Imagine the Possibilitiesby Lyn Balistreri, Director of Fund Development

CIn this issue

From the Director page 2

Inspirational Words page 3

Who are Molly and Anabel? pages 4-5

The Truth about Honesty pages 6-8

Social Skills Groups page 9

The 4-1-1 on EF pages 10-11

We've got Class(es) page 11

Creative Coping page 12

The Latest Centenarians page 13

Challenge Memories pages 14-15

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Child psychologist Jean Piaget said, “The goal of education is not to increase the amount of knowledge but to create the possibilities for a child to invent and discover, to create men who are capable of doing new things.”

With no disrespect to Piaget, whose terminology is dated, let’s replace the word “men” with “individuals” in his quote—and with that, move on to the point, which is that education is all about possibilities. And those possibilities are shaped by whether, beyond simply receiving an education, a child is given the tools that they need to reach their full potential.

For individuals who learn differently, these tools are not part of a standard education. That is where the outstanding educators in our community, as well as the services provided by Morrissey-Compton Educational Center, come in: by making the playing field more level for students with special needs.

On Wednesday, October 3, we invite you to share with us in celebrating all of our community’s outstanding educators—and to honor their work by helping us continue to provide scholarships for everyone who walks through Morrissey-Compton's doors—during a special evening event at the University Club of Palo Alto. We are pleased and proud to present our 2018 Honorees: Molly Black, Director Emeritus, Academic Resource Center, Crystal Springs Uplands School; and Anabel Lee Jensen, Ph.D., Co-Founder, Six Seconds and Professor, Notre Dame de Namur University.

Help Us Help Others Morrissey-Compton's clients and friends understand better than anyone what a difference individualized services and attention can make in the lives of gifted students who find it difficult to keep up with their peers simply because they learn differently. Sadly, when a family is struggling financially,

Quarterly News

A not-for-profit 501(c)(3) corporation

Morrissey-ComptonE D U C A T I O N A L C E N T E R , I N C .

Fall 2018

A Letter from the Director

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Dear Friends,

Welcome to the fall issue of our newsletter! We have been very busy at Morrissey-Compton, not just with our services, but with our donor communications; the invitations went out recently for our Fall Fundraising Event, and our 2017 Annual Report was just published. If you did not receive it, you are welcome to review it on our website. It came out a bit late, but is well worth the read. And in reflecting on how we did last year as we put the report together, I am compelled to give you a brief update on the current status of the agency.

This year will be a pivotal one for Morrissey-Compton and we are renewing our efforts to strengthen community ties, for two reasons. First, while we are still the only agency on the Peninsula that offers a complete suite of services directed specifically towards individuals who learn differently, there is much more competition out there, and we can no longer rely solely on word of mouth as our source for new clients. Second, we wish to reach more families who can benefit from our services but cannot afford to pay full price. Research has shown that learning differences are more prevalent in households living in poverty, and while the exact causes remain unknown, it is clear that there are many young people in our local underserved communities who desperately need our help but are unaware of its availability.

One of the ways that we are reaching out is by seeking partnerships with local businesses. Our staff experts are more than happy to present information regarding learning differences to concerned parents, and Bay Area companies are well-positioned to improve the quality of life for those less fortunate. Together, we are hoping to improve educational outcomes for local youth, build a stronger, healthier community, start breaking the cycle of generational poverty, and create a more educated workforce. We welcome your help in this endeavor if you work for or have contacts at local businesses who might be interested in hearing more about the services that Morrissey-Compton provides.

I also regret to inform you that we recently made the difficult decision to not renew the lease for our satellite office in Half Moon Bay. However, we will still maintain a presence in the community. The Half Moon Bay Library has graciously offered to lend us space where we are planning to offer Free Parent Education Classes and where Educational Specialist Edwige Gamache will continue to see clients (as well as in her home).

On a happier note, as you will read on page 12, our spring crowdfunding effort, “Fund Dreams, Support Morrissey-Compton” raised more than $111,000 for our agency this year and increased our online presence significantly. Events such as these that use innovative ways to reach both loyal and new donors will continue to play an important role in our annual fundraising efforts. To all who gave during this effort, we cannot thank you enough for your support.

I hope you enjoy reading the rest of this issue, which includes great information, staff expertise, current offerings, a fun album featuring Challenge Summer School 2018, the opportunity to get to know this year's Outstanding Educators, Molly Black and Anabel Jensen, and details regarding the celebration we will hold in their honor on October 3 (and which we hope you will attend!). Please My promise to you is that we will continue to do our very best to provide the highest quality services for individuals who learn differently, to explore new ways to reach as many of them as possible, and to increase our ability to provide financial aid to families in need. Now, more than ever, there is a need for nonprofit agencies to offer kindness, support, and hope for the future.

With Warmest Wishes,

John T. Brentar, Ph.D.

In a Client's Words

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Graduation Speechby Anna Gordon, 8th Grade Student, April 24, 2018

I’m gonna be happy, I’m gonna be free, and successful. Those are the words I would tell myself. Well, the world had other plans. I can remember being five or six; I was in first or second grade. We had a spelling test that day. I wanted to be the one reading out all the words to the class. I thought I was going to get all the words right and get a gold star. I raised my hand, my teacher called on me, and I read out the words.

