Beverley Steffert

Online courses for students with learning disabilities

Landmark College, the first college in the United States for students with learning disabilities, is growing enrollment in its online courses. The rural Vermont college is designed exclusively for students who have diagnosed learning disabilities, such as dyslexia, autism spectrum disorder or ADHD. “These are bright students, intelligent students, but often they have not succeeded …

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James Middleton reveals sister Kate helped him through depression

Kate Middleton’s brother James has spoken about his battle with depression and how his sister attended a therapy session with him Kate Middleton’s brother has revealed he contemplated suicide after opening up about his battle with depression. James Middleton, 32, said his supportive sister The Duchess of Cambridge and other family members joined him during …

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‘Pushy parents court special needs support in schools’

Mark Macaskill, December 15 2019, 12:01am, The Sunday Times. The number of pupils diagnosed as requiring additional support has rocketed from about 30,000 to more than 216,000REX FEATURES One of Scotland’s top educationalists has raised fresh concern that middle-class parents are behind a rise in the number of children who are classified as having special …

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Chris Evans reveals son Eli, 7, underwent ‘miracle’ treatment

By RIANNE ADDO FOR MAILONLINE PUBLISHED: 13:08, 4 December 2019 Chris Evans reveals son Eli, 7, underwent ‘miracle’ treatment after his retained reflexes left him unable to read and write… and says he’s been diagnosed with the same condition. • Babies are born with ‘primitive’ reflexes, designed to help them get used to the world …

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My dyslexia and ADHD helped me as a writer: Captain Underpants author Dav Pilkey

“(My parents) created a very safe environment at home for me. At the time I loved making stories and drawing comics. So my parents commissioned comic books for me,” said the author. Dav Pilkey, cartoonist and author of the award-winning children’s book Captain Underpants and Dog Man, was diagnosed with dyslexia and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity …

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TV chef opens up about his condition

JAMIE OLIVER’S culinary skills and ironclad commitment to promoting healthy eating over the years have made him a tour de force, spearheading a number of successful business ventures. Despite his runaway success, Jamie lives a learning difficulty, and in an interview the chef revealed how it impacts the way he approaches tasks. Jamie Oliver opens …

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Understanding, Emotions and Books Beyond Words: A neuroscience perspective

In last month‘s issue Leading SEND & mental health consultants Prof. Barry Carpenter, Jo Egerton and Stas’ Smagala introduced a study involving Books Beyond Words. Part 2 this month looks further at pictures and accessing emotions. In addition to information, illustrations are ‘supreme in their capacity to arouse emotions’ (Hibbing and Rankin-Erickson, 2003). According to …

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Windward students undergo brain imaging to advance reading instruction

By Sophie Grosserode Students at The Windward School in White Plains and Harrison are using their brains to advance research on how to improve reading instruction — but not in the way you might think. Twenty-two students in grades 1 to 6 are having their brains imaged by researchers. The kids are putting on snug-fitting …

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20% of adults in the UK are innumerate – But it doesn’t have to be this way!

Maths Explained – a low stress way to improve numeracy. Say the word ‘maths’ and many people panic. Memories of times tables, tricky lessons and difficult tests abound. It has a reputation for being dry and difficult. For people with dyscalculia (a specific learning difficulty with mathematics) the difficulty is even greater. It’s estimated that …

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Most Classroom Teachers Feel Unprepared to Support Students With Disabilities

By Corey Mitchell Less than 1 in 5 general education teachers feel “very well prepared” to teach students with mild to moderate learning disabilities, including ADHD and dyslexia, according to a new survey from two national advocacy groups. The survey found that only 30 percent of general education teachers feel “strongly” that they can successfully …

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Bloomsbury publishes dyslexia-friendly Hogwarts titles

Bloomsbury Children’s is today (7th February) releasing dyslexia-friendly editions of three Harry Potter companion books. Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find, Them Quidditch Through the Ages and The Tales of Beedle the Bard will be published in hardback using RNIB-approved dyslexia-friendly fonts and font sizes, tinted paper for glare reduction and maximum contrast, captions and …

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Human vs Artificial Intelligence

With robots increasingly blurring the lines between human intelligence and its artificial equivalent, the essential human qualities of ingenuity, agility and curiosity are more important than ever. Despite leaving the industrial age for an era of innovation, our compulsory mass schooling model reflects old-fashioned factories. If we want to distinguish ourselves from robots, we need …

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Dyslexic Sperm Bank!

Made by Dyslexia and Y&R London’s ‘Dyslexic Sperm Bank’ is a highly arresting and intelligent piece of film communication of an important and often misunderstood issue. It’s peak point is where someone is asked if they would like a Dyslexic baby, to which they reply “I wouldn’t kill it!”. Typically Dyslexia is seen as a disadvantage and …

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Warwickshire to review dyslexia policy after criticism

Council had been attacked in the House of Lords this week for saying dyslexia diagnosis was ‘scientifically questionable’ Warwickshire County Council is reviewing its guidance for pupils with literacy difficulties after facing criticism for questioning the science around dyslexia. The council faced heavy criticism in the House of Lords this week for saying research in …

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Math trauma

Think you’re bad at math? You may suffer from ‘math trauma’ I teach people how to teach math, and I’ve been working in this field for 30 years. Across those decades, I’ve met many people who suffer from varying degrees of math trauma – a form of debilitating mental shutdown when it comes to doing …

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Drumming can benefit children with Autism

Drumming for 60 minutes a week can benefit children diagnosed with autism and supports learning at school, according to a new scientific study. The project, led by the University of Chichester and University Centre Hartpury, showed students’ ability to follow their teachers’ instructions improved significantly and enhanced their social interactions between peers and members of …

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Stress and serious anxiety: how the new GCSE is affecting mental health

The GCSE is 30 – and it’s suddenly much tougher, causing extraordinary anxiety for teachers and pupils. So should it be scrapped? On Monday morning, what may be the most dreaded and feared set of public exams England’s teenagers have ever sat began in school assembly halls up and down the country. It is 30 …

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