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Rhona Gordon, M.S., C.C.C./SLP, Author?

February 15, 2011 No comments

How exciting! We just notified the winner of our first Facebook fan contest that they will be receiving an autographed copy of Thinking Organized for Parents and Children. I hope that it will be as helpful to them as it has been for many of my other clients.

After we kicked-off the Facebook contest, I realized that I’ve never really told the story behind the “story.”

When I began working as a speech and language pathologist and organizational specialist, traveling throughout the Washington DC and New York metro areas and starting my own business, Thinking Organized, never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be able to add “author” to my list of accomplishments. When would I have time to sit down and write a book?

Seeing the needs of children, young adults and even adults in the business world, observing their difficulties and watching their struggles made me realize that if there was a way for them to understand the basis of executive functioning, a concept that has been the air I breathe for years, then maybe I could help them see that they didn’t need to struggle so much. There were so many people who I have been able to help by introducing them to the natural process of effective executive functioning; I wanted to share the story of how success can happen for everybody. If these people had a simple way to get the information they need, it could truly change the way they lived their lives – so I decided I needed to write it down.

At first it was a bit difficult to figure out how to make the book user-friendly for all kinds of parents. But as I moved along, I saw that my thoughts weren’t as hard to get out as I had anticipated. I drafted the book so that my readers didn’t have to read from cover to cover. The chapters are designed to act as a guide so you can skip from one to another in search of the information that you really need. A year or so later, I had successfully finished Thinking Organized For Parents and Children, my unimagined masterpiece.

I gathered my years of experience, my philosophies, and my practices and put them into words – chronicling the journeys of my real life students and letting parents know never to give up hope. This type of success takes time, especially as children get older and segue into their teen years, where they don’t even want to chat about their day at the dinner table, let alone talk about problems they’re having in the classroom.

Knowing that my book has actually made a difference in the lives of so many people, who were once struggling to get ahead, is more of an accomplishment than I could ever have imagined. In the end, students who learn these strategies cannot only manage their academic work independently, but also their everyday lives.

Communicating with your Children

January 20, 2011 No comments

There are many different ways that we try to reach our children and just as many reasons for doing so. Parents are expected to instruct, reinforce, discipline, model, comfort, organize, and negotiate with and for their children, as well as provide emotional, financial, physical and moral support. It’s a very big job.

The best way of getting a message across to a child varies depending on the individual’s age and personality. However, here are some time-honored Thinking Organized tips for communicating and reinforcing effective executive functions.

Toddlers: Make material organization as easy as possible for young children with labels and clear instructions. Provide a specific place for frequently used items such as winter clothes or favorite toys. Take advantage of the preschooler’s desire to help in order to reinforce these basic skills.
Elementary School: When school begins, children learn to bring material to and from school, manage homework and extra-curricular activities and maintain order in their bedrooms. However, parental instruction given during these years is sometimes best delivered with specific goals. For example, “please clean your room” may be less effective than “please throw away your trash,” “put dirty clothes in this bin,” and “make your bed.”
Middle School: As children grow older, so do their parents. If you feel like you are nagging your middle-school children, try written language. Sometimes, a reminder is more acceptable in the form of a note, and a series of requests less overwhelming when presented as a checklist.
High School: Email and texts have become the most efficient way of getting in touch with many high school students. Because teenagers are almost always socially connected, sending a message in electronic form is most likely to be noticed and taken seriously. Furthermore, e-communications have the advantage of being non-threatening to the delicate teenage ego.
College: By the time children leave for college, most are firmly entrenched in more than one communication method. Experiment with different ways to reach students away at school. Sometimes a “goodie” package received in the mail helps them remember that they are loved. Sometimes a text is a good way to say, “I’m thinking about you and can talk if you have a minute.” It is important to respect the independence granted to college students, but keep the doors of communication open.

Despite the age of your children, important information is best delivered and discussed face-to-face. However, for the mundane reminders that keep children on task and on time, sometimes parents need to resort to alternative methods of communication.

We’d love to hear your techniques for communicating with reluctant, resistant or just plain, regular children.

Prepare to relax

December 15, 2010 No comments

“Preparing to relax” sounds like an oxymoron; however, great holiday vacations take some preplanning. Whether or not your child’s time away from school will be spent on the road or around the house, a little forethought will ensure that everyone’s break will be fun, safe and enriching.

Although the holidays can be busy and stressful, it is important to remember to have fun. Plan some pleasurable events that will include the whole family, from the younger children to students home from college. Here is a short list of our ideas for relaxing and bonding activities:

Look through old family albums, or watch videos of the children when they were younger.
Drive around and look at holiday lights, rating them from “tasteful” to “tacky.”
Have a family board game night, pulling out some old favorites such as Monopoly or Scrabble.
Plan a meal together when each family member cooks a different dish.
Volunteer together at a local hospital, soup kitchen or food bank.