I got every single word wrong. And after that spelling test, I learned to stop raising my hand to save myself the humiliation. It was like in that instant we were all pieces of wood in a shop. I wasn’t like the rest, so someone decided to put me against a sanding belt and made me small and dull to make sure I didn’t stand out, to make sure no one would notice me, yet still too valuable to throw away. I had forgotten who I was. The world had told me who I was gonna be.

It was fourth grade. I had to stay in at recess because I couldn’t figure out these stupid math problems that tortured me endlessly through the page. My teacher finally let me go out to recess and I went to the playground to go find my friends. When I got there, I heard them talking about my brother—how he had to go to a special school because he was dumber than other kids. One of them said, “I wonder if stupidity is contagious?” Someone else answered, “It must be, look at his sister.” I went up to them and said, “You shouldn’t say that stuff

about people behind their backs. Their response was, “What are you gonna do about it?” they pushed me off the playground. I was winded and trying to catch my breath, as I lay on the ground, looking at my persecutors. The last thing they said to me was, “You should stay on the ground where you belong.” I transferred schools a month later.

I was now finally at the amazing school where my brother went, the school that could fix all of my problems. Boy was I wrong. I came to school very cautious.

I hadn’t ever felt safe at school, so I was on guard for anything. The school day went by, nothing happened. I was ecstatic that this was finally my school. All the bullying had stopped, but school didn’t really get easier. I still couldn’t turn in my homework on time and most of my assignments would get lost.

Over the years things got a little better. I started to care about school, which I know would surprise some people. Now, of course, I still have a lot of obstacles to get through and a lot more strategies I need to learn, but I’m on a much better path than I was. I would like to thank my parents. I wasn’t the easiest child to raise. I was very hyper and got in a lot of trouble. Thank you for not disowning me and

never giving up on me.

Thank you to my friends at school who accepted all my issues and my weirdness. Thank you to everyone who tried to destroy, break, or damage me, and you know who you are. You taught me the most important life lessons. As for my future, I hope to graduate high school. After that, I hope to join the navy and become an 0-6, otherwise known as a captain.

So as Albert Einstein once said, “Everyone is a genius but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” I started at this school as somebody else, I was beaten, defiled, lost, and hopeless. I hated the world and everyone in it. I came with bruises and scars thinking I was broken and unfixable. Now I am leaving strong, brave, independent, hopeful. I will always have my struggles, the world will always try to change me and the person I am.

But it will not prevail. Yes I am still as broken and scared as I was when I came here. But last time I checked broken crayons still color. To my fellow peers: This is your life, your story, your book. Do not let anyone else write it and do not apologize for the edits you make. I ask everyone here to do me a little favor: I want all of you to try and remember who you were, before the world told you who you were gonna be. Then try to become that person

"I still have a lot of obstacles to get through and a lot more strategies I need to learn, but I’m on a much

better path than I was."

Molly Black has 24 years of experience working with students in secondary and post-secondary education, including students with diagnosed learning differences, ADHD, and executive function (EF) challenges, as well as students who simply need strategies for study skills, time management, planning, and organization. She helped countless families during her most recent position as the director of the Academic Resource Center at Crystal Springs Uplands School in Hillsborough, which she held from 2006-2018.

One parent recalls, “My own daughter is a graduate of Crystal Springs. Molly was a tremendous help to our family in identifying her learning difference, providing the necessary academic support for assessments and classwork, identifying resources that would help with assignments, and most importantly, Molly was a tireless advocate during this journey. Because of this foundation, my daughter was able to continue to receive the necessary support and accommodations as she transitioned to becoming a college undergraduate.”

Molly founded the Learning Disability Program at Stanford University, where she worked from 1984-1994, serving as assistant dean of students and director of the Student Disability Resource Center. From 1994-1995 she was a research associate at the Lexia Institute, a local nonprofit that provides

lesson planning resources for teachers who use phonics-based methods for literacy instruction for students with dyslexia and other learning differences. Molly was the director of the Academic Resource Center at the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin from 1995-1997, and from 1997-1999 was a reading tutor coordinator and trainer at the Redwood

City Public Library’s Project READ.

Molly has been a friend of Morrissey-Compton for years, having spent time doing independent study with Dr. Carolyn Compton while she was at the Children’s Health Council and, more recently, with Morrissey-Compton Clinicians and EF Coaches Dr. Surina Basho and Dr. Raymond Jones. She has also collaborated extensively with Executive Director Dr. John Brentar.

Molly has travelled to Leon, Mexico; Shanghai, China; and Zambia, Africa to participate in student cultural exchanges, volunteering in an orphanage in Mexico, helping to build a school and provide classroom furnishings in Zambia, and supporting a victim of human trafficking in The Congo. She also spent a year in Northern Ireland volunteering for the Community of Peace People, winners of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1976 for their efforts to foster peace between Catholics and Protestants in Belfast. Molly currently lives in Santa Rosa.

