Parent Express for 23-Apr-2010

April is Autism Awareness month and what an opportune time to consider the importance of all children's special gifts and talents. "Not better, just different." That was an on-going refrain while raising my two young sons, 21 months apart, to accept the differences that could cause struggles between them. As they grew from toddlers to teens, both naturally developed a keen curiosity of all people and their individual styles, clearly understanding that no one is better than anyone else. They learned that differences define us and create the rich tapestry we all weave together to contribute our best to each other—without our differences, what a cookie-cutter, monochromatic world it would be!

I am so delighted that The PCI™ is sponsoring a research-based workshop for parents and teachers on Different Learners, May 15 at the Hilton Bellevue, presented by Dr. Jane Healy, author of Your Child's Growing Mind and the now-classic Endangered Minds. This is a rare opportunity you won't want to miss. Those of you who have heard Jane before know that she is a very engaging speaker, always sharing loads of useful information. The PCI™ is giving those who register before April 26 a complimentary copy of Jane's latest book, recently published by Simon and Schuster April 13. It's name? You guessed it—Different Learners.

I look forward to seeing you at the Hilton Bellevue on May 15!

Gloria DeGaetano, Founder and CEO

Apply now to receive a $900.00 tuition discount for June start! The PCI™ offers a $900 tuition discount to the first 20 applicants. Claim one of the 16 remaining spaces today.

Thank you to all those who are calling to apply to The PCI™! Our phones are very busy these days. We are now accepting applications for Summer Quarter. Review our program dates here, including information on early application discounts.

Word is getting out about our innovative, energizing, and highly practical Parent Coach Certification® Training. Because of the overwhelming response, we highly encourage you not to delay in submitting your application for summer start. By planning ahead, you will be assured of a spot if accepted into the program, after the enrollment process is complete.

Please send in the basic application as the first step. Download the application here. Once we receive this document, we will contact you for a phone interview. Transcripts and reference letters can follow the basic application by a few weeks.

Questions? Please call (425) 401-1519 or email info@thepci.org.

Please Note: Phone classes are in the evening time, usually at 5PM or 6PM (Pacific Time) to accommodate the work schedules of our students.

Listen to an audio message from Gloria DeGaetano to learn about the five advantages of Parent Coach Certification®.

Working with a parent coach who has received Parent Coach Certification® through The PCI™ is giving yourself a valuable gift as well as a sound investment in your family's future. PCI Certified Parent Coaches® are caring, thoughtful professionals with years of experience working with parents. They have successfully completed The PCI™ Parent Coach Certification® Training Program—a comprehensive academic, one-year, graduate-level program in collaboration with Seattle Pacific University. Through a series of coaching conversations that can be either by telephone or in-person, PCI Certified Parent Coaches® help you re-discover your dreams and design your life for more joy and satisfaction.

To find a PCI Certified Parent Coach® in your area, please click here or call (425) 401-1519 for a referral to a PCI Certified Parent Coach® selected especially for you.

Visit www.parentappreciationradio.com to listen to programs featuring PCI Certified Parent Coaches® and other experts from around the country discussing topics of interest to moms and dads.

Programs are available as podcasts. Listeners can download individual episodes directly, listen to them from this site using a Web browser, or access them via the iTunes podcast directory. iTunes subscribers will automatically pick up new episodes as they become available!

Book Review: Different Learners

by Gloria DeGaetano,
Founder and CEO, Parent Coaching Institute

Different Learners: Identifying, Preventing, and Treating Your Child's Learning Problems
Jane Healy, Ph.D.
Simon and Schuster, New York, 2010
402 pages

Jane Healy has done it again! Given parents and teachers a far-reaching, yet specific guide to support children's optimal development and learning. As in her now classic book, Endangered Minds, Healy delivers a comprehensive, user-friendly read in her latest book, Different Learners: Identifying, Preventing, and Treating Your Child's Learning Problems.

It's sobering to think that a child born in the United States has a 30 percent chance of being diagnosed with some type of learning problem. That about 2.5 million children take prescription drugs for attention and hyperactivity. That there are seven million children currently enrolled in special education with autism on the rise by 800% over the last decade. Beginning by describing the extent of the challenges, Dr. Healy shows us that there truly exists today a new epidemic of learning problems affecting children from across all levels of the socioeconomic spectrum. In her typical no-nonsense prose, the reader clearly understands the most current research, often through vivid examples from parents and succinct quotes from compelling experts.

The book considers different categories of learning disorders and/or learning differences with a review of the research on a variety of successful treatments. Healy then turns to the "heart" of the book—discussing how genetics and the environment interact to impact brain development. She emphasizes that a difference often doesn't mean a disability. Instead, Healy demonstrates the role of the environment in shaping a child's brain and simultaneously his/her learning skills. We emphasize the home environment as an important factor at The Parent Coaching Institute, as anyone who has been coached by a PCI Certified Parent Coach® knows. By making adjustments, sometimes even seemingly slight adjustments in the child's home environment, many positive changes occur. And environmental changes not only change children, they change parents as well. A parent who was tired out and overwhelmed by a child's poor progress in school, for instance, suddenly becomes infused with energy and new possibilities by the simple act of keeping the television turned off when the child is doing homework. I have seen this happen over and over for hundreds of parents and their children, bringing more engagement in previously "difficult" homework, and enhancing the child's motivation for learning in the process. On pages 300-302, Healy provides a concise explanation of the TV/brain interface that can give parents a motivation boost as well as the motivation to make this simple environmental change.

