EDITORIAL

Copy That Aug 3, 2013

One of the most intriguing, novel and exciting applications of 3D printers is in biotech, namely human tissue replacement.
One of the attributes of aging (okay getting geezer-like) is the opportunity to experience the evolution and transition of ideas, technology and innovation. Take copying.
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On Being Too Short to Get On the Ride Jul 8, 2013

By Rick Rader, MD

Sarah has cystic fibrosis, which requires a lung transplant to save her life. But the top of 10-year-old Sarah Murnaghan's head is apparently below the bold line that entitles her to get on the "ride to live." READ MORE

A Kink in His Armor Jun 3, 2013

Our take home message about Hephaestus is the same message we glean from hearing stories about others with disabilities. That hard work, diligence and support will prevail.
by Rick Rader, M.D.
Working in the field of disabilities, one quickly becomes sensitive to the prevailing "myths." READ MORE

A Token of Appreciation May 6, 2013

When exceptional parents find themselves on the board game of "Special Needs" and are trying to "win at all costs," they are employing the same principles of "game theory."
By Rick Rader, MD
When I was in college and fumbling through "connecting," I remember the first time I heard the words, "I hope you're not into playing games." This amused me since everyone referred to it as "the dating game." The expressions "He's a loser," or "I hope I score," all referred to "games." So it begged the question, how can you find yourself in a "game," (granted a large scale game) and not be "playing?" READ MORE

Boredom Apr 2, 2013

By Rick Rader, MD
The hope is that with an enlightened appreciation of the dynamics of boredom, psychologists will be able to devise strategies to prevent, overcome or reduce the impact of being bored.
"Bowwww-ring" READ MORE

High Fives Mar 1, 2013

The pearl behind the high five is the fact that someone did what "seemed like the thing to do."
by Rick Rader, MD
Darn this flu.
The thing about the flu that makes it a high priority is its potential potency.
Potency, yeah, that's the right word. It can get you a day out of work or school, could end up giving a tag on your toe. It can give you the blahs, the aches and the shivers, or it can infect 500 million and kill off 50 million as it did in 1918. READ MORE

Getting to the End Feb 7, 2013

The idea of "another story can be written" is the thread to the exceptional parent movement and for the commitment of this magazine to continue to help readers construct their stories; the beginning, the middle and the end.
By Rick Rader, MD
Storytelling is easy. You need a beginning, middle and an end. READ MORE

The Difference Between Completed and Finished Jan 16, 2013

Work on the Annual Resource Guide begins the day after the last guide is put to bed. Providing the most reliable and trusted compendium of resources for the special needs community begins with the realization that we will never "finish" or never "complete" the work.
By Rick Rader, MD
I don't know where these internet ditties originate from, but their spread rivals that of Sudden Acute Respiratory Syndrome. Thinking it was some intense metaphysical treatise someone sent me (and it was after lunch, so I was primed for such an intellectual excursion), I actually opened it and read it. After all, the subject field said, "The Difference Between Complete and Finished." READ MORE

The Role of the Direct Support Professional in Attending Healthcare Appointments Dec 4, 2012

by Rick Rader, MD
The Direct Support Professional (DSP) serves as the lynchpin in the delivery of community based healthcare for individuals residing in group homes. They are instrumental in relating key healthcare information to and from the healthcare provider team. EP has long celebrated their service and dedication. This editorial can be copied and distributed to community agencies in the hope that they will continue to support the legions of DSPs as they continue to represent, advocate and protect the individuals who count on them. READ MORE

400 Hours Nov 6, 2012

by Rick Rader, MD
"According to a study done by the Gartner Group and reported in the Wall Street Journal, the average American spends 400 hours a year searching through piles for things that they have 'somewhere.' Four hundred hours....that translates into 10 forty-hour work weeks or over an hour every single day of the year." READ MORE

Symbolic Evolution Oct 4, 2012

by Rick Rader, MD
I knew one of my colleagues was having a rough day putting the finishing touches on a grant with a looming deadline. I can't remember exactly what I emailed him, but it was designed to give him about 30 seconds of some light humor. I knew immediately that it served its purpose when he simply emailed me, :) READ MORE

The Order of Things Sep 4, 2012

by Rick Rader, MD
We often overlook the obvious.
Take for instance the summary of an article in an international chemistry journal: READ MORE