Accomplished educator and author Anabel Jensen is recognized around the world for her work with curriculum utilizing emotional intelligence. Also known as emotional quotient, or EQ, Wikipedia defines emotional intelligence as “The capability of individuals to recognize their own emotions and those of others, discern between different feelings and label them appropriately, use emotional information to guide thinking and behavior, and manage and/or adjust emotions to adapt to environments or achieve one's goal(s).” Anabel co-founded and is President of the nonprofit Six Seconds, which publishes widely-used EQ tests and has become known for the "Six Seconds Model," a process for putting the skills of emotional intelligence into action. Anabel has stated that her goal is to develop 1 billion emotional intelligence practitioners by 2039, which happens to be the year she turns 100.

While her work with Six Seconds led to the Silicon Valley Business Journal designating Anabel as one of its “Top 100 Women of Influence” in 2015, many of Morrissey-Compton’s clients might be more familiar with Anabel in her current position as a full professor at Notre Dame De Namur University’s School of Education and Leadership, where she has taught since 1993, or from her past positions as Nueva School’s executive director (1983-1997) and as Synapse School’s co-founder and CEO (2010-2013).

Anabel has co-authored four books on teaching emotional intelligence, written numerous articles on the subject, and has trained more than 20,000 educators and leaders around the world. Her career has been devoted to the concept that everyone has the potential to be a change maker for the greater good, and she strives to help people find the best in themselves and each other.

Born in Idaho and now a resident of San Mateo, Anabel earned both her B.A. in Psychology and a Masters of Education from Brigham Young University. She received her Ph. D. in 1976 from the University of California, Berkeley, where she majored in Child Development and minored in Statistics.

Anabel has served on the Board of Directors at Six Seconds since 1997 and has been its President since 2015. She has also been on the Board at Synapse School since 2007, including serving as President for nine years; on the Board at Connect Charter School since 2017. Her past educational board affiliations include both Carey School and Odyssey Middle School in San Mateo. She received a Kellor Teaching Award in 2001 from Notre Dame de Namur University; a Gifted Educator Award in 2012 from the California Association for the Gifted; an Outstanding Achievement Award in 2017 from the Pocatello Foundation.

ContinuedCover Story

specialized services may be out of reach; but for those who live in the Bay Area, they never have to be, because Morrissey-Compton’s Scholarship Fund makes services accessible for everyone who needs them, regardless of ability to pay. All of the proceeds from our Fall Event go directly to providing scholarships to individuals and families over the next year.

For this type of fundraising event, most organizations charge for tickets and encourage additional donations. Morrissey-Compton does not charge for tickets because we want all educators to feel welcome to attend without the cost being out of reach. We are most grateful for gifts in any amount, which can be made before or during the event. Whether or not you can give at this time, we do hope that you will join us for this lovely evening of celebration, tribute, and friendship.

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continued from page 1Imagine the Possibilities!

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Please join us at our 12th Annual

Scholarship Event:“Imagine the Possibilities!”

Proceeds from this event will benefit Morrissey-Compton’s Scholarship Fund, providing financial aid to families in need of services.

Wednesday, October 3, 2018 Cocktails & Music: 5:30 to 6:15pm Dinner & Program: 6:30 to 9:00pm

University Club of Palo Alto 3277 Miranda Ave, 94304 (next to the V.A. Hospital)

RSVP by September 26, 2018 at morrissey-compton.org

Morrissey-ComptonE D U C A T I O N A L C E N T E R , I N C .

Anabel Lee Jensen, Ph.D.When you give to Morrissey-Compton Educational Center

in honor of your favorite educator(s), you are telling

them that they have not only made a difference in your life, but have inspired a legacy of helping others. To give, visit

morrissey-compton.org.

Molly Black

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Practical Help

Is Honesty Always the Best Policy?by Sue Garber, M.A., Director of Parent Education and Social Skills Groups

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You probably grew up being taught that honesty is the best policy, but is this statement unequivocally true?

Complete honesty can sometimes cause hurt feelings, such as in the following examples:

• A child having difficulty making friends on the playground because he or she walks away when listening to a story that is not interesting to him/her.

• A child who offers his/her honest opinion that another child’s hair looked a lot better before a haircut.

• A child who opens a gift at a birthday party and tells the gift giver that it is not what he/she wanted.

How should children balance the notion that honesty is the best policy with the other famous adage about complete honesty—that it’s brutal?

Not All Lies are Created Equal When we think about lies, we generally think about “bad” lies. These are the lies that when discovered, undermine trust. When children purposely lie, their intent is generally to avoid doing undesirable activities or to prevent the consequences of getting caught doing something that is wrong.

However, some lies are told to spare the feelings of another person. According to Oxforddictionaries.com, a white lie is “A harmless or trivial lie, especially one told to avoid hurting someone's feelings.” In other words, as per the dictionary, it’s possible for some lies to be “harmless.” Think of how overwhelmingly contrary this definition runs to what most children are taught about lying.

