I’m so excited to announce the March 5th release of my new picture book There’s a Duck in the House! This book is based off an event that happened to me and my wife last year (although there may be a few imaginative additions to the story), when a duck came down our chimney and appeared in the living room at our house. It was a little harder to get it back outside than we expected! The Story Frank and Martha Tuttle were enjoying a lazy morning when they heard a terrible noise inside their house. What could it be? A wild duck had fallen down the chimney! Frank and Martha try and try to help th ..read more

I’d like to introduce you to a new (well, new to me) award-winning artist and illustrator, Joshua Wichterich (also known as Joshua B. Wichterich). I will soon be releasing a new illustrated book for young readers called There’s a Duck in the House. This book was inspired by an actual event that happened to me early in 2023. But more about that in a bit. I’ve been working with Joshua over the last several weeks as he illustrates the new book, and I couldn’t be more excited about the quality of his work. His vision is a perfect fit for the story. Normally when I interview someone, I always ask ..read more

You can listen to this blog. Recently, I came across a special book written by a husband and wife about the value of preparing and eating family meals together. The wife, Dr. Caroline Clauss-Ehlers, PhD, is a psychologist, and the husband, Julian Clauss-Ehlers, is a classically trained, New York Times-starred chef. Entitled Eating Together, Being Together: Recipes, Activities, and Advice from a Chef Dad and a Psychologist Mom, the book makes the argument that family meals offer a wealth of benefits, and not just from a nutritional standpoint. This couple observes that “magical things happen f ..read more

Dyslexia Inspiration Intervention You can listen to this blog. People with dyslexia often have to work harder than others to accomplish necessary tasks in school and in adult life. Dyslexia is not a simple reading problem. It is a disorder that affects how information is processed. There is no cure for dyslexia, so it is essential that people with dyslexia develop grit and tenacity in order to stick with necessary tasks and continue to create positive outcomes despite the many challenges they face. Inspiration plays a large role in the development of grit and tenacity in people with dyslexia ..read more

Auditory dyslexia is a neurological difference that makes understanding the separate sounds of language less automatic. This condition is sometimes also called auditory processing disorder. While most children are born with a brain that is ready to begin understanding the sounds and patterns of speech naturally and intuitively, not all kids have automatic wiring for this key part of learning. How common is auditory processing disorder? Both children and adults can have auditory dyslexia. It’s estimated that between 3 and 20 percent of the population struggles with some level of auditory dyslex ..read more

You can listen to this blog. Understanding dysgraphia. Dysgraphia is a sibling condition to dyslexia that affects a person’s ability to hold a pencil properly, perform the movements necessary to write legibly, and get their thoughts down on paper. When someone has dysgraphia, they may experience writing as a difficult or even painful task. Dysgraphia is sometimes called dysorthographia or developmental coordination disorder. Occasionally, it is inaccurately referred to as dyspraxia. While dyspraxia can affect a child’s ability to write, it also involves other physical challenges and is a sepa ..read more

You can listen to this blog. What is dyscalculia? What are the causes and effects of dyscalculia? It is a sibling condition to dyslexia. It affects a person’s ability to do math, work with numbers, and perform tasks that require doing things in sequential steps. Dyscalculia is also known as “math dyslexia” or “number dyslexia.” It is estimated to affect between 5 and 7 percent of the population, with higher rates among children with ADHD and autism. A common misconception is that dyscalculia is just a milder form of dyslexia. However, the two conditions are different and have different causes ..read more

Understanding Dyspraxia You can listen to this blog. When I was a kid, my mom called me a bull in a china closet. For those unfamiliar with this term, it means that the person is really clumsy and accident prone and that they are unaware of how their movements can impact or endanger delicate and/or valuable objects. I was constantly embarrassed because of bumping into things, breaking things, and spilling my milk, to name just a few of my issues. Little did any of us know that there was actually a name for my condition—dyspraxia. Now that I have a better understanding of dyspraxia and the natu ..read more

Dyslexia and Heroes of Self-Reference You can listen to this blog. Reading can be a daunting task for anyone, but when dyslexia is added to the mix, it can feel like an insurmountable challenge. One tool that can encourage struggling readers is to find books with a hero of self-reference. A hero of self-reference is a person or storybook character who has feelings and struggles like the reader does, making the character relatable to the child. When the child sees the character growing and discovering their strengths, it creates hope in the reader that they will be able to do so as well. Thankf ..read more

Shame Can Affect Your Health You can listen to this blog. Shame is a powerful emotion that can have significant effects on our physical and emotional health. Recent studies have shown that feeling shame reduces immunity, lowers cognitive function, and elevates inflammatory processes. Understanding the relationship between shame and health can help people to feel more empowered and better able to take control of their lives. Research has shown that certain populations experience higher rates of shame than others. This is especially true for those with dyslexia and its sibling conditions, such a ..read more