Blade Runner Aug 1, 2012

by Rick Rader, MD
Most games come with instructions. This one is no different. READ MORE

On the Nobility of Incontinence Jul 2, 2012

by RICK RADER, MD
When I grew up, guys' names had a ring about them. "Duke" still conjures up someone you want behind you in a schoolyard brawl, while "Spike" makes a decent back-up if Duke wimps out. You'd likely agree that "Rock" would be the one to call if you had to get your bike back from the kid who stole it; the delinquent thief's name would probably be something like "Biff" or "Mack." READ MORE

On Wanting to be Where the Wild Things Are Jun 4, 2012

by Rick Rader, MD
Recently I was attending a conference for a national medical organization and, during one of the breaks, I was delighted to find a chair at an empty table in one of the break areas. Sitting with a latte courtesy of The Intergalactic Pharmaceutical Company, I was looking forward to some much needed solitude. It didn't last long (the solitude that is). READ MORE

Time to Bone Up May 9, 2012

by Rick Rader, MD
While Shakespeare knew a thing or two about human nature, I recently caught him in a goof (while not necessarily an Elizabethan term I'm more comfortable with "goof" than "guffaw."). In his "Measure for Measure" (about mercy, justice and truth and their relationship to pride and humility) he offers that "Thy bones are hollow." Had he used that on a bone physiology exam he would have received his paper back with "See me after class" in bold red pen. READ MORE

The Only Sure Thing About Luck Is That It Will Change Apr 2, 2012

by Rick Rader, MD
Walk into the lobby of any mega medical center of excellence.
Looking at the hospital department directory you will find the following signs accompanied by multi-directional arrows: Surgery...Pathology...Imaging...Neurology...Research...Cardiology
.Interventional Diagnostics...all hard core science. READ MORE

A "Special" Suggestion Mar 9, 2012

A "Special" Suggestion By Stuart Thorn
OK, please, please, go easy on me here. I am about to tell all you emperors that you are butt naked. I will do so with good intention, just as I expect you will resist my advice with equally well-considered intent. But, please hear me out – because as an innocent bystander, maybe, just maybe, I have a different perspective that's worth contemplating. READ MORE

Your Move Feb 1, 2012

by Rick Rader, MD
The Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw was an avid chess player who obviously got his clock cleaned (frequently) by many superior opponents. In fact, he mused, "Chess is a foolish expedient for making idle people believe they are doing something very clever when they are only wasting their time." Idle people indeed. Idle people like Isaac Asimov, Napoleon Bonaparte, Sir Francis Bacon, Catherine the Great, Albert Einstein and Benjamin Franklin.All avid chess players. Idle indeed. READ MORE

I Hate It When I Miss This Stuff Jan 1, 2012

by Rick Rader, MD
While I can fully appreciate the impossibility of not being able to know everything that has an impact in a particular field, I Hate it when I miss stuff. The amount of medical knowledge "doubles" every 10 years so you can forget about knowing it all. You can forget about not knowing what you will never know; but you shouldn't forget about what you don't know that you should know. I'm dealing with that now. READ MORE

A Desk with My Stuff on It Dec 6, 2011

by Rick Rader, MD
I like to collect things.
Stuff is probably a better description of things I collect. On my desk I have a piston from an old race car, an Albert Einstein bobble head, a “Slinky,” a Zuni carving and an empty box of malaria pills. There’s no rhyme or reason for the ensemble. I accumulate stuff. Like most museums, my stuff gets rotated as I stumble on new stuff. The thing about my stuff is that it seems to send out messages to my colleagues. READ MORE

The Sniffles Nov 20, 2011

by Rick Rader, MD
I woke up this morning with the sniffles.
Okay I agree, for the editor-in-chief of the nation's most respected publication addressing the spectrum of complex disabilities to get on a soapbox and discuss "the sniffles" is pretty lame. Beyond lame, I should be embarrassed, banished and whipped within a quarter inch of my life. The sniffles don't even rate a footnote in the annals of the disorders, conditions, syndromes and disabilities that are common to readers of Exceptional Parent.
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"Look, Ma, No Hands!" Oct 13, 2011

by Rick Rader, MD
While I do a lot of writing in airplanes, I'm glad I'm doing this one on terra firma.
Technology has had a revolutionary impact on how we do our jobs. We are more productive, more efficient and more accurate. But not in all areas, safer.
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