Early Childhood In fact, lying is a symptom of normal, foundational growth in young children’s social development. Around the age of two, children begin to view others as separate beings with separate thoughts and feelings, and they instinctually begin using their newfound understanding to tell lies. For example, a young child might say that they didn’t eat a certain cookie, even though their face is covered with

chocolate. Those lies themselves are not intentionally deceptive; at that stage of development, children are unable to logically discern truth from lies—their behaviors are solely emotionally

motivated. Returning to the example, the child perceived a parent’s expression or tone of voice as disapproving, and lied about eating the cookie to avoid that discomfort.

Around the age of seven, children begin to have the ability to recognize that their words can impact the feelings of others. Along with this developmental ability to understand the reciprocal nature of relationships, children become capable of telling lies that are well intentioned and have the purpose of sparing someone’s feelings. Commonly referred to as “white lies,” these untruths are trivial, harmless, and are based on sensitivity toward how the other person might feel if they were told your absolutely true thoughts or feelings. The ability to tell a trivial lie to spare someone from hurt feelings is an indicator of the development of positive social skills.

Prosocial Lies The ability to know when to use a white lie (herein referred to as a prosocial lie) relies on the ability to see situations from another person’s perspective. Some children have difficulty predicting the impact that their words or behavior will have on another person. Having been taught the value of being honest, they are concrete and literal in their communication. Children who have weaknesses in social thinking or pragmatic language skills may find it challenging to come up with a prosocial lie “in the moment.” According to Understood.org, a website with information about learning and attention issues, pragmatics are defined as “the unspoken, subtle rules of spoken language that allow people to connect…the give-and-take of a conversation.” The American Speech-Language-

Hearing Association (ASHA) further describes pragmatic language, with the following examples of rules for conversations and storytelling:

• Taking turns when you talk.• Letting others know the topic

when you start talking.• Staying on topic.• Trying another way of saying

what you mean when someone did not understand you.

• Using gestures and body language, like pointing or shrugging.

• Knowing how close to stand to someone when talking.

• Using facial expressions and eye contact.

As a facet of social communication, school age children are expected to know when it is appropriate to tell a prosocial lie, in order to spare someone’s feelings.

The Social Fake An effective technique for showing interest during conversation is the “Social Fake,” a concept developed by Michelle Garcia Winner, creator of the Social Thinking® Methodology (www.socialthinking.com) and an internationally recognized expert in the study and teaching of social thinking.

Effectively using the social fake involves the ability to interpret a social situation and adjust one's language and behavior to avoid hurting someone's feelings.

The social fake can be a useful strategy when a child is listening to another child talk about something that he is not interested

in. Actively listening, by maintaining eye contact, nodding and making comments such as “uh huh, yeah or cool,” as well as asking follow up questions can give the child speaking a feeling of being listened to and cared about—a cornerstone of communication and friendship.

Most of us frequently use the social fake, without even being aware of it. For example, let’s say that your neighbors are out walking their ferocious-looking pit bull and stop to say, “Look at our new dog; isn’t he so cute?” You are thinking that he is not cute and in fact you are afraid of big dogs. You could use the social fake to make a comment that would be positive and leave your neighbors feeling good. Your response might be “He sure is big, but he looks friendly.” This isn’t your true thought, but no harm is done and your neighbors’ feelings are spared.

Brutal Honesty An adult may cringe when a toddler is asked if they like a new shirt that grandma just gave them and they say that it feels itchy and they hate it, but this response is attributed to a very young child’s limited ability to consider the effect of their words on another person’s feelings. However, an elementary school aged child is expected to have a more nuanced response—one that takes into account Grandma’s feelings. For kids who are very concrete, literal thinkers, any answer but the truth is a lie.

Developing healthy friendships can be challenging for children

who are not able to tell prosocial lies. For example, kids who have difficulty reading the non-verbal cues in conversation may be unaware that they appear disinterested in a story that a peer is telling. Since other kids may interpret this lack of connection in the conversation as self-centered behavior, teaching kids how to show interest in a conversation (even if they are not very excited by the topic) helps them make and keep friends.

The Art of Empathy Early in my experience as a group leader helping kids learn reciprocal conversation skills that facilitate connection and the development of friendships, I began asking elementary school and middle school age kids what they thought the purpose of conversation was. Responses were varied, and included, “getting to know someone,” “telling someone a story or how to do something,” “helping a person who is hurt,” and “asking someone to play with you.” I was surprised to hear that many of the kids with weak pragmatic language or weak perspective taking skills believed that the purpose of communication was solely to impart information or facts. This was an important discovery, because it opened the door for us to discuss how conversation and communication help people connect to each other and show caring and empathy.

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Our Social Skills Groups help children learn the nuances in behavior that lead to successfully relating to others! Turn to page 9 for a list of current group offerings.

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Honesty Continued

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Social Skills Groups

Teaching kids how to maintain eye contact in a natural way (without staring), nod their head to indicate listening, make related comments, ask questions, and match the emotion of the speaker helps them develop the perspective-taking skills that are a prerequisite to showing empathy. Kids can generally think of another person (usually an adult) who “gets” how they feel. Once they become aware that they can show other kids that they “get” how those kids feel and that other kids can “get” how the child feels, progress is made toward the kind of communication that builds friendships.

