Abacus Mom

Parent Thanks Toby Glick for Helping Special Needs Child Find the Perfect School

My colleague Toby Glick helps students who are underperforming (because or not because of a special need) do better in school.  Toby just received this email today from a recent client (with identifying details removed):

Dear Toby,

Last Spring you met my son and recommended <prestigious special needs school>. I wanted to tell you that my son was accepted at the school and we moved in July so that we could be closer to the school. The second week of 6th grade at his new school, <son> told his psychologist that out of a scale of 1-10, he rated his new school "between 10 and 11." This past fall, he was awarded "Student of the Month" and was showcased in the school's newsletter. He just got on Honor Roll for the first time.

I can't thank you enough for recommending <school> for my son. If it wasn't for you, I never would have heard of it. Thank you a million times, Toby!

Sincerely, <mom's name>

To help your underperforming child find the right school and special support, call Toby now at 646-300-1881 or contact her at toby(at)parentconfidante.com  Toby's 2012 schedule is filling now.

More on When Should My Child Start Kindergarten

Thanks to Jessica Kelmon of GreatSchools for her excellent article, When should kids start kindergarten?  Kelmon writes:

Yet another part of the equation with today’s high-stakes testing is that we expect more of kindergartners. Unfortunately, they’re less prepared for success. "Kindergarten is much more academic than ever," says Emily Glickman, a Manhattan-based educational consultant. "Many people feel that kindergarten is the new first grade."

Kelmon has also written a worthwhile new story about When Should Kids Repeat a Grade.

Help for Hyperlexia (Thoughts on Gilman's The Anti-Romantic Child)

If you have, or work with, hyperlexic or other special needs children, you will be interested in Priscilla Gilman's new memoir, The Anti-Romantic Child. The book is about Gilman's experience shepherding her young hyperlexic son, Benj, through babyhood, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school.  Gilman covers in great detail Benj's developmental delays, social skills deficits, experiences with pediatricians, therapists, mainstream and special schools, and relationships.  Some of the unnamed schools Gilman references are on Manhattan's Upper West Side which adds an extra layer of interest as readers can try to guess which schools they are.

At one point, Gilman applies to twenty NYC private and public schools.  (Thank goodness, Benj is accepted to one.)  A developmental pediatrician tells Gilman,

"You can't be average and you can't be difficult or probematic to get into a private school in New York City.  Schools in New York City don't want average kids, and they also don't want kids who cry and break down, they don't want fragile kids.  You have to have at least 84 percent composite score on the ERBs (the standardized test required for admission to private school in New York.)"

Reading the book, I felt sorry for Gilman that she did not have access to Toby Glick, an extraordinary special needs educational consultant who specializes in helping families understand their children's problems and get the right therapists and schooling.  A year or so ago, I referred a hyperlexic child to Toby.  Right away, after Toby read the child's evaluations and spoke to his teachers, she was able to help the boy get into an appropriate school.  (And that family did not have to apply to twenty schools.)  If you have a special needs child or know someone who does who needs help, you can reach Toby at 646-300-1881 or Toby(at)ParentConfidante.com.

Shut Out Because Your Child May Have "Special Needs"?

This is a tough time of year for families whose preschoolers are developing at their own pace.  Sometimes preschool directors and others suggest to parents that children were shut out of schools because they have special needs.

In twelve years of tracking, I have come to believe that much diagnosis of four-year-olds is faulty and often unnecessarily distressing to families.  That said, kids can often benefit from early intervention.  If you're looking for the right school placement or the right therapist for your child, a good ear and excellent advice, I strongly recommend that you call Toby Glick.  If you have a special needs child or know someone who does who needs help, you can reach Toby at 646-300-1881 or Toby(at)ParentConfidante.com. Many families around Manhattan, Brooklyn, Westchester and New Jersey are deeply grateful to Toby for the help and direction she has given them.

NYC Private Schools: Counseled Out?

