Written by Dr. Sheila Clonan
September 27, 2015 @ 9:30 am

Recent neurological studies have given us greater insight into brain plasticity, or the brain’s ability to adapt or change in response to experience.  This is the science behind such popular brain exercise apps like LumosityTM and CognifitTM that aim to re-train the brain by making new connections in neural circuits.  The idea is that by engaging in intensive and repetitive exercises that are tailored for specific goals, skills like memory, cognitive processing, and attention can be improved.  The jury may still be out on the effectiveness of some of these self-administered apps, but there is good research and evidence that brain plasticity is real. There is also substantial evidence that working memory, the part of the brain function that is key in handling processing, can be definitively improved through intensive intervention.  This is good news for all, but especially for children who are struggling in school as a result of a learning disability that may have a direct connection to working memory.  Such learning disabilities among children include ADHD, Dyslexia, Auditory Processing Disorders and Autism Spectrum Disorders.   

Written by Dr. Kimberly Williams
9/18/2015 at 7:18 PM

Sending your child to college can be stressful enough for parents, but perhaps particularly so for parents of students with disabilities. I have worked with college students with learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, ADHD and other disabilities for several years and there are a few lessons I’ve found to be critical for a student to set herself up for success:

Written by Dr. Sheila Clonan
9/5/15 at 8:05 pm

If you live in Central New York and are looking for out of school resources to have your child tested for educational issues such as learning disabilities, dyslexia, ADHD, giftedness, school anxiety, or behavioral issues, you may find the search daunting.  The fact is that outside of the public school system, there is a shortage of qualified professionals offering comprehensive psychoeducational testing services for children.  This is especially true in Central New York or the areas between Binghamton, Watertown, Rochester, and Utica, where specialized services can be challenging to find. I’ve had many parents tell me that they were given a list of providers by their school or physician, called all 15-20 phone numbers only to find most disconnected, no longer in practice, or not qualified to provide the desired service.