Practicing the Social Fake Pretending to be interested when one is not may seem awkward initially but tends to get easier as kids practice. Practice can be done in a fun, silly, game-like fashion, where a parent or other child tells an intentionally boring story (for example, about broccoli, a light bulb, or dirt), and the listener is challenged to use the social fake to convincingly appear interested. The success of the social fake is determined by whether the story teller felt like the listener was paying attention and seemed interested in his/her story.

Another time that the social fake is valuable is when a child opens presents, such as at a birthday party. When the birthday boy or girl takes center stage, surrounded by guests and gifts, it takes savvy social skills to remember to first open and read the card, then unwrap each gift and have an appropriately excited reaction, make a personal comment about what you like about that gift, followed by scanning the crowd for your friend, so that you can make a sincere thank you, using your friend’s name, while making eye contact. In this writer’s experience

raising three sons, present-opening time was the most likely time for the festive mood to change to one of impatience, with kids vying to have their gift opened next and the birthday child feeling overwhelmed. It seemed like the kids who had a brief but appreciative reaction to each gift fared the best. Something like, “Cool! Thanks, (name of gift giver)” got the job done. It does not matter if the recipient feels that the

gift is for someone younger/not fun/boring, or they already own one, the social fake ensures that all gift givers feel acknowledged.

So, using the social fake is okay, even though it doesn’t represent one’s true thoughts or feelings. It is a skill that shows that one is able to understand another person’s point of view. Developing healthy friendships requires perspective-taking, the ability to consider others’ feelings, and a willingness to adjust your behavior to keep them feeling comfortable rather than upset or uncomfortable.

Teaching a child how to listen and respond in a way that shows acceptance and caring toward another child can have surprising benefits for the listener. This child may find out interesting information from the child who is speaking, and the two may realize that they have common interests. Also, a child who listens empathically is more likely to be listened to when it is their turn to talk. Mastering the social fake helps children get through conversations that they find boring, while building or maintaining a relationship. Conversations can be visualized as a ping pong game, with the participants taking turns talking. Children who learn strategies to keep the game going enjoy greater levels of connection and fun with their peers.

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Developing healthy friendships requires perspective-taking, the ability to consider

others’ feelings, and a willingness to adjust your behavior to keep them

feeling comfortable rather than upset or uncomfortable.

Morrissey-Compton's ongoing skill-building groups take place at our Redwood City office as well as at a group site in Palo Alto. Groups are available for kids who struggle with making or keeping friends, impulse control, anxiety, emotion regulation, and managing stress. There are typically four to six boys or girls in a group who are close in age and have similar challenges and goals.

Social Skills: Making and Keeping FriendsFor children who have difficulty navigating the social dynamics involved in peer relationships. Topics include active listening, perspective taking, reading non-verbal cues, reciprocal conversation skills, noticing feelings in themselves and others, understanding how their behavior affects others, and problem solving with peers. 3rd - 4th grade: Thursdays, 4:15 to 5:30pm in Redwood City, starts on 9/13/18 4th - 5th grade boys: Tuesdays, 4:15 to 5:30pm in Palo Alto, starts on 8/28/18 (FULL)5th - 6th graders: Wednesdays, 6:30 to 7:45pm in Redwood City, starts on 9/12/18

Stop, Relax and Think: Managing Impulses and Strong EmotionsSome children need extra support to improve self-control, recognize emotions in themselves and others, and understand how their behavior affects their peers. Children will practice listening skills, and strategies to slow down and think before speaking or acting. 1st - 2nd grade: Wednesdays, 5 to 6:15pm in Redwood City, starts on 8/22/18 (FULL)

Girl Drama!Middle school can be a very stressful time for girls, as they navigate the many social, emotional and physical changes that come with adolescence. Girls will explore friendship challenges, such as dealing with exclusion, bossy girls, teasing or feeling like they just don't "fit in." This group will focus on building self-esteem, confidence, and self-advocacy. 5th - 7th grade girls: Mondays, 5:30 to 7:30pm in Palo Alto, starts on 9/10/18, note: Includes weekly dinner of pizza and salad.

Fall 2018 Groups for Kids

For information, to register for any group, or to get on the waiting list for Groups

that are full, please fill out the online Group Interest

Form at morrissey-compton.org/group_programs.php,

and you will be contacted by Sue Garber, M.A., Director of

Parent Education and Groups.

Staff Experts

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Bring a Speaker to Your School, Parent Group, or Other OrganizationMorrissey-Compton’s staff experts are qualified to speak on many subjects related to education and learning differences. We offer a variety of topics to choose from, or you can request topics customized to fit your needs.

For information regarding staff presentations, contact Sue Garber, M.A. at (650) 322-5910 or sue.garber@morrcomp.org.

