The Coffee Klatch Special Needs Radio

The Bright Not Broken Radio Show – Twice Exceptional Kids Intensity, Giftedness and The ADD Myth - The ADD Myth: How to Cultivate the Unique Gifts of Intense Personalities  This week we are talking with Martha Burge, author, parent and certified personal - professional coach. Martha specializes in gifted and creative people, Including, adults diagnosed with ADHD and parents of children with ADHD and related conditions. Martha’s brand new book The ADD Myth: How to Cultivate the Gifts of Intense Personalities with a foreword by Dr. Alan Francis, addresses the misunderstandings about ADHD and how to harness the full potential of intensity with maximum success. Anyone involved with 2e children and their families will find this interview uplifting and helpful.    Martha Burge, M.A. is a certified personal and professional coach specializing in gifted and creative people, adults diagnosed with ADHD and parents of children with ADHD and many other diagnoses of mental disorder. Many years ago she simply refused to agree that her children were disordered.  A couple of college degrees, a coaching certification, and many clients later, she now knows why. And she’s out to tell the rest of us all about it in her recently released book, “The ADD Myth: How to Cultivate the Unique Gifts of Intense Personalities,” which earned her recognition by the Messenger Network as the next top self-help author.  Her radically different approach focuses on the whole person, rather than a limited list of symptoms.

Seeing your child suffer in any way is a harrowing experience for any parent. Mental illness in children can be particularly draining due to the mystery surrounding it, and the issue of diagnosis at such a tender age. Depression and Your Child gives parents and caregivers a uniquely textured understanding of pediatric depression, its causes, its symptoms, and its treatments. Dr Deborah Serani weaves her own personal experiences of being a depressed child along with her clinical experiences as a psychologist treating depressed children in her book Depression and Your Child. Tonight my guest is Dr Deborah Serani hear to discuss her book Depression and your Child A Guide For Parents And Caregivers.  In a three part series we will explore the difference in presentations in children and teens from those in adults and the approaches and strategies to help your child overcome this devastating illness. The ten myths surrounding child depression and the seven things children need to know about depression. 

Join two of our hosts, Stefanie Weiss of Ask Stefanie the mental health connoisseur and Marianne Russo host of The Coffee Klatch as they discuss choosing the right mental health professional for your child or teen.   Choosing the right provider is not as easy as calling a local psychiatrist or psychologist.  A highly recommended source that works well for one child may not work for another.  "Doctor Hopping" is hard not only on the child but the parents as well so doing your homework and using the tools we will provide tonight will help make the decision process clearer and easier. There are many factors that need to be taken into consideration other than the diagnosis.  Finding the right fit for your child, and your family, can make a huge difference in the gains and advances your chilld makes.  Just as not all therapies are alike neither are the practitioners. Join Marianne and Stefanie as they help you navigate your way to quality care that works for your family. 

Alexandra Jackman has created “A Teen’s Guide to Understanding and Communicating with People with Autism,” which encourages teenagers to understand and accept peers who have autism spectrum disorder. The film focuses on the positive aspects of autism and includes individuals on the spectrum and their families. In the video, Jackman asks middle school students and teachers “What is Autism?” She also speaks to the founder of Autism Family Times, parents of children with Autism, an Autism educator and a doctor. She highlights children of all ages w Autism and features adults as well.  Her video is geared towards teens, but is relatable to all ages on the basics of how to accept and understand those who have Autism Spectrum Disorder. Of her film she has said "Maybe if they (middle schoolers) see someone with special needs, they won't be so afraid to talk with them. For a lot of people, if they don't understand something, they can be afraid." Also participating in the film is Adrienne Robertiello, Autism Educator at Children’s Specialized Hospital and Board member of Autism Family Times with Brianna. Ms. Robertiello steers collaborative initiatives to facilitate the awareness and participation of children with ASD and their families in community settings.

Our host Dr Richard Selznick author of School Struggles and The Shut Down Learner tonight discusses the legislation behind Dyslexia.  Dr Selznick's guest is Mrs. Beth Ravelli is a child advocate for dyslexia and children with reading disabilities. Mrs. Ravelli successfully lobbied to have NJ Bill S 2400 voted into law forming the NJ Reading Disability Task Force. She was honored  to have been appointed as the sole parent by the NJ Assembly President to be appointed on the NJ Reading disability Task Force.  In 2014 after 9 years of advocating with her daughter Samantha, numerous trips to the Education committee, Assembly Floor and Senate Floor they succeeded together with Senator Van Drew and Assemblyman Nelson Albano in passing Bill S-2442 which was signed into law in NJ by Gov. Chris Christi on Jan 16, 2014. This New Dyslexia law now makes it mandatory in NJ public schools to screen for dyslexia, as well as to train teachers in dyslexia.    

Dr Fredric Daum is a pediatric gastroenterologist specializing in toilet training children with special needs who are late or unwilling to toilet train. He brings 40 years of experience working with children who are very challenging to train. It is his belief that any child with adequate receptive qualities can be toilet trained. His program is unique because of Dr. Daum's optimism and daily coaching of families until toilet training is achieved. About 5% of children refuse to be toilet trained for stools and get into a tug of war with parents around using the toilet. Some children decide to hold back stools so they won’t have to use the toilet. Other children start holding back after they pass a painful stool and never want to have that pain again.    Doc­tor Daum pro­vides all ser­vices by tele­phone consultation. After the ini­tial con­sul­ta­tion, he will instruct you about the pro­gram, includ­ing the rec­om­mended dosage and tim­ing of lax­a­tives and the spe­cific strate­gies for help­ing your child become dry, clean and in under­wear 24 hours a day. He will talk you through the treat­ment by speak­ing to you every day until suc­cess is achieved. Doc­tor Daum’s many years of expe­ri­ence and per­son­al­ized approach will assure your child’s easy and quick success.

Host - Marianne Russo Guest - Deborah Serani Seeing your child suffer in any way is a harrowing experience for any parent. Mental illness in children can be particularly draining due to the mystery surrounding it, and the issue of diagnosis at such a tender age. Depression and Your Childgives parents and caregivers a uniquely textured understanding of pediatric depression, its causes, its symptoms, and its treatments. Serani weaves her own personal experiences of being a depressed child along with her clinical experiences as a psychologist treating depressed children.  Current research, treatments and trends are presented in easy to understand language and tough subjects like self-harm, suicide and recovery plans are addressed with supportive direction. Parents will learn tips on how to discipline a depressed child, what to expect from traditional treatments like psychotherapy and medication, how to use holistic methods to address depression, how to avoid caregiver burnout, and how to move through the trauma of diagnosis and plan for the future. Real life cases highlight the issues addressed in each chapter and resources and a glossary help to further understanding for those seeking additional information. Parents and caregivers are sure to find here a reassuring approach to childhood depression that highlights the needs of the child even while it emphasizes the need for caregivers to care for themselves and other family members as well.

Mark Burhenne DDS joins us to discuss sleep apnea in children and teens.  Is your child disorganized, easily frustrated, lack will power, making bad choices, having problems listening, forgetful, in constant movement such as leg shaking? Is your teen inattentive, hyperactive, anxious, moody?  Thinking ADHD?  40% of children diagnosed with #ADHD have sleep apnea.  Coincidence or misdiagnosis?  Stunted growth, neurological issues, panic attacks and fear during sleep? Yup ... also symptoms of sleep apnea.  Learn the causes, symptoms and treatments of sleep apnea and the physical and behavioral issues that can arise from poor sleep. 

Allen Frances MD Professor Emeritus at Duke University and former Chair of its Department of Psychiatry, Chair of the DSM IV Task Force, author of “Saving Normal” and “Essentials of Psychiatric Diagnosis.”  He is the author of hundreds of papers and more than a dozen books. He blogs frequently on Huffington Post, Psychology Today, National Newspapers and Education Update.  The New York Times has titled him “The most powerful psychiatrist in America”  Wired Magazine has called him “The man who wrote the book on mental illness.”  Dr. Dale Archer is a medical doctor, psychiatrist and Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. His specialties include propagating the theory of chemical imbalances of the brain, relationships and personal responsibility. Author of Better Than Normal: ‘How What Makes You Different Can Make You Exceptional’ and “Chemical Imbalance Depression” He has several successful radio shows including “Taking Charge with Dr. Dale Archer” and a TV talk show “The Dr. Dale Archer Show’”. He appears regularly on national news shows and is a regular blogger on “Psychology Today”, “Forbes” and “Foxnews.com”  How do we determine the line between mental illness and a child with challenging behaviors 

Allen Frances MD Professor Emeritus at Duke University and former Chair of its Department of Psychiatry, Chair of the DSM IV Task Force, author of “Saving Normal” and “Essentials of Psychiatric Diagnosis.”  He is the author of hundreds of papers and more than a dozen books. He blogs frequently on Huffington Post, Psychology Today, National Newspapers and Education Update.  The New York Times has titled him “The most powerful psychiatrist in America”  Wired Magazine has called him “The man who wrote the book on mental illness.”  Dr. Dale Archer is a medical doctor, psychiatrist and Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. His specialties include propagating the theory of chemical imbalances of the brain, relationships and personal responsibility. Author of Better Than Normal: ‘How What Makes You Different Can Make You Exceptional’ and “Chemical Imbalance Depression” He has several successful radio shows including “Taking Charge with Dr. Dale Archer” and a TV talk show “The Dr. Dale Archer Show’”. He appears regularly on national news shows and is a regular blogger on “Psychology Today”, “Forbes” and “Foxnews.com” 

  Ask Stefanie with host Stefanie Weis The Future of Psychiatric Medicine Is Upon Us…What If There Was A Simple Test That Discovered What Medicine Works Most Effectively With Your Body?   Dr Lombard will discuss how Genomind's testing helps clinicians find appropriate and effective treatment more quickly and efficiently.  Psychiatrists prescribe medication on a trial and error basis, which can be a very long and frustrating road for children and adults who are suffering.  Patients who have psychiatric disorders that are difficult to treat such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, OCD, and ADHD can benefit tremendously from this kind of physiological and genetic testing.   Dr Jay Lombard - co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer and Medical Director at Genomind, a biotechnology company devoted to the discovery of the underlying causes of neuropsychiatric disorders including Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, autism and mood disorders. Dr. Lombard is a board certified neurologist and is currently a professor of Neurology at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine. He has published several books on the role of nutrition and the brain and has lectured extensively on this topic as well. He has had numerous television and radio appearances including on Larry King, Dr. Oz, CBS News, Fox News, The Early Morning Show and others.    

Ben Foss is prominent inventor, entrepreneur and activist who founded Headstrong Nation a not-for-profit organization dedicated to serving the dyslexic community.  He is also the inventor of the Intel Reader® a device CNN called “too ground breaking to ignore.” The Intel Reader® is a mobile device that takes photos of text and reads it aloud on the spot to people who have difficulty with text, creating what Ben calls “a ramp into a book.” Identified as a dyslexic at the age of eight, Foss became successful by developing a unique approach to his disability. After years of hiding his dyslexia, he challenged himself to use it as a bridge to the rest of the world, realizing that if he thought of himself as being “from dyslexia,” he could integrate his history and harness his strengths. As a compassionate and skilled speaker, he shares this message with Fortune 500 companies, human resources and public policy organizations, and colleges and universities across the country.

This week Dr Gil Tippy interviews 3 special educators using an appropriate, developmental, sensory sensitive approach in public and private education settings for kids with neuro-developmental disorders of relating and communicating. The discussion ranges from the tremendous success of a couple of Vermont public school teachers in their use of the DIR/Floortime model, through our success at the Rebecca School in our Fairytale Literacy curriculum, and even touches on the complications of the Common Core Standards, and what it means for our children. Kathryn Byrne Grossarth is a Special Educator in a small public school in Wells, VT. She attended a conference in Vermont this past summer that Rae Leeper and I put on, explaining how to do a relationship based model in a public school setting. She has implemented DIR in her public school with tremendous success. She is using Rae's literacy suggestions and is finding that it is really working. She is working on creating curriculum and texts, and is passionate about the tremendous change she has seen in her kids, and herself in just the first four months of this school year.Barbara Festa is a Special Education Supervisor in Wells, VT. She did not attend the training, but Kathryn's enthusiasm has been so infectious that she began to use the model in her math curriculum, to great results. She sees that DIR/Floortime is directly in line with the Common Core Standards.Rae Leeper is the Education Supervisor at the Rebecca School, and did the training with me that inspired these two Vermont Special Educators. She has been at the Rebecca School from the very beginning, and instrumental in creating and supervising our classroom curriculum. 

  GIFTED KIDS, ADHD, AND AUTISM: WHY TWICE-EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN ARE STUCK AND HOW TO HELP THEM Hosted by Diane Kennedy and Rebecca Banks, authors of Bright Not Broken and The ADHD-Autism Connection with Dr Temple Grandin.    Join us as we talk with Michelle Garcia Winner, speech language pathologist, author, international speaker and pioneer of the concept social thinking. Michelle specializes in bright kids who think and learn differently. Her keen insights and practical strategies have been extremely helpful to parents and educators alike. We will discuss social thinking, giftedness, 2e, Asperger’s and   Michelle Garcia Winner, MA, CCC-SLP, specializes in the treatment of individuals with social-cognitive deficits: those with diagnoses such as high-functioning autism, Asperger Syndrome and nonverbal learning disorder. She began teaching Social Thinking® in 1995 to brighter students when she went to work for a high school district as the district’s speech language pathologist. Social Thinking was born out of necessity as a way to reach those “bright but socially clueless students” that needed more information than just what social skill to use. They needed to know why they should bother to use that skill. She runs a clinic, has authored numerous books including her latest critically acclaimed book, Social Thinking at Work and speaks internationally. She coined the term Social Thinking and pioneered the related treatment approach. She was awarded a Congressional Certificate of Special Recognition in 20

Rosalind Wiseman is an author, media expert, frequent contributor on The Today Show, Good Morning America, Anderson Cooper on children, teens, parenting, bullying, and social justice. Most famously, she is the author of Queen Bees and Wannabes.   Masterminds and Wingmen shows what’s really happening in boys’ lives. It creates a new language helping parents and educators understand the power of boys’ social hierarchies and how these influence their decision-making and emotional well-being. Wiseman establishes a road map to reach boys and help them to grow into the best brothers, friends, studen