself making a grocery list while taking notes.
Guess what? God made your brain the way it is. So if you pray better while standing or walking, do so. My best times of communion with God are during my morning walks with my two dogs. The activity actually helps focus me, and it's a really peaceful time for me where I experience more clarity. I always take notes on our Pastor's sermon, but I also am usually writing out a newsletter idea as well (like this one!). Multi-sensory stimulation improves attention and retention.

Pretty Cool Huh? You can sign up for Kirk's newsletters here

Tick Task

Now this looks like a neat product for your lil ADDer... and here is a great review:
http://adhdguide.blogspot.com/2008/05/tick-task-product-review.html

Teacher has students vote on whether 5-year-old can stay in class

st-lucie-teacher votes an Aspie child out of her class.... comments?

IEPs

Many of you reading do not know what an IEP is, Bless You and consider yourself fortunate! But for those of you that are parents/teachers of ADDers or SN kids or children with LDs etc then this poem should provide a lil funny for your day:-)


IEPs According to Dr. Suess
(author unknown)

Do you like these IEPs?
I do not like these IEP's
I do not like them, Jeeze Louise
We test, we check
we plan, we meet
but nothing ever seems complete.
Would you, could you
like the form?
I do not like the form I see.
Not page 1, not 2, not 3.
Another change,
a brand new box. I think we all
Have lost our rocks.
Could you all meet here or there?
We could not all meet here or there.
We cannot all fit anywhere.
Not in a room
Not in a hall
There seems to be no space at all.
Would you, could you meet again?
I cannot meet again next week
No lunch, no prep
Please hear me speak.
No, not at dusk and not at dawn
At 4 p. m. I should be gone.
Could you hear while all speak out?
Would you write the words they spout?
I could not hear, I would not write
This does not need to be a fight.
Sign here, date there,
Mark this, check that.
Beware the student's ad-vo-cat(e).
You do not like them
so you say
Try it again! Try it again!
and then you may.
If you let me be,
I'll try again
and you will see.
Say!
I almost like these IEP's
I think I'll write 6003.
And I will practice day and night
Until they say
"You've got it right".

Think Sheets

As I have posted before, I have ADHD and so do BOTH of my 7y twins. Lately I have been listening to Kirk Martin's parenting CDS and lovin it! They inspired me to start blogging more about our ADD home which led me to Google the topic and find these great Think Sheets. I think this may be a great way to help enforce that all behaviors have consequences while teaching behavior mods and practicing writing (something that comes hard for C since he has written expression "issues"). Check them out and while you are at it check out Shane's ADHD/LD blog on my blogroll.

ADD/ADHD

It is generally accepted that fewer girls are diagnosed with ADD/ADHD than boys (in childhood) - however, the number is almost equal in adults.
New research has demonstrated that women are in fact more impaired with their ADD than the men.
This study documented that women were more likely to have co-morbid emotional symptoms (depression and anxiety) with their ADD, and more sleep problems.

INTENSE CHILDREN Seminar TODAY!

10 Secrets to Stress-Free Living Carmel Elementary School, Charlotte, NC Thursday, April 17th from 3:30 - 5:00 and 6:30pm - 8:00pm

Parents
Do you need help calming your explosive household? Tired of yelling at, negotiating with and bribing your child? Do you want your child to take responsibility for his homework, morning routine and chores?

Teachers
Are you frustrated by students who fidget, constantly need to be redirected and distract others? Do you have a handful of students who demand all your time?

Let's turn students who are distractions into classroom leaders. Join us for a humorous, practical workshop with best-selling author and nationally-recognized expert Kirk Martin, who has trained over 22,000 parents and teachers. Based in D.C., Celebrate Calm specializes in working with intense children, including families affected by AD/HD, Sensory issues, Aspergers, Anxiety, Sensory issues, Autism, ODD and OCD. Martin will expose 5 common myths and provide practical strategies to: (1) Create a Stress-Free home. Eliminate yelling, arguing and whining. (2) Help improve focus, attention and behavior in school. (3) Celebrate positives, build your child's confidence and restore hope. (4) Create stress-free discipline and homework time. Martin will explain why your kids are bossy, anxious, and easily overwhelmed; sabotage friendships, demand fairness and say, "I'm bored"; like to argue, fidget, make noises or chew; have difficulty writing, sleeping and maintaining eye contact.

The Workshop is FREE to the community. Teachers, parents, grandparents, school staff and all caregivers are encouraged to attend.

Where:
Carmel Elementary School, 1145 Pineville Matthews,Charlotte, NC 28105 When: Thursday, April 17, 2008. 3:30-5:00pm and 6:30pm - 8:00pm For more information, please contact Executive Director Kirk Martin at (703) 508-7909.

Additional information can be found by visiting http://www.celebratecalm.com./