Maxine Ficksman's blog

Everyday we are bombarded with news reports concerning utilizing achievement test results to measure teacher and school performance. As our government at the federal and local level searches for more qualitative answers regarding the efficacy of teaching, I wonder what role educational therapists can play? Should educational therapists be involved in the policy-making that determines how to evaluate effective teaching practices? Does our unique training and experience provide helpful insights for those making such important decisions?

When I first began working as an educational therapist, I advised parents to monitor their children’s excessive television time. Sometimes I suggested a moratorium on TV watching before school so the child could be dressed and fed in time for carpool each morning. Several years later, video game playing and computer/internet time were added to my cautionary list. Today, parents provide their children with cell phones in first grade and by third grade, these students are texting and using various cell applications.

For my first blog, I decided to select a topic that seems timely and deserves attention because it affects so many children and adults in every aspect of their lives. 

When I attend a social function and someone learns about my work as an educational therapist, often the initial queries concern the topic of ADHD (attention deficit disorder with and without hyperactivity).

Typically, the person may inquire: