I’ve spent a few blog entries providing parents and teachers with tips to help improve their children and students’ academic motivation. Lately, I’ve spoken with several adults and college students that would like to find ways to increase their own motivation. In the most basic sense, being motivated means wanting something and being willing to …Read More
Creating a Distraction-Free Environment
Apr 27, 2011
We at the ApaCenter often encourage students to study in a quiet, distraction-free environment in order to maximize their attention and learning. When trying to establish the best setting for you or your child to study, it may be helpful to consider the following questions: *Are there a lot of visual distracters such as clutter, …Read More
Levels of Learning
Apr 27, 2011
Many children, adolescents, and college students who come to the ApaCenter for help with learning have difficulty remembering the things they study. For some, lots of repetition can be helpful. For others, information into context and making is meaningful is the most helpful. Typically, repetition can allow us to learn and memorize simple information such …Read More
Time Management: Putting the Big Rocks First
Mar 24, 2011
When I began working at the ApaCenter, one of my supervisors provided me with a metaphor related to priorities that has really helped me balance my life and manage my time. She described all of the tasks we need to accomplish at rocks of various sizes. She described small tasks such as picking up the …Read More
Autism Early Intervention
Mar 17, 2011
A recent study published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry found additional evidence that early intervention is key to addressing the social difficulties associated with Autism. Though some parents are told to “wait and see” if their child develops more severe symptoms of Autism, catching warning signs and intervening early appears to lead …Read More
Reading Comprehension Tips
Feb 15, 2011
People of all ages experience trouble with reading comprehension. Sometimes this is due to difficulty with time management when reading, difficulty conceptualizing the information, or difficulty with attention. In either case, following these three steps: preview read, and recall, may help you or your child comprehend and retain written material more effectively. Preview Before you …Read More
Visual Versus Verbal Learning
Feb 15, 2011
I recently read an article in which Temple Grandin, the famous woman with Asperger Syndrome who was recently played by Claire Danes in an HBO movie, discussed how she thinks in pictures. She states that words are like a second language to her and that her natural mode of thinking is visual. Temple describes her …Read More
Where is the pitch?
Jan 25, 2011
In recent years there has been increasing interest in research related to cross-modal interactions in music. That is, researchers are starting to wonder how music relates to other senses besides hearing. For example, Western societies generally associate pitches in music with vertical space. We tend to think of lower sounding pitches as lower in space …Read More
Tips to Avoid Procrastination
Jan 17, 2011
I have been putting off writing my blog all week, so I thought I should write a blog on tips to avoid procrastination! Often, we procrastinate because we are afraid a project is too overwhelming to tackle (too large, too difficult, too time consuming, etc.), we are afraid we will not do well, or we …Read More
2011 Daily Planner
Dec 19, 2010
I decided to take some time to consider the most important advice that I would give someone as we approach the new year. I think that as January approaches, I would encourage everyone to buy a planner or calendar for the year 2011. I have worked with several individuals who have come to me with …Read More