With all the bustle of gifts and parties, rest and relaxation can sometimes be forgotten. Scheduling in time for fun with your children is the perfect way to create great family memories and traditions.

Standardized Testing

November 15, 2010 No comments

Standardized testing is a part of every child’s life. From state testing to SATs, ACTs, GMATs and GREs, the longer a student pursues education the more testing he or she will have to complete. Some students become very anxious when asked to perform on an important assessment. Here are some basic tips for parents to help their children relax and do their best, but we’d love to hear your ideas as well:

Early preparation is better than cramming the night before. Younger children who practice math facts and reading comprehension strategies can face testing with a solid plan in place. Older students who take practice exams well before the big day will feel more confident with both the format and content of their test.
Healthy routines reap rewards. If a child has a regular, reasonable bedtime, then there is no benefit to altering it the night before a test. Trying to put him/her to bed early might cause unnecessary anxiety and actually postpone sleep longer. Likewise, a healthy breakfast is always the best start for a day of learning. Feeding your child significantly more than he or she is accustomed to eating can cause sluggishness.
Most importantly, stay positive. Encouraging your child to do his/her best and exuding confidence are the best tools for success.

However, many of our most practical suggestions come from parents and teachers. What works for you? Please reply to this blog with your comments and ideas.

Could it be a learning disability?

October 15, 2010 No comments

At some point in most students’ academic careers, work becomes more difficult and many children begin to struggle to achieve high grades. Many parents ask me, “How do I know if this is normal or if my child has a learning disability?” Some general signs that it may be time to have your student tested by a professional include:

Difficulty in reading or writing
Symptoms of A.D.H.D. such as maintaining focus or impulse control
Trouble following spoken or written instructions
Poor memory
Making poor grades despite significant effort
Frustration with school and homework and
Low self-esteem.

Adults often live with undiagnosed learning disabilities such as ADD or dyslexia. Many of the executives that visit my practice are very intelligent, successful individuals. However, as they’ve risen up the company ladder, it becomes increasingly difficult to “keep all their balls in the air.” They constantly feel like they are juggling to keep track of their materials, their appointments, commitments, written communications, etc…

When is it time to consult a professional?

In a child, if the suspected disability is interfering with either your student’s ability to learn or his/her self-esteem, a diagnosis from a professional is warranted. It can be beneficial to address any learning problems early in a child’s life before the difficulties become compounded. Possibly some modifications and adjustments in your child’s structures could improve many aspects of daily life.

Similarly for adults – if you are reasonably successful and have been dealing with a learning disorder your whole life, it may not be necessary to have a formal diagnosis. Certainly individuals who feel that they have characteristics of ADD or ADHD will benefit by strengthening their executive functioning skills, which can make one more productive and less anxious at any age. By practicing effective executive functions, you will find yourself better able to keep track of your belongings, schedule your time efficiently, work productively and organize the chaos in your brain, home and office.

WE’D LIKE TO KNOW. Deciding to have psychological or educational testing can be a nerve wracking proposition for some people. What made you decide to get professional testing or assistance for yourself or your child? When did you know it was the “right time?”

Back-to-School = Anxiety

September 1, 2010 No comments

Do you have a child who becomes anxious or oppositional when faced with transitions, such as beginning a new school year? Although everyone experiences anxiety as a normal response to dangerous or novel situations, some people can become overwhelmed during stressful times, experiencing rapid heartbeat, body aches, dizziness, sweating, shaking, sleeping problems and/or difficulties concentrating. Children who act angry, defiant or willful are often suffering with anxiety problems as well.

Adult anxiety mirrors the same behaviors. Most individuals become anxious when faced with stressful situations and for some of us, these apprehensions become debilitating. A recent study shows that over 40 million Americans have some sort of anxiety disorder¹.

Improving one’s executive function skills is a proven way to reduce anxiety. Children especially thrive on structure and organization in their academic lives and at home. By instituting a system for documenting obligations (such as a to-do list or an assignment notebook) as well as consistent procedures for organizing time (such as monthly calendars), you and your child can both rest assured that you aren’t missing any important obligations. Additionally, by practicing strategies to improve written language, parents can write emails, letters and memos that clearly and concisely convey their thoughts and ideas. Likewise, children who learn and institute structures of organized writing are less likely to become overwhelmed when assigned essays, research projects and term papers.

We would love to hear what techniques you have found helpful for reducing anxiety in yourself or your child.

1 http://patient-health-education.suite101.com/article.cfm/40_million_adult_anxiety_disorder_sufferers_in_a