General Information Articles

Sometimes parents need only a simple answer to a simple question (e.g., what is the recommended amount of sleep for children my kid’s age?) or an introduction to an issue we’ll address in more detail when we meet (e.g., should my child repeat or skip a grade in school?), and I might refer parents to one of these articles for general informational purposes. These articles do not constitute psychological, medical or legal advice.

Visual timers for kids who have difficulty with time

Kids who have difficulty managing to complete tasks in a timely manner can use a visual timer to help them stay on task as they develop a sense of time.

Special Education: Requesting an eligibility evaluation

Parents have the right to request an evaluation for Special Education eligibility, which is a process that can take many months from your request to an IEP.

Strategies for Students with Attention Difficulties

Students with attention difficulties may need special instructional practices, behavioral approaches, or accommodations to be successful in school.

Academic Acceleration: Should my child skip a grade?

Talented and Gifted (TAG) plans can include grade-skipping or many other options. Completing the Iowa Acceleration Scale can help with grade-skipping decisions.

Grade Retention: Should my child repeat a grade?

Decisions about repeating a grade or holding your child back should be made considering the research leading experts to caution against grade retention.

Collaborative & Proactive Solutions: Problem solving with your child

Collaborative & Proactive Solutions is an empirically-supported, non-punitive, non-adversarial model for problem solving challenging behavior with kids.

Sleep schedules, routines & habits

Recommended hours of sleep per day, screen time, bedtime routines, and habits for supporting healthy sleep.

Emotional Intelligence: Identifying and expressing feelings

Emotional Intelligence starts with building a nuanced vocabulary for your child to use as they develop their ability to identify and express their feelings.

Sex ed: Selecting age-appropriate information for your child

Kids need parents to share accurate age-appropriate information about anatomy, sex, and pregnancy.

What is a psychological evaluation: How can it help?

Describes psychological evaluations, their typical components, how they can help, and how they differ from checklists and screening assessments.

What do percentiles mean?

A percentile is the percent who have the same or a lower score; therefore, a percentile shows how your child’s score relates to the scores of other children.