by Common Ground | Aug 28, 2025 | September 2025, Students
By Grace Callahan The start to my ADHD story is a common one. I had always been described as a bright kid by my teachers – I retained short-term information with ease, picked up new skills quickly, and thought outside of the box. Throughout elementary and middle...
by Common Ground | Jun 11, 2023 | June 2023, Students
By Sebastian DeSimone One of my educational goals had always been to take general education classes so I would be better prepared for college. When I was a freshman in high school, I took a 3-D design art class. At first, the teacher seemed nice but she thought I...
by Common Ground | Jun 15, 2022 | Parents, Professionals, Students, Teachers
1. Learning is an intrinsically social and interactive process, and social, emotional and behavioral competence is essential for all kinds of learning. Students are most successful academically when they can manage their behavior and emotions. Positive mental health...
by Common Ground | Jun 14, 2022 | Students
By Sarah Jeanne Browne “You seem too smart to have a learning disability.” “You have to actually think in this class.” “I have trouble with math too.” “It’s not hard.” “You can do X so why can’t you do Y?”...
by Common Ground | Jun 14, 2022 | Parents, Professionals, Students, Teachers
Americas School Mental Health Report Card, February 2022 A group of 17 national mental health organizations has published a report that rates states on how well they are addressing this crisis through school-based mental health services. The report evaluates each...
by Common Ground | Aug 30, 2021 | Students
by Jessica Keogh, MEd The COVID-19 pandemic has proven to be challenging for all, but for people with disabilities the struggles have been more intense. As an adult living and working with a physical disability, I can attest to the challenges posed by COVID. Because...
by Common Ground | Apr 20, 2021 | Better IEPs, Features, Parents, Students, Teachers
The end of the second COVID school year is near, and many parents are asking whether their school district has met the requirements of their child’s Individual Education Program (IEP). For students expected to graduate this year, these questions are particularly...
by Common Ground | Feb 2, 2021 | Features, Parents, Professionals, Students, Teachers
For students, teachers, families, the impact of the pandemic on education has been all too clear. For our education system as a whole and policy makers, the long-term effects of the largest educational disruption in history are today not as easy to assess. What can we...
by Common Ground | Feb 2, 2021 | Parents, Professionals, Students, Teachers
At the beginning of the COVID-19 public health response and the displacement of students to full remote learning and hybrid combinations of on-site and remote learning, attendance reporting for teachers and schools was challenging and riddled with disparate and...
by Common Ground | Feb 2, 2021 | Parents, Professionals, Students, Teachers
By Rebecca Branstetter, Ph.D. If your child has special needs, remote learning can be incredibly stressful. Here are some tips for helping kids learn, while still taking care of yourself. Parenting a child with additional learning, attention, social-emotional, or...
by Common Ground | Feb 2, 2021 | Parents, Professionals, Students, Teachers
Congress enacted the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (Public Law 94-142) (EHA), in 1975, to support states and localities in protecting the rights of, meeting the individual needs of, and improving the results for infants, toddlers, children, and youth with...
by Common Ground | Aug 5, 2020 | Parents, Professionals, Students, Teachers
“Today’s guidance comes with one overarching requirement: that our public schools will open in some capacity with the health of students, their families, and educators being the TOP PRIORITY.” – Governor Phil Murphy NJDOE is basing its guidance...
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