Friday, September 18, 2015

SMART BUT SCATTERED: Helping Students Cope with Executive Function Challenges

Featured Speaker: Dr. Alison P. Block, PhD

Tuesday, October 6 at 6:30 pm

Raritan High School: South Lecture Hall

Do any of these describe your child?
• Disorganized desk, backpack and locker?
• Loses things often?
• Forgets to finish or turn in assignments?
• Has difficulty starting and sustaining effort for homework?
• Has difficulty planning ahead and managing time?
• Seems to space out when given complex instructions?

Executive function includes the essential mental tasks of planning, strategizing, organizing,
goal setting, and paying attention to the important details that help us get things done.
Poor executive function can impact a student academically, socially, and emotionally.
Join us to learn how we can help students overcome their executive function challenges.

Dr. Block is a licensed psychologist and the Director of the Health Psychology Center in Little Silver.
In addition to her Little Silver practice, she is also the psychologist for the Department of Medicine at Monmouth Medical Center and a clinical instructor in Medicine at Drexel University.

This event is FREE. Please RSVP using our EventBrite Invitation:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/smart-but-scattered-helping-students-cope-with-executive-function-challenges-tickets-18574201938

This meeting is open to parents of classified and non-classified students.  We understand that ALL families have a shared and vested interest in educational programs, including families who have a child with a different learning style or an identified learning disability. This is a great opportunity to connect with other community members concerned about learning differences and Special Education.

Sunday, September 6, 2015

Getting College Right: Preparing Students with Disabilities for the College World

October 7, 2015 at 7pm
Lower Library - Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School
74 Ridge Road, Rumson

When students with disabilities go to college, they enter a system where accommodations and services are given in a very different way than they are in high school.  For most students, the changes will not be significant, but others may find that the services and adjustments they seek are not available at the college they have chosen to attend. 

The good news is that students can prepare for these changes by learning about college services and researching available services at the colleges on their list.  This presentation will give families an overview of the laws in effect and the way they affect services, offer tips from the research on college students as to how best prepare students with disabilities to be successful at college, and show how students can research disability services at the colleges they are considering.  Families will leave knowing what makes students with disabilities successful at college, what accommodations are commonly available, and what paperwork students should bring with them in order to request accommodations.

We strongly encourage college-bound different learners grade 8 and up to attend this presentation with their parents/guardians.


Featured Speaker: Elizabeth C. Hamblet
Ms. Hamblet has worked both ends of the college transition, first as a high school special education teacher and case manager, and then as a college learning disabilities specialist.  She now works at Columbia University, where she helps students with learning strategies, time management, and other skills. Since 2008, she has been making presentations at high schools to educate professionals, parents, and students about the changes students will find at college and how to best prepare them for success there.  She is also a contributing writer for Disability Compliance for Higher Education, and her work has appeared in several other journals.  She is the author of a book, 7 Steps for Success: High School to College Transition Strategies for Students with Disabilities, and a laminated guide on transition.

This event is free of charge but we ask that you register in advance to ensure we have handouts for all attendees.  


Questions?  Contact RFHFODL@gmail.com

Friends of Different Learners
Monthly Support Group Meetings 

Panera Bread
Route 35 (1050 Broad St.), Shrewsbury


October 7th at 10 AM
November 11th at 7 PM
January 6th at 10 AM 
February 3rd at 10 AM
March 2nd at 10 AM
April 6th at 7 PM
May 4th at 10 AM

Come, grab a cup of coffee and chat 
with others who care for different learners. 

All are welcome... Bring a friend!!!

For more information, contact Cathy Balto at

cathybalto@aol.com or 732.842.1758