The Debates In Your Head

T
he country is getting ready for the presidential debates. This reminds me of the debates constantly going on in our heads.

Some of your topics may be: "Should I ___?" "Why can't I___?" "Will this work?" "Have I got enough?" "How can I do this?"

Your mental debate is off and running. At the end of the day, is it a surprise that you are stressed and tired? Debating takes a lot of energy.

Keep in mind when you are engaged in these debates, the voices you hear inside are based on memories, which is the past, and perceptions which are usually wrong. Perceptions are based on looking at life through our colored lens, which includes how we were raised and experiences.

The egoic mind loves these debates because it keeps you spinning around, and it stays in control.

So how do you deal with these hard life questions? You don't.

When you start trusting your Higher Self, Spirit, or whatever you may call your Beingness, you won't have to engage in debates.

It works like this.

You ask Beingness a question like, "Which way should I go?" or "What should I do?" Then you release the problem and know that the right answer is on the way.

Your mind which engages you in debating an issue, doesn't know. So it's a waste of time rolling around trying to figure out the best of both sides. If it knew, the answer would come instantly.

The famous study of average people and geniuses is a story I love to tell.

In the 1960s there were two control groups. One with average people, the other with people testing in the genius category.

Both groups were given a problem to solve.

The average group sat up all day and night trying to figure out the answer. They were debating among themselves and in their heads.

The genius group all did different things. Some went to take a nap. Others went to a show or out to eat.

When the time was up. Both sides came back with their answers. The genius side was correct. The average group didn't have an answer to the problem they were given.

The lesson here was this. When you relax and let go, instinct from your Higher Self thinks through you. It can't do this when you are tensed, stressed, and trying hard to find solutions. You block not only the answers, but your own good.

Let go, and let God, then you won't have to debate.

Why Every Child Needs Creativity

Why Study Creativity In Young Children?

Just as all children are not equally intelligent, all children are not equally creative. But just as all children exhibit behaviors which evidence intelligence from birth, they also exhibit behaviors which evidence the potential for creativity.

Creativity is essentially a form of problem-solving. But it is a special type of problem-solving--one that involves problems for which there are no easy answers: that is, problems for which popular or conventional responses do not work. Creativity involves adaptability and flexibility of thought. These are the same types of skills that numerous reports on education have suggested are critical for students.

They need creativity for some essential benefits like:

Intellectual benefits: As children get older, different arts and crafts require more complex thinking skills, and many activities need an understanding of basic science concepts for them to make sense. Things like mixing specific colors or creating a mosaic pattern may seem like creative activities, but without an intellectual component the creativity falls apart. As your child learns these skills in a creative area, they can transfer them to other areas of their life as well.

Physical benefits: To put it in perspective, trying drawing a picture with a crayon held between your toes. The strength and co-ordination required to make that happen, is less than that required of toddlers learning to draw. in another perspective, when a child has an early creativity in sport, it brings about early fitness towards the sport.

Emotional Benefits: I believe creative activities provide a positive outcome for children to express their emotions, and this starts at a very young age.

Social Benefits: As children get older, arts works and some other creative activities can bring about a safe and positive way for children to socialize with others. Instead of just 'isolating', children can come together to make and create.

I believe child creativity brings about imagination, problem solving, skill development, bonding time and team work. Talking about imagination, creative activities engage a child's imagination and inspire his thoughts and perceptions. Moving to problem solving, creative activities present opportunities to problem solve, challenging a childs thinking, expanding his/her perspective and rewarding his/her initiatives.

On skill development, games such as tag and relay races help children develop their gross motor skills while drawing and painting also increase their development of skills. Team work will bring about individual self confidence as well as the ability for them to contribute as well as working as a team while bonding time bring about strong relationship due to the precious time been spend together as a family or group.

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Is Mike Byster Really a Human Calculator?

Mike Byster, the genius in Mathematics is also called as the Human Calculator because of the speed that he calculates the toughest of problems in seconds, just as a calculator does it.

He did a presentation at Goddard Middle school in 2007 and a few details are discussed here. While doing problems thrown at him, he just closed his eyes and shifted his head to both the sides and the answer was there. Students were so impressed, that they just kept asking questions and they just fell for him for his wonders in mathematics.

Mike, then explained that how he developed the passion of learning maths. The basics that should be done are to learn how to memorize techniques, concentration, discipline and hard work to help their brains grow. Mike always believes that, children should always believe in themselves and where they are aiming to go.

According to the ABC 20/20, in one of Mike's interviews, he himself states that psychologists call him the Human Calculator for the lightning speed he has in solving even the toughest and complicated mathematical problems. Mikes' Maths is what he names his system of solving problems. It involves a series of shortcuts and patterns that demystify how numbers work.

His passion for solving problems started at the age of 3 or 4. He used to try memorizing things and at that age, he was able to recite almost all the presidents of United States. That is power of mental capacity in kids. While growing up, he wanted to use his potential in a good manner; however, he never thought that he would become a teacher.

Teaching Kids to think differently

This is what exactly Mike does. He wants children to think differently so that they learn the art of memorizing things not only in mathematics but also in all aspects of life. For example, in one of his classes he asked his students to memorize randomly 10 words. The students recalled about half the words. Then Mike used a simple mnemonic technique. He narrated a story using those ten words and the retention rate was remarkable. This was interesting as well increased the confidence level of the students for the future.

