What good are dx's?

Have you seen "Soloist" yet? Great movie about Steve Lopez (L.A. Times) played by Robert Downey. About a music prodigy who "breaks" at Julliard as a young man, ends up homeless in L.A.

Raised questions about how we treat mental illness: does it really change or help to have a diagnosis or to medicate? See the movie to get the context here...

But I'm wondering now about how dx are thrown around and used by everyone from pre-school teachers to kids' coaches: what are we really communicating and what help are we offering as mental health professionals if ultimately the dsmIV has become short-hand...is it a tool for improving a life?

Learning & Family

23 January 2009
New Year, New Dreams, New Ideas. This year I decided to commit to indepth work on multisensory teaching for students. My passion for the field has been assessment-driven and writing focused, but only after I had worked in schools and with families was I reminded of the value and need of direct instruction (and the reward of helping kids learn). That which I had been trained in soooo many years ago, has grown in meaning for me, and has now become an important focus for my work.

There is also my fascination with the resurgence in family therapy and my particular interest in the effect learning issues have on family communication and harmony. What challenges do families face and confront when learning or school issues arise? What conflicts and fears surface? How do learning issues affect other siblings, parents, childcare issues???

There is little to no research, writing on this: your thoughts and ideas are crucial for understanding. Please share....