Library Dedication
Mental Health Parity Celebration Party
Candace Sahm recently attended the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Celebration. More photos can be found here.
Campaigns: Addiction Recovery Insurance Equity
Victory! Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 signed into law
On October 3, President Bush signed the Paul Wellstone and Pete
Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 into law
as part of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act (HR 1424). The law
will begin to end the insurance discrimination facing people with
addiction and mental illness. More...
2008 International CHADD Conference
Candace Sahm, MA Ed/HD, founder and director of Positive Learning Experiences LLC and ADHD Coaching for LIFE presented at this year's International Children and Adults with ADD (CHADD) Conference in Anaheim, California!
Overcoming Obstacles in IEP Process
Ms. Candace Sahm, MA
Ed/HD
Barbara Percival, Oberlin College ‘11, Research Associate
Friday, November 14,
2008 @ 01:30 PM
Based on survey results of middle and high school students
with learning disabilities, educators, parents, and allied professionals will
gain awareness of the inefficient resources and lack of empowerment students
feel in the IEP and 504 process, and the obstacles teachers experience in the IEP/504
process. With this new knowledge from students and teachers, participants will
gain turn-around training to:
- Facilitate positive, meaningful dialog with students;
- Clarify and expedite preparations for IEP/504 meetings;
and
- Coach students to self-advocate
to achieve optimal accommodations.
Learning
Objectives:
- Understand the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) and the
504 Plan, and the accommodations available to students with learning
disabilities.
- Learn student perspective on the IEP procedures through LD
student presenter, and via videotaped student interviews. Incorporate
student feedback in discussion of the IEP procedures.
- Learn specific challenges for educators in the IEP and 504
process via videotaped teacher interviews. Incorporate teacher feedback
into discussion of participants' own obstacles in the IEP procedure.
- Learn how to coach students to advocate for themselves at
IEP/504 meetings, in order that they will have their educational needs met
with appropriate accommodations.
- Learn to utilize a new information-gathering instrument (a
simple form) to prompt meaningful and effective dialog between teachers
and students during the IEP/504 process, and produce effective results in
IEP meetings.
Yoga at PLE!
Tuesdays ~ 10:00 am – 11:15 am
Fridays ~ 10:00 am – 11:15 am
Sundays ~ 12:00 pm – 1:15 pm
$15 for drop-in or $60 for 5 classes ($12 per class)
Contact Robert to RSVP for a class treezilla@yahoo.com
Robert Ashton (Siri Chand), PLE's yoga instructor.
Working Hard for a Better
Learning Environment
Dr. John Alloway
Along with our effort to go "Green" this year by
reducing the amount of paper we use and other waste, PLE is also working hard to make sure the Learning Center is clean
of harmful electromagnetic fields (EMFs) from such devices as printers, faxes, microwaves,
etc. While we all need these technologies in our daily lives, there are several
ways to make sure that they are being treated as carefully as possible to
ensure the best health of everyone.
Many electronic devices emit low levels of these potentially
harmful rays that have been linked to cancer, leukemia, tumors and low
melatonin levels. When these devices are left on or unnecessarily close to
areas where people spend a good deal of time, over time exposure to these rays
can cause later health problems. At PLE, we feel that whenever there is an
opportunity to make our environment even a little bit healthier for our staff
and our students, it's a no-brainer.
We care about the students and tutors who come to our
Center, and so we've taken the initiative to begin using a device called a
"Cellsensor RF Meter" to clean all work and study areas of as much
harmful radiation as possible. PLE has been working hard to find and
eliminate sources of exposure to these rays as much as possible by moving
printers, faxes and other electronic devices further away from study areas and
unplugging or turning off electrical devices that are not being used. These are
just some of the small steps we are taking to lower our exposure to these
potentially harmful sources of EMFs and create a better environment.
At PLE, we are
constantly looking for new ways to take the initiative to improve our lives and
make our environment safer and healthier. We believe that small steps such as
printing less paper and reducing harmful EMF rays make an impact, and we are
happy to bring news of these projects to you. After all, this is your learning
center too, and we're happy to help make it better!
Caron Luncheon
Caron "Unsung Hero" Award
 
Caron Treatment Centers honors Candace Sahm with
their "Unsung Hero" Award.
According to Caron, the "Unsung Hero" Award recognizes individuals who
work at the grassroots level and fight the daily battles, on the front
line, in the war against drugs. These individuals give unselfishly of
their time, energy and talents.
Candace Kopit
In early 2005,
Candace became part of Caron's Washington, DC Fellowship and Charter
Group. She is committed to this group and volunteers at every event
held in the area. She also plays a major role in fundraising efforts
for Caron's Capital Region Scholarship Fund, which provides financial
aids to people who otherwise could not afford treatment at Caron.
Whether she is asked to help, Candace is always more than willing to
suit up and show up.
The Disorganized Mind Book Signing
Candace
Sahm goes to Boston to accompany Nancy Ratey (left) and other ADHD Coaches for the signing of
The Disorganized Mind. This is an amazing book
written by Nancy Ratey
. Nancy's husband, Dr. John Ratey, is a distinguished professional in the psychiatry field. His critically acclaimed book, Spark, explores the connection between exercise and the brain.
Spectrum
AD/HD in Children and Adults:
Early Intervention, Diagnosis, and Treatment, and Where to
Find Support
Tom
Grooms hosts our segment with Dr. Gloria Vanderhorst and Dr. Bill d'Alelio, followed by a segment with Dr. Phil
Pearl, Chief of General Neurology Children's National Medical
Center and Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Neurology GWU
with, Dr. Jorge Rodriguez Clinical Neuro-Psychologist also at Children's Hospital and in
private practice.
CHADD Conference Highlights
PLE Director Candace Sahm attended the annual CHADD Conference in Arlington in November,
featuring the “All Stars” of the ADHD professional community. Candace
reports that she was delighted to meet and exchange ideas with many
fascinating researchers, writers, and educators.
Have you ever wished you could get inside
your child’s head? Dr. Jay
Giedd (right) has done exactly that with 1,800
children at the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, MD. By
taking an MRI snapshot of his subjects’ normal brains every two years,
Dr. Giedd is creating a huge control group for scientists who are
studying the human brain. Giedd currently serves as Chief of Brain
Imaging in the child psychiatry branch at NIMH. Candace and Dr. Giedd
discussed the possibility of his presenting at one of PLE’s educational
workshops for parents!
Anne Teeter Ellison, Ed.D., President of
CHADD, co-edited the CHADD Educator's Manual on Attention
Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: An In-depth Look from an Educational
Perspective. She has published and/or presented many papers, articles
and books in the area of AD/HD and currently serves as Professor of
Educational Psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM).
Chris Dendy’s first book, Teenagers with ADD
(TWA), sold over 75,000 copies. Since then, this mother of three
children with ADHD has published a companion guide to TWA packed with
strategies for ensuring school success called Teaching Teenagers with
ADD and ADHD. Her latest book, A Bird's-Eye View of Life with ADD and
ADHD, is an excellent survival guide for teens, preteens, and young
adults by other teenagers. Dendy serves as a national mental health
consultant on children’s issues.
Dr.
Sam Goldstein, clinical
neuropsychologist, Chairman of the National Professional Advisory Board
for CHADD, Senior Editor of the Journal of Attention Disorders,
speaker, and author of numerous books, including the outstanding
Raising Resilient Children: Fostering Strength, Hope, and Optimism in
your Child.
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