Homework 911! Helping Your Child with Homework & Organizational Skills (Grades K- 5) Erin Powers, M.Ed., B.C.E.T. It’s a new school year! Is your child spending more time getting started on homework than actually doing it? How involved should parents be helping their child with homework? Learn how to minimize homework stress and help your child develop systems to organize homework, assignments, and materials. Join us for this highly practical (and entertaining!) class and leave with strategies to ease the stress of homework for your child as well as for yourself. Thursday, September 13, 6:30 to 8pm

Dysgraphia: Understanding & Supporting Students who Struggles to Express Themselves in Writing Priya Tjerandsen, M.A. Some children and adolescents hate to write, have difficulty getting their thoughts into writing, spell better orally than in writing, are better able to convey thoughts through speaking than through writing, and create written worka that may include a jumbled mixture of upper and lower case letters. Some writing may be illegible, even to the writer. Learn to recognize the symptoms of dysgraphia and review a summary of research on this learning profile. You will leave with valuable recommendations for intervention and tips for how to partner with schools to make sure that your sons or daughters are able to reach their potential as writers. Thursday, September 20, 6:30 to 8pm

Check our website soon to register for other free parent education classes:October:

• Helping Your Very Sensitive Child Learn Skills to Manage Strong Emotions

• Supporting the Development of Healthy Friendships in Elementary and Middle School

November:• Mindfulness Tools for Empowering Children & Young

Adolescents Who Struggle with Stress, Anxiety, & Depression

• How Many "Likes" Does it Take to Feel Accepted? The Impact of Social Media on the Self-Esteem of Young Adolescents

December: • Creating a Culture of Simplicity and Gratitude During the

Holidays: Helping Your Children Decrease Materialism While Creating Family Traditions That Fit with Your Values

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Executive Function Therapy

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One Size Does Not Fit All For EF Challenges by Dr. Surina Basho, Director, EF Research Program

AAll of us use executive function (EF) skills every day in our lives. Students use them the most when they are learning in school and doing academics. For many students with EF challenges, though, the typical ways that we plan, prioritize, organize, remember, self-monitor, and engage in mental flexibility do not work for them.

In treating students with EF differences, over the years I have discovered that one size does not fit all for this population. For instance, when working on planning skills, one student may feel overwhelmed by using an online calendar, such as a google calendar, because visuo-spatially it is too much for them and there are too many steps to using it. But another student may love google calendar and like the different features it has to offer (e.g., color codings, reminders, syncing across devices, etc.). And yet another student may like both online and paper planners but not know “how” to use either of them effectively, so they don’t use them at all.

How Do I Help these Students? One thing I do is to ask simple, guided questions. I do this in a curious way and not in a judgmental tone. This is very important because students with EF challenges know that they have struggles and that they “mess up” sometimes (and in some cases, a lot). When people ask them questions about why they “messed up,” they naturally go to their self-defense mechanisms. They either tune out, just go through the motions, or shut down completely. This does not help the student learn about him- or

herself. The goal of guided questions is to help the student (and me, the clinician) understand why something happened, what they can do about it (e.g., problem-solve and strategies), and how to help him- or herself in the future. Then, over time, for the student to be able to ask her or himself these questions independently.

Examples of Guided Questions For example, if a student were struggling with missing assignments I would ask them first if they know that they have missing assignments? I want to check on their self-awareness, meaning, do they know they are struggling? If they don’t, then we would talk through how and where they can check if they have missing assignments. Next, I would ask them if they know which assignments are missing. This is checking in regarding how many

details they know about their assignments or if they are unclear about them. Then, if their school has an online system for assignments, we would search for the missing assignments together in the system. I would ask them whether they remember doing the assignment? If they do remember doing it, then we try to find it in their

binder or online assignment folders. At the same time, I would ask them why they didn’t turn it in? Immediately I would follow up with possible answers for them to choose from. Did they forget to turn it in? Did they think they turned it in but didn’t double check? Did they forget to put it in their binder or submit it online?

Again, help them think through what happened in a curious way (not a judgmental way). I provide options of the “why” for students because they tend to have a hard time pinpointing why something happened (or the cause). I also want them to practice using their frontal lobes and guide them through thinking about the causes and effects (or consequences). If we can’t find the assignment, then we figure out how to problem-solve the situation. I walk them through more questions, such as what can you do about the missing assignment? When do you think you can get it done? How will you remind yourself to get it done, what strategy can you use? Can you use a post-it note, put it in your google calendar, put it in your planner, or put it on your to-do list in google keep? Is the time frame realistic with everything you have going on right now?

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I go through this process of guided questioning many times and over many sessions with a student. Each time, we both learn a new piece of information from the question, which then helps guide us in problem-solving the situation and in developing strategies that work for her or him.

The goal of guided questions is for the student to begin to learn the following:

1. How to identify the “why” or “cause” (e.g., why they have missing assignments) behind things

2. How they can problem-solve a situation

3. What strategies they can use4. What they can do differently the

next time around

It takes time for students to begin to ask these questions to her- or himself without prompting from another person. The amount of time it takes depends on different factors such as the age of the student, how long a student has been struggling with a specific area, how cognitively flexible they are, and if they have multiple diagnoses impacting them.

Five Ws and One H One way you can help your child to develop these self-questioning skills is to ask them the five Ws and one H. These are Who, What, Where, Why, When, and How. It is a powerful framework for information gathering that is typically used for reading comprehension. My colleague Dr. Raymond Jones, who teaches the EF Bootcamp at Morrissey-Compton, instructs students in how to use the five Ws and one H for calendaring, planning and prioritizing, project planning, studying for tests, and more. This summer, practice asking your children guided questions in a curious manner and reflecting with them on the answers they give!