Sarah Maslin Nir scooped a fascinating New York Times article today, Private Schools ‘Counsel Out’ the Unsuccessful.  The first time this subject has been handled in print, the article details how kids with special needs--academic or emotional--are often counseled out of NYC private schools.

This is a key point of which to be aware.  Mainstream New York private schools often don't want to--and are often not able to--serve kids with issues.  Why should they, when there are so many presumably less troublesome kids from which to pick?

Every year I get calls from parents in this situation.  Sometimes, the parents themselves have been counseled out, often for ill advised comments to school administration and staff.

If your child has issues which concern you, I would think seriously about handling them privately versus through your school.  Private schools have a lot of power, and you need to do what is best for your child.  Toby Glick, a special needs school advisor and president of ParentConfidante has helped a lot of families in similar situations.  If you have a special needs child or know someone who does who needs help, you can reach Toby at 646-300-1881 or Toby(at)ParentConfidante.com.

 

Support for Your Child and For You this Season

Is your child struggling with academic, social, or emotional issues?  If so, you're struggling too.

There is nothing like the peace and happiness of knowing that you've found the right professional or school to help your child be happier and more successful.  That's why we're delighted to be partnered with Toby Glick of ParentConfidante.  Toby specializes in cutting through often confusing information from schools and doctors, and giving parents common sense solutions and support.  She'll help you make the right decision for your child, and put your child on the right road.  Give your family the most important present.  Call Toby today 646-300-1881 or toby(at)parentconfidante.com.

 

Educational Consulting / School Help for Kids with Special Needs

As many parents of next year's kindergarteners talk proudly about where their children will go to school, families with preschoolers who have or may have special needs often wonder: what about MY child?  How can I help him reach his maximum potential?  Where can I find the best tutors, therapists, and schooling support?  Consultant Toby Glick of ParentConfidante can help you.  This is the time to call her--before her fall rush.  Toby also helps families with older children find schools, therapists, and support. If you have a special needs child or know someone who does who needs help, you can reach Toby at 646-300-1881 or Toby(at)ParentConfidante.com.

Times Covers Auditory Processing Disorder

On a regular basis I meet families whose kids seem to have trouble paying attention and connecting with other kids.  So often the problem is undiagnosed auditory processing disorder.  I often refer families to a superb audiologist who specializes in diagnosing and treating learning disorders like this one.

Thanks to the Times for today featuring auditory processing disorder, helping to educate families and educators about this common and treatable problem.

Kindergarten Help for Preschoolers with Special Needs

As many parents of next year's kindergarteners talk proudly about where their children will go to school, families with preschoolers who have or may have special needs often wonder: what about MY child?  How can I help him reach his maximum potential?  Where can I find the best tutors, therapists, and schooling support?

Consultant Toby Glick of ParentConfidante can help you.  This is the time to call her--before her spring rush:  646-300-1881.

Psychology Today Discusses ERB (WPPSI) Testing

Thanks to Sonya Sobiesky of Psychology Today for quoting me in her insightful article on preschool aptitude and ERB (WPPSI) testing, Baby Steps to Harvard.

Sobiesky writes:

But how accurate is IQ testing for toddlers? The commonly used Wechsler Intelligence Scale evaluates verbal ability based on vocabulary size and clarity of speech. “If a speech therapist can help you with these skills, how is that testing intelligence?” says Emily Glickman of Abacus Guide Educational Consulting.

Researchers agree that measurement errors due to fussiness, hunger, and even how well a child likes her questioner are fairly common when testing preschoolers.

Glickman also notes that “a lot of psychological testing is your ability to copy things. I think that’s a test of exposure, not intelligence. If kids have had practice drawing, if they’ve learned about farm animals, they’re going to do better on the tests.”

IQ scores at age 3 do correlate strongly with IQ scores at age 21, Joseph Fagan of Case Western Reserve University has found. But results at the lower end of the scale may be the most useful: IQ tests were originally developed to differentiate normal children from those needing special education. An IQ of 130 versus 120, Fagan says, “is not going to make a big difference in how someone turns out.”