My darling daughter's Ukrainian orphanage had a piano. Even though I never saw the piano being used, it quickly became obvious that it was frequently used. Natasha sang all the time.

I asked my translator about one song. It was a children's song (in Ukrainian) that sounded similiar to the "Jack and Jill went up the hill".

Natasha has been home for 5 years now and she sings all the time. She made up her own lyrics and sings them to me. When she was 5 years old she made up the following song.

Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti I love... more

This morning I had breakfast with my daughter at IHOP.

I blame the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) for this monthly breakfast ritual. My darling daughter, Natasha, take 2 pills for her ADHD every day.

These 2 pills are Schedule II drugs. It is a little confusing, but both pills are the same medication. She takes Concerta... more

This morning my daughter, Natasha, and I got up early so that we could visit the locally owned donut shop. It is a "hole in the wall".

The donuts are small and not too sweet. * The coffee and hot chocolate are hot. Sections of the current newspaper lay over all the tables. The owners and employees are always happy to see us. And everything is well worn, but comfortable. Last but not least it is inexpensive.

My darling daughter has Combined (Inattentive and Hyperactive) ADHD. And therefore she does her homework... more

I was startled to read in R.A.D.ically Overdiagnosed... that

It appears that “Attachment Disorder” as we know it today first established a toehold in the US in the early 1980’s.

As I blogged in Early History of Attachment Theory, attachment theory started with Freud in the early 1900s. John Bowlby (in the 1950s) and Mary Ainsworth (in the... more

Modern theories about attachment started with Freud who was born in 1856 and died in 1939.

Freud suggested that an infant's emotional tie to his/her mother is the foundation for later relationships. Subsequent research on the outcomes of early attachment has been consistent with Freud's idea.

From: DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY ATTACHMENT

Then came the man who is called the father of attachment; John Bowlby. John was born in 1907 and died in 1990. Around 1930... more

Image: www.freeimages.co.uk

My daughter's last 3 years in school has taught me much. The most important lesson that I learned was to trust myself. If I believe something is wrong, then probably something is wrong.

I briefly wrote up my daughter's journey in part 1, part 2, part... more

So my darling daughter was 7.5 years old had been diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia... Now the adventure really began.

And Natasha wasn't actually diagnosed with dyslexia. She was too young according to the federal government's rules to have a learning disability. She was officially developmentally delayed.

Two weeks after my daughter's evaluation, I attended my daughter's IEP meeting. (This meeting must be held 30 days after parents are informed their child qualifies for special education.) Since I am single I took my mother with me as a witness.

The... more

Honesty time...... I didn’t want to medicate my baby with a controlled substance. So I didn’t push the doctor on the ADHD diagnosis, but after an unsuccessful kindergarten and first grade (unsuccessful because she still couldn't recognize 1/2 of the alphabet and she was struggling with focusing) I knew something was wrong.

But instead of listening to myself, I listened to others. Her first grade teachers suggested repeating first grade. I was told, "Sometimes children don't start reading until 8 years of age". I didn't have any better idea and the public school... more

Part 1 of this story is here. Just a quick note..... when Natasha's first kindergarten teacher told me that my daughter had ADHD, I discussed it with her pediatrician. An ADHD diagnosis (DSM-IV diagnostic criteria) wasn't quite met. And she had SID which sometimes looks like ADHD.

So my daughter spent her kindergarten year under stress and not learning very much..... other then she did not understand things that other children did.... more

My daughter’s kindergarten teacher diagnosed my daughter with ADHD and told me that I really should medicate her. My first reaction was explain Sensory Integration Dysfunction (SID).

My sensory seeking daughter received SID diagnosis (and occupational therapy) about 6 months before she started kindergarten. The therapy had helped her but she still had a ways to go.

The teacher thought that I made... more