Pre-registration required. Links to register via Eventbrite can be accessed at morrissey-

compton.org/parent_education_rc.php

FREE Parent Education

Morrissey-Compton has staff clinicians

who specialize in helping individuals with EF difficulties.

For info and appointments, call

650-322-5910.

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Staff Expertise

Do Rorschach Inkblots Fit Into Psychology Today?by Ben Morsa, Psy.D.

This summer marks the 100th anniversary of the creation of the Rorschach inkblots. No test has fascinated psychologists and laypeople alike quite like the Rorschach. The task is deceptively simple, requiring the ten inkblots, still in use today. The examinee is asked, “What might this be?” and then provides an account of what they see.

“What” many wonder, “could this possibly say about a person’s personality?” The history of the Rorschach reflects the tensions and aspirations that are part and parcel with the profession of psychology. Should individuals be studied with quantitative tools and models, compared to bell curves of their peers, and assigned a rank among them? Or should psychologists instead attempt to understand the nuances and idiosyncrasies that make each person unique? There is merit to both perspectives, but the conflict between them says something about the enduring importance of the Rorschach. What’s more, it captures something of the dilemma many parents experience when they bring their child for psychological assessment.

Origination Herman Rorschach, born in Zurich, Sitzerland in 1884 (and a Brad Pitt doppelganger), was known to be a gifted artist and clinician. He spent much of his career in asylums, treating patients whose prospects were bleak. But his diaries and others’ accounts of him, as captured in his biography The Inkblots, also

emphasize Rorschach’s unique capacity to care for, connect with, and appreciate each of his patients as individuals.

Contrary to popular belief, the blots are not random. They were designed through a painstaking process

with one goal in mind—to present people with an ambiguous but evocative situation and ask them to make sense of it. This, Rorscachers believe, provides irreplaceable

insight into how individuals structure and make meaning of the world around them. In the conflict between tests that compare

individuals to groups and tests that attempt to understand the individual in their own right, the Rorschach leans toward the latter.

Evolution Early uses of the test in the United States

were far-reaching and inconsistent, leading to advances in the test’s use and interpretation. In the years after World War II, systems of interpreting responses to the Rorschach proliferated—some more accurate and ethical than others. This led John Exner to conduct psychometric research and integrate the many systems under one umbrella: the Comprehensive System, first introduced in 1974. More recently, Bay Area psychologists built on this work to create the Rorschach Performance Assessment System. The same ten inkblots remain, as does their purpose: to understand an individual’s personality and way of making meaning in the world. But the newer systems offer consistency and a common language for interpreting the test, which have made it all the more useful as a result.

Testing can help to clarify complex questions about a child’s functioning and can provide a platform for advocating for needed services and accommodations. This process inevitably requires that a psychologist compare the child’s performance to their peers’. Many parents find this daunting and may, understandably, fear their child will be seen as a point on a bell curve, rather than the beautiful being parents know their child to be. Here the Rorschach can be most helpful, for it illuminates, in a way other tests cannot, the uniqueness of each personality. Alongside more quantitative measures, the Rorschach can provide a holistic view of a child’s inner world and the resourceful ways they use it to make sense of the world around them.

Dealing with a Lifetime of Learning Differently

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Those who learn differently are most fortunate to find their way to Morrissey-Compton Educational Center, where they learn special techniques to help them leverage their strenghts to compensate for areas of weakness. However, many go through school without access to these special services. These individuals either learn to compensate, or struggle their entire lives. This testimonial was shared by a member of Morrissey-Compton's Board of Directors.

I was in college before I figured out I had a learning issue. One day while reviewing my results on a physics exam, I had an insight. I finally understood why I often got only partial credit. I would set up the problem properly, apply the correct physics, solve the problem using algebra or calculus, and then get the wrong answer. The multiplication was correct because I was using a slide rule, a kind of mechanical calculator, but when I had to add or subtract I would often make a mistake. For example, I would add 2 + 3 and often get 6, not 5; or multiply 2 X 3 and get 5, not 6. My brain somehow confuses these simple arithmetical operations. I can do higher mathematics quite easily but I cannot add

and subtract without making errors.

I am now 66, had a successful career as an engineer and operations vice president, and I still have this problem. I will always have this problem. I learned to cope by always checking my work with a calculator. This made college very difficult, as calculators were not available until after I finished. My current strategy to cope with this problem is to use the calculator on my iPhone.

I also have an auditory processing issue. Before smart phones, voicemail was the most common way of leaving a message. Someone would leave me a phone number and I would listen to the number and write it down as they were talking. Most of the time I would transpose numbers. I would listen to the number three or four times to check, and still get it wrong. The same thing still happens when I use my credit card to buy something on the internet: I transpose numbers. My coping strategy was to have someone listen to the number to see if I got it right. Now that we have smart phones, this is no longer necessary; I check my work by reading the number left to right, checking each digit one at a time.

