To Know Suicide Depression Can Be Treated, but It Takes Competence

WHEN the American artist Ralph Barton killed himself in 1931 he left behind a suicide note explaining why, in the midst of a seemingly good and full life, he had chosen to die.

“Everyone who has known me and who hears of this,” he wrote, “will have a different hypothesis to offer to explain why I did it.”

“Teacher, I Need Your Help” What kids with attention deficit wish their teachers knew.

Although each child should be treated as an individual, with their own strengths, challenges, and needs, here is a list of the most commonly experienced issues for students with ADHD.


Please don't ever humiliate me.
I have a condition called Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder. It is a real medical condition that doctors define as impairment to my executive functions (cognitive management system) in my brain. That means that learning is hard for me. The part of my brain that manages these skills is like an orchestra conductor who tells all the musicians how to play together and on time to make beautiful music. My conductor has trouble communicating with the musicians, so I need your help.

ADHD Secrets My Teacher Should Know

A student with attention deficit gives advice to his teacher to bring out their unified best in the classroom.


"I need your patient encouragement, not shaming remarks."— Josh and Melinda Boring

Dear Teacher, as we prepare for another day of school together, can we pause for a moment? We have gone through my checklist, gathering everything I need for the day’s subjects. But did we go through your checklist? Both of us need to feel successful. Since you have helped me understand how you want me to prepare for school, here is my checklist for you.

10 Myths About ADHD Special Ed Law

Know the law: Which special education services are children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADD/ADHD) entitled to?

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After working in special-education law for more than 30 years, I have found that schools don’t always follow the letter and spirit of the law when providing accommodations and services for children protected under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, the law governing special education) and Section 504. If your special-needs child doesn’t receive some or all of the educational assistance he deserves and is legally entitled to, he may find school hard, and he may even fail.

Here are 10 common myths about ADD/ADHD special-education laws that some schools purvey, either through ignorance or in an attempt to discourage parents from requesting the help they should legally receive. Knowledge is power.

Myth 1: ADD/ADHD is not a real disorder and does not qualify as a disability.

The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher esteem those who think alike than those who think differently - Nietzche

Being on Time Means Being Early

I was watching Judd Apatow's This is 40 [again] last night with my husband in order to decompress from a troubling day, and was delighted to see my favorite scene come up about halfway through the film. The main character drops her kid off at school and the homeroom teacher greets her with:

Teacher: "Hi - um, listen, Charlotte really needs to get here on time because she really just needs the extra time to settle in."

Mom: [mystified] "We are on time."

Teacher: [deadpan] “Being on time means being early.”

Princeton Review Ranks 20 Most (And Least) LGBT-Friendly Colleges In America

The Princeton Review has released its list of the top 20 most LGBT-friendly colleges in the United States. The annual survey asked 126,000 students at 378 top colleges to rate their schools on a variety of subjects relating to academics, administrators and campus life. (Students ranked their campus on a five-point scale for each question.)

So which schools were most gay-friendly, according to their student body?

A ‘High’ From Marijuana Is Really the Opposite in Your Brain

Marijuana dulls your response to dopamine

A new study suggests marijuana blunts the brain’s reaction to dopamine, making users less responsive to the chemical responsible for feelings of reward and pleasure.