Chapter 6 explains how the child's brain works, laying a solid foundation for Chapters 7 and 8 which discuss the interplay of genes, learning, and the environment and the role of stress to impact optimal development. Since scientists agree that the gene pool changes alone cannot explain the recent dramatic growth in diagnosed learning problems, the way we are forced to live nowadays must be taken seriously—hectic schedules, poor nutrition, sleep patterns, lack of physical exercise and play, overuse of TV and screen technologies, and environmental toxic chemicals—are significant factors. "We live in a culture that is both clueless and careless about what kids' brains really need," Healy writes, "No wonder there is problem in the schoolroom."

Healy explains that the answers lie in what she calls "brain-cleaning." Chapter 10 explains practical ways to "banish brain disruptors" such as toxic chemicals and nutritional risks. Chapter 11 helps parents "tackle lifestyle choices" such as sleep patterns and the media. In these, as in the other chapters, bulleted points throughout help the reader focus on the essentials while end-of-chapter summations make it easy to retain and replay the important points.

In today's increasingly hectic and fragmented world, Different Learners provides clear directives for focusing on what works to help any and all learners—no matter their challenges, styles, or diagnosis. Jane Healy, in her straightforward style and through her indomitable spirit, provides elegant answers for the ugly concerns wearing out millions of parents and wearing down millions of children. If you are a teacher or a parent seeking sane advice, helpful ideas, and fresh insights—buy this book. Since it is so jam-packed with useful information, you probably will want to refer to it time and time again. Different Learners is destined to become a classic by showing you unequivocally that your child, at home and in the classroom, is destined to succeed.

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May 15, 2010, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Jane M. Healy, Ph. D., Presents Research-Based Workshop for Teachers and Parents

Jane M. Healy, Ph.D.—educational psychologist, veteran educator, acclaimed speaker, and best-selling author—presents a research-based workshop for teachers, parents, and anyone who deals with children who are gifted, have dyslexia, ADHD, autism, or face other learning challenges at the Hilton in Bellevue, WA on May 15 from 8:30 a.m.—12:30 p.m. Three clock hours/CEUs are available to attendees of this event by Seattle Pacific University. Dr. Healy's books will be available for purchase and signing at the event.

Register for the event by April 26 to receive a free copy of Dr. Healy's new book, Different Learners. Register online for a $20.00 discount ($119.00 per person, regularly $139.00 individual rate). Please use the password "Jasper" to enter the secure registration page.

Attendees will:

• Hear the latest research for meeting the needs of all learners, such as dyslexia, ADHD, gifted, and autistic spectrum.
• Understand how differences result from a complex interaction of genetics, brain development, and a child's experiences.
• Learn effective strategies for creating successful learning environments for all children.
• Take away practical ideas you can use immediately at home and in the classroom.

For more information, visit The PCI™ Web site or contact The Parent Coaching Institute at (425) 401-1519 or info@ThePCI.org.

May 14, 2010
Students and Graduates Gather for Workshop in Bellevue, WA
Students and graduates will gather to role play parent coaching scenarios using The PCI Coaching Model™.

June 24–27, 2010
PCI Students and Graduates Gather in Ann Arbor, MI
Two to three times a year, students and graduates gather in a select location for workshops created to enrich their current Parent Coach Certification® studies or as graduate continuing education. This June, attendees will be treated to a special presentation by Robert E. Quinn, author of Deep Change and Change the World. Quinn helps business and government leaders understand and manage organizational life through his teaching, consulting, books, and numerous published articles. The weekend also includes dinners and a celebration of the most recent graduates.

Join the Parent Chat Club: Ongoing Parenting Guidance and Support for Parents of Young Children Recently Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Membership includes two group coaching presentations; downloadable audio recordings of every call; supporting checklists on topics discussed; email access to Connie Hammer, a Maine PCI Certified Parent Coach®; and free monthly private coaching sessions. Members receive all this support for only $47 per month. Become a member today.

Free Monthly Joyful Parenting Newsletter
Sign up to receive your free monthly issues of the Joyful Parenting Newsletter. Each month you will receive a video containing a one-minute parenting tip and supporting ideas from Marni Parsons, PCI Certified Parent Coach®, headquartered in Culver City, CA. Marni's objective is to give you new ways to "be" in your role as a parent, a refreshing view of life with children, and a plethora of tools for your parenting toolbox.

Rhonda Moskowitz Discusses Parent Coaching with 10TV News Rhonda Moskowitz, PCI Certified Parent Coach® from Columbus, discussed parent coaching with 10TV News in central Ohio.

The Self-Aware Parent Introduces Chicago PCI Certified Parent Coaches®
Cathy Cassani Adams, PCI Certified Parent Coach® and author of The Self-Aware Parent introduces five PCI Certified Parent Coaches® in the Chicagoland Area in her blog at Chicago Parent. Subscribe to Cathy's blog today.

Compass Collaborative Law Group Lists The PCI™ as a Resource for Divorcing Parents
Thank you to Compass Collaborative for listing The PCI™ as a resource for parents going through divorce. Compass Collaborative offers a compassionate approach to resolving divorce.

The Parent Coaching Institute is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation and welcomes donations from individuals, organizations, and corporations who want to support its mission To transform the world by revitalizing parenting through prevention and possibility.™ For more information, please click here or contact The PCI™ at info@thepci.org or (425) 401-1519. Visa and MasterCard are accepted.

Back issues of Parent Express are available on the PCI Web site. There you can read articles by Gloria DeGaetano and PCI Certified Parent Coaches®, and easily send past issues to friends and colleagues via e-mail.