Testing Day Reveals Different Story

Briana began the school year reading at “level E,” where a first grader should be in September. By November, she had progressed to “level G.” At the end of the year she reached “level J,” the benchmark for a second grader.Briana achieved a year’s worth of progress for a year’s worth of teaching, and increased her confidence along the way. But her test results told a different story.You see, Briana is not a first grader. She is a third-grade student with a learning disability.

Against All Odds, Couple Finds Joy

When you pitch stories like these and the journalist gets it, there's no better feeling. Knew as soon as I spoke with the couple on Monday night, that they would be great!

SUFFERN, N.Y. — He helps her put on her coat, opens the door for her, and cooks their meals almost every night. She does the dishes, makes his favorite cheesecake from scratch, and suffers watching wrestling on television only because he loves it.

Michael and Laurie Zeilberger, both 51, have been married 17 years and recently passed a big milestone in their lives — they paid off the mortgage on their one-bedroom condo. Both have held stable jobs for more than two decades and he has nursed her through poor health.

Such a loving and durable marriage would be an accomplishment for many couples. It’s especially remarkable for the Zeilbergers because both have learning disabilities.

“We want to be married like other people are married for 50, 60 years,” said Laurie. “It may be harder for us but we want to try.”

N.J. Family's Long Quest for Diagnosis

WAYNE, N.J. -- Kerri O'Rourke doesn't waste much time thinking about the lost years or placing blame on the town, the child-study teams or the first few specialists. In the rare instances the Wayne mother looks back instead of pressing forward, it is to be thankful for the people who helped her daughter, Brynn — the preschool teachers and current first grade teachers, the people of "The Doctors" TV show, neuropsychologist Dr. Steven Greco and Caroline Manzo.
Yes, that Caroline Manzo. The "Real Housewives of New Jersey" star was approached by "The Doctors" to be on an episode about children with learning disabilities after her son Albie revealed his learning disability on "RHONJ." As part of "The Doctors" episode, which airs Monday morning, Manzo went to the O'Rourkes' home and talked mother-to-mother. This meeting of strangers with a shared experience helped O'Rourke most. Talking to someone who truly understood, telling Manzo about the nights she lies awake and wonders if God gave her child to the wrong mom, if she can't handle it, if she isn't doing enough.

Age-Old Problem, Perpetually Absent Solution: Fitting Special Education to Students' Needs

As we gear up for the start of the school year, here is an interesting piece from Jay Mathews, an education reporter for The Washington Post. His assessment of the entire special education experience seems totally on target. Why do schools insist that a child fits into their program? Shouldn't the program be altered to fit the child's unique needs?

Miguel Landeros is a lanky, well-spoken 12-year-old about to begin seventh grade in Stafford County. He is severely learning disabled, with reading, writing and math skill levels at least two years below his peers, and needs special teaching, according to a licensed clinical psychologist at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore and other specialists.
Last February, Stafford officials refused to accept that evaluation and left him in regular classes. He performed poorly, failing all core subjects. Recently, they promised to give him more specialized services, but not the ones the experts who examined him say he needs.

Mayo Study Finds Anesthesia Not Harmful to Babies During Birth

ROCHESTER, Minn. -- Mayo Clinic researchers have found that children exposed to anesthesia during Cesarean section are not at any higher risk for learning disabilities later in life than children not delivered by C-section. These findings are reported in the current issue of the journal Anesthesiology.