Dr Karen Hagerott PhD

12/30/2025

Yes, yes, and YES! What a frustration it is for parents (and clinicians), when there are obvious neurocognitive processing issues, parents are working hard with children every night, and the school says, “but their grades are good!”.

12/30/2025

For parents of children who struggle with regulation, here’s to a new year and the opportunity for skill building!

Lacking impulse control is one of the reasons we find kids in trouble at school. If your child lacks this due to ADHD or something else, here are some ideas.

12/29/2025

This is great synopsis article of how we are thinking about autism and the interactions of genetics and environment. I hope you enjoy it. It also reminds us that an assessment of autism should involve several pieces, such as testing for autism but also developmental and intellectual tests, with a focus on adaptive behavior as well. Two points to make here are: just doing an ADOS-2 (this is a test of autism) for diagnostic purposes is inadequate…it needs to be embedded in a more comprehensive evaluation process. Second, it is very important that the ADOS-2 or equivalent instrument be completed thoroughly and by a well trained clinician as this is a differential diagnosis.

Scientists are redefining autism as a complex condition with multiple forms, challenging traditional notions.

12/28/2025

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1259241916058269&set=a.659199489395851&type=3

Most tweens and teens have their own phone. The right app can help set limits — and aid kids in developing healthy tech habits. https://nyti.ms/49aZzvw

12/26/2025

Doing chores as a child might seem ordinary, but decades of research prove it shapes future success. A 75-year-long Harvard study found that children who helped at home consistently were more likely to experience career stability and emotional well-being thirty years later.

Chores teach responsibility, independence, and competence. Children learn that effort leads to results, that their contributions matter, and that they are capable of meaningful work. These lessons strengthen character, perseverance, and practical problem-solving skills.

The study highlights that helping at home is more predictive of adult outcomes than IQ or natural talent. Early responsibility fosters confidence and resilience, giving children the tools to navigate life’s challenges and build strong relationships.

Educational approaches like Waldorf emphasize practical, everyday work for children. Cooking, cleaning, gardening, and caring for shared spaces cultivate a sense of contribution, community, and personal achievement.

Starting early matters. Children who develop habits of responsibility grow into adults who approach work and life with competence, creativity, and emotional stability. Helping at home is not just about chores; it’s about wiring the brain for long-term success.

12/18/2025

Wow! Fabulous! This shows a a comparison between the outdated “ wait-and-see” approach and thr new Science of Reading changes in Arkansas. Helpful graphic.

“Yes, Arkansas effectively banned Fountas & Pinnell's balanced literacy approach, including cueing, by passing a legislative ban on "three-cueing" in favor of the Science of Reading, following national trends after the "Sold a Story" investigation, forcing curriculum shifts away from these methods in favor of evidence-based reading instruction. “

In 2024, 10 states have banned three-cueing in favor of instruction and curriculum aligned with the science of reading. Although just four states have banned three-cueing from teacher preparation programs :

https://excelinedinaction.org/2024/01/10/from-policy-to-action-why-8-states-banned-three-cueing-from-k-3-reading-instruction/

https://www.google.com/gasearch?q=did%20arkansas%20ban%20fountas%20and%20pinell%20&source=sh/x/gs/m2/5

https://www.apmreports.org/story/2025/10/16/legislators-reading-laws-sold-a-story

12/07/2025

Join Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, Inc. (COPAA) and Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF) on Tuesday, December 9 at 11:00 am PT / 2:00 pm ET for a webinar on the Department’s critical role in special education, what could change if federal oversight disappears, and what parents, students, and professionals need to know right now.

Register today: https://dredf-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN__PiU7n1hQl-UFug_fAvD3Q?fbclid=IwY2xjawOhXkhleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFWUjVYSkljM0FWc2s5ckR5c3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHmt4UtZix9eP8DVXDXU5ke8tPAL1ix4NhiGIEhK6BE1CKhCqY6DMYLH9U8P6_aem_9NB7r0cXrDBFWl7Xy-OjdA #/registration

12/04/2025

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1301711985327898&set=a.478992827599822&type=3

Great list of ideas to add to an IEP, for a child with executive functioning struggles. Remember, if there's not a goal for it, you likely won't see a support or intervention for it!

📝: https://adayinourshoes.com/executive-functioning-iep-goals/

11/29/2025

In case you haven’t seen this response, I wanted to share it with you all as it is beautiful.

Mr. President, Please Stop Calling People Re****ed

We get it, you're blunt. You speak your mind. But words matter.

Last night, you referred to a public official as "seriously re****ed." That word is outdated. It's hurtful. And it wounds millions of people, people like my son John, who has Down syndrome and who also happens to be a successful entrepreneur, keynote speaker, and a global ambassador for inclusion.

Let me be clear: this is not about political correctness. It's about human decency.

Every time someone in power uses the r-word as an insult, it reinforces the false idea that people with intellectual disabilities are less than. It treats them as if they are not fully human. It undermines decades of work by advocates, families, and individuals with differing abilities who are proving every day that ability matters more than disability.

I am not asking you to be soft; I am asking you to be better. To rise up. To lead by example.

Because if you're truly about strength and greatness, that starts with how you treat others, especially those society has historically marginalized.

We built John's Crazy Socks to spread happiness, to show what people with disabilities can do. More than half of our team has a differing ability. They are not "less than." They are not punchlines. They are hardworking, capable, valuable citizens.

Here's our invitation: Mr. Trump, meet our team. Look them in the eye. Hear their stories. You might see that inclusion isn't a weakness; it's powerful. You might see they are part of the America you say you love.

Mark X. Cronin
Co-Founder, John's Crazy Socks and Abilities Rising
Dad. Advocate. Employer. Voter.

11/22/2025

Recent updates to the CDC website suggesting a link between vaccines and autism contradict the scientific consensus that autism has complex, multifactorial origins involving genetic, biological, and environmental interactions.

APA Services is committed to advocating for policies and research priorities that uphold rigorous standards for research and communication and actively counter misinformation and stigma.

Read more here: https://at.apa.org/ayg

11/21/2025

Vaccination is essential to protect individuals and communities from preventable diseases, making it a fundamental element of public health.

AMA statement on CDC changes to website on autism and vaccines: http://spr.ly/61887iC34

10/16/2025

WHAT IF.... in the midst of all the controversy on vaccines and autism treatments, someone thought to have a bunch of caring brainiac pediatricians regularly review high quality clinical research and data on vaccines. WHAT IF these pediatricians prepared updated, comprehensive, and easily understood executive summaries for parents on what the science says about issues parents care about (measles vaccine safety and efficacy, aluminum in vaccines, vaccine schedule, etc.). WHAT IF the summary listed the clinical research upon which recommendations were based on, as opposed to someone’s general opinion so that the parents, if they chose to, could review all that information themselves. THE GOOD NEWS IS such papers exist free of charge to families. For years I have referred parents to The Vaccine Education Center (VEC) at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). This is a good time to share this resource to families for your review so that parents can review the science and jot down questions for their child’s pediatrician.

Link: https://www.chop.edu/vaccine-education-center

Information about VEC: “The Vaccine Education Center (VEC) was launched in October 2000 to provide accurate, comprehensive and up-to-date information about vaccines and the diseases they prevent... The goal of our effort is to communicate the facts about each vaccine as well as how vaccines are made, how and why vaccines work, who recommends them, whether they are safe, whether they are still necessary, and when they should be given...The VEC is funded by Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and through philanthropic donations and does not receive support from vaccine manufacturers.”

Happy reading!

The Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia provides complete, up-to-date and reliable information about vaccines to parents and healthcare professionals.