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Fund Development NotesThank You for Funding $110,000 Worth of DREAMS!by Lyn Balistreri, Director, Fund Development

Thanks to our generous supporters, the efforts of staff and Board members who signed up as fundraisers, and in particular the amazing matching gifts and incentives offered by the Grace-Rosenberg Foundation, Yvonne & Angelo Sangiacomo Family Foundation, The Wiley Family, and an anonymous Board member, the second year of our annual crowdfunding event, Fund DREAMS, Support Morrissey-Compton was hugely successful, raising over $11,000 for the agency!

The event, which took place during the first two weeks of May, kicked off by offering a 1:1 match for the first $20,000 in gifts, plus a special 2:1 match for the first $5,000 in gifts from families who have benefited from Challenge Summer School.

On behalf of those students who will now be able to access supportive services at Morrissey-Compton that will help make their dreams of belonging, achievement, and happiness become reality, we thank you for caring.

Special Thanks to Our SponsorsGrace-Rosenberg Family Foundation

The Wiley Family

Perspective

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Challenge Summer School 2018 Yearbook

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Challengeby Sofia

Summer school is great,

we all get to create,

great work and talent today to celebrate!

From yoga to math which is probably a blast,

we all get our work done and we make it fast!

From reading to recreation,

and our learning stations,

we all create our writing with the help of our imagination!

For kids who didn't come to Challenge School this summer,

what a bummer!

Maybe you could join us next year and discover!

And for the kids that did a great job today...

hope you have a nice memory to share,

Always remember this day and your talent, celebrate!

The End!!!

The three goals of Challenge School are to:

• Maintain academic skills over the summer

• Foster self-esteem and academic confidence

• Teach alternative strategies for reading, writing, math, and organization/executive function.

Learning happens using a fun, theme-based curriculum. Our theme for 2018 was "Yay for the Bay!"

Challenge School has been a favorite of both kids and parents for 36 years. The only private summer school that is not part of a year-round special education school, we enjoy a

high rate of return-by the student's own choice!

Every Challenge School Student receives high-quality,

individualized attention and preparation for the following

school year.

Challenge School aides—many of whom are

former Challenge

students—act as

mentors to the

students and

provide invaluable help to the

teachers.

The words of the Challenge theme song echo the spirit of camaraderie:

“It is such a long road…but when you put your heart in it, anything

can happen.”

During the week, each class studies the theme,

including the Words of the Day. Each teacher prepares

five facts for theirclass to learn. When a student

successfully recounts the five facts, his or her name is put into a green hat, and at flag ceremony, the principal pulls names out of the hat for prizes.

Every day at flag ceremony, the principal announces the student who has “taken the lead” in academic achievements, willingness to help

others, and demonstrating initiative. The winner proudly wears the yellow “Tour de Challenge” shirt the next day.

The Relay Race is an annual

tradition and reflects the

school theme. This year, it

incorporated various Bay Area

landmarks and history, such as Alcatraz Prison.

Student of the Year: Giuliana

The Student of the Year

exemplifies the Challenge values

of persistence, determination,

and teamwork.

Siblings can often be spotted on the Challenge campus. This year

we enjoyed having five pairs of siblings students, one pair as aides, and one aide/student combo!

A Family Affair

Annual Talent Show

The Green Hat Drawing

The Yellow Shirt The Relay Race

The Aides Program

"When You Put Your Heart In It"

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President Jeff Wiley Vice President Allan Epstein Treasurer Jack MortonFounders Carolyn Compton, Ph.D. Patricia J. Morrissey, Ed.D. Directors at Large Julie Cavanna-Jerbic Michael Masia Linda Raggi Karen Sparks Jeanne B. Ware

595 Price Avenue, Redwood City, CA 94063 Phone (650) 322-5910 • Fax (650) 322-7075

Executive Director John T. Brentar, Ph.D.

Director of Educational Services Ashley Kinkaid Koedel, M.A.

Educational Specialists Melissa Brown, M.Ed. Susan Chait, M.A. Meredith Feinberg, M.Ed. Adria Flores, M.A. Edwige Gamache, M.A., Ph.D. Emilie Potter Jobson, M.A. Raymond Jones, Ph.D.Erin Powers, M.A. C. Priya Tjerandsen, M.A. Robert Urowsky, M.A.

Psychologists Laura Chyou, Ph.D. Patrice Cristomo, Ph.D. Janet Dafoe, Ph.D.Ben Morsa, Psy.D.Erica Ragan, Ph.D. St

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It is the mission of the Morrissey-Compton Educational Center to enable children and adults with learning disabilities and school-related difficulties to achieve their goals by providing the highest quality diagnostic and intervention services in a supportive environment.

Satellite Office: 840 Main Street, Suite B2, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019 • Phone (650) 729-3033

Psychiatrist Thomas Butler, M.D. Director of Research Surina Basho, Ph.D.Director of Parent Education and Social Skills Groups Sue Garber, M.A. Post-Doctoral Fellow Jennifer Nehme, Ph.D. Mark Westerfield, Psy.D.Speech and Language Pathologist Patricia (Pat) K. Klein, M.A, C.C.C.Director of Fund Development Lyn BalistreriIntake Coordinator Suzy MusicSupport & Office Staff Rebecca Buehler Paulette Giovannoni Kathy Kinkaid Fiona McVicar

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