Thus, with the blessing, Mike Byster has received and with hard work, he has come to be known as the human calculator. In all means and the speed and way, which he adopts his thinking is just remarkable thus enabling the next generation of children to believe in their minds.

A Book Review: Too Wise to Be Mistaken, Too Good to Be Unkind by Cathy Steere - Dealing With Autism

Years ago a lady from my church invited me to a seminar given by the neurodevelopmentalist that she worked with to help her son, Drew. I had been looking for a way to further my education with the goal of having better solutions for families who came to me with learning challenges. With my M.A. in Special Education I worked with home schooling families, but I noticed that the tools I had learned with that Master's was primarily accommodating the learning challenges rather than eliminating them. I wanted to help more so I had begun a search for a way to actually help families in a meaningful way. This timely invitation led me to the neurodevelopmental approach.

That lady was Cathy Steere who has shared the story of her family's journey with autism. When you read her book, Too Wise to Be Mistaken, Too Good to Be Unkind, you will know why I have been studying and applying the neurodevelopmental approach in my work ever since.

Amazingly, David and Cathy Steere did not have a diagnosis of autism until Drew was almost four years old. They felt like they had lost so much time, but the beauty of their story is that they had been faithfully following God's Word in the training of Drew. They had focused on building his character and disciplining him according to God's direction in His Word. All of that made the individualized neurodevelopmental plans that their neurodevelopmentalist, Cyndi Ringoen, eventually wrote for Drew much more efficient. Often, parents have to begin with getting behavior under control before they can make any progress at all. By not knowing they were dealing with autism, but knowing what the Bible taught about the nature of man and the nature of God, they proceeded with God's plan for Drew and later their second son, Elliot.

Whether or not there are learning or behavioral challenges, any parent will find encouragement as you read this account. For those who are facing any sort of challenge, you will find comfort in knowing that God has given direction to parents in the form of principles. God will lead parents to professionals who can come along side to give encouragement and tools to work with your child to meet his needs. By reading this book, you will learn how the neurodevelopmentalist looks for missing pieces in development and teaches parents to do activities that stimulate the brain in a way that encourages that development.

Personally, I cry with the Steeres every time I read Cathy's book. Some are tears of sorrow for the difficult times they experienced. Others, are tears of joy when Cathy wrote about the first time Drew ran to her for comfort, giving her his first awkward hug. Though often taken for granted, that simple action in a child with a condition like Drew's, is a milestone in development. I count it a privilege to work with families like Drew's because of the perseverance of these parents in researching and following through on whatever it takes for their children.

Maggie operates the Center for Neuro Development in Lakewood, Washington, along with her husband Ronnie. Maggie earned a M.A.in Special Education from Adams State University in 1989. She has been in an internship / independent study leading to certification with the International Christian Association of Neurodevelopmentalists. They offer local, on site services as well as some long distance consultation. They work with homeschoolers as well as those who attend school.

What Is the Definition of Intellectual Disability?

Prior to Rosa's Law, which President Obama signed into law in October 2010, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) used the term "mental retardation" instead of "intellectual disability." Rosa's Law changed the term to be used in the future revisions of IDEA to "intellectual disability." Rosa's law is named for a nine year old girl who has Down's Syndrome, who with and her parents and sibling advocated for the state of Maryland to change the term "mental retardation" to intellectual disabilities". After accomplishing this, legislators decided to bring the legislation to the federal forum and have passed Rosa's Law.

The definition itself, however, did not change. The definition of intellectual disability is, therefore, defined in IDEA as "significantly sub-average general intellectual functioning, existing concurrently with deficits in adaptive behavior and manifested during the developmental period, that adversely affects a child's educational performance." This is generally interpreted as an IQ below 70-75 paired with delays in reaching developmental milestones. The adaptive behaviors referred to in the law are usually related to self-care, speech development, motor development, behavior and social skills.

In a speech on October 8, 2010, President Obama stated the following in regards to this new law. "Now this may seem to some people like a minor change, but I think Rosa's brother Nick put it best -- he said, 'What you call people is how you treat them. If we change the words, maybe it will be the start of a new attitude towards people with disabilities'." Although many people think the word "disability" has a negative connotation in itself, intellectual disability is a far better term for the most common disability seen today.

Although many people only equate Down's Syndrome, and maybe Fragile X, as the intellectual disabilities we are talking about, the category of people who fall into this disability is far larger. Genetic abnormalities are certainly included but so are children who have mothers who experience issues with their pregnancy, including exposure to certain illnesses and toxins and mothers who drink alcohol or use drugs during their pregnancy. There are also many children born with intellectual disabilities who experience trauma during labor and birth, including issues that cause a lack of oxygen to the baby. Although it is more common to be born with an intellectual disability, some children do develop intellectual disabilities from exposure to toxins in the environment such as lead as well as certain diseases that can affect neurological development. Neurological impairment caused by an accident does not fall into this category; there is a separate category for those people called, Traumatic Brain Injury.

With increased participation in early intervention services, people with intellectual disabilities can achieve so much. As Nick, Rosa's brother, indicated attitude does make a difference. An positive attitude by parents, educators and the general population that people with intellectual disabilities can learn much more than previously thought and can, in many circumstances, hold down a job, live independently, have meaningful relationships with people and/or contribute to society in general is important.