Most of us, however, don't really know what it feels like to live in a body that may twitch or jerk unpredictably, or to never be sure what's going to pop into our mind and get stuck there. And asking a student to stop ticcing or to just stop a compulsive ritual is not only unlikely to succeed, it's likely to make the student feel misunderstood, frustrated, and either depressed or angry. Try to talk on the phone to a friend. Try to concentrate on what your spouse is telling you. On the Importance of Pitching to Strengths .
Special education tends to be deficit-based.
Parents and teachers spend tremendous amounts of time discussing the child's challenges or deficits, and often fail to spend adequate time discussing the child's strengths or assets. It may suggest ways to integrate the curriculum around interests to boost motivation or tolerance for frustration of dealing with any learning disabilities. It reminds us that we should not neglect to promote greater development of a child's talents and abilities while we try to address their weaker areas. Use the pull-down menu at the top of this page to jump to information on a particular disorder or condition. To read some of the articles listed below, you will need Adobe Reader.