This wasn’t the first time I found myself comforting a pregnant momma whose doctors have diagnosed a problem with her unborn child. Prenatal tests indicated her child to be imperfect and that termination would be in the family’s best interest. I’ve experienced these conversations before. The doctor will provide all of the medical and cognitive complications that will very likely be present at birth.

For teachers the perfect class is a concentrated, quiet and obedient one. Nowadays, when children stand out by what used to be called naughty, rebellious and boisterous behavior, it is much easier than before for teachers to have these children drugged with for example Ritalin or Concerta (psycho-stimulant medications). For psychiatrists, jotting down abbreviations like ADHD, PDD-NOS and ODD and subsequently prescribing drugs has become routine.

Is there a psychiatric epidemic or is there something else going on? Leading American psychiatrists (for example Dr. Allen Frances) think that ADHD (supposedly an attention and hyperactivity disorder) is severely over-diagnosed; it’s a false epidemic. Before 2000, only very serious cases were labeled with this diagnosis and only people who really needed it, were allowed to receive medication. As a consequence of the less stringent definition after 2000, the diagnosis of ADHD has increased spectacularly. Everybody now knows somebody with ADHD.

Another reason might be that qualities that used to be attributed typically to boys such as an urge for noisiness, action and forcefulness were formerly accepted, but are now regarded as a problem, especially at schools. It appears that not the boys, but the educators have changed. Boys are in essence the same as before, but the school system has become more feminine and looks upon their abundance of physical energy and enthusiasm as being an issue.

For concentration problems without hyperactivity, a separate category was devised called ODD (Oppositional Defiant Disorder). Therefore, many girls and women were included into the diagnostic criteria. PDD-NOS (Pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified) was brought in as a kind of residual category for people who don’t quite fit into other more specific categories...

For the full story, head over to CCHR International.

http://www.cchrint.org/2015/07/03/adhd-psychiatric-epidemic-or-hype/

Our son, Cody, began presenting signs that something was “wrong” at a very young age.  The first “red flag” went up when he was just eighteen months old.  By the time he was two we were becoming more and more concerned, but as new parents we assumed that our “Terrible Twos” were just exceptionally terrible.

But the “Terrible Twos” turned into the “Horrible Threes” and the pre-school years were even worse!

Exhausted, we decided to enroll Cody in a pre-school program.  As an only child, we thought that interaction with other kids would be a good idea.  We found a reputable program and  signed Cody up.  We were thrilled.

But almost immediately, I began receiving phone calls.

“Cody is in trouble”

“Cody didn’t follow directions.”

“Cody was aggressive.”

“Cody wasn’t able to be still during story time.”

“Cody was written up again today”

“Parents are complaining about Cody”

And finally….

“Cody can no longer attend our program.”

And so we tried another school.

And another.

And another after that.

We got kicked out of every one.

All I heard was how difficult Cody was and how I had no control over my child.

But they couldn’t control him either.

I began to internalize the criticism and before long I was convinced I was a terrible mom.  All the other kids behaved.  Why couldn’t I get it right?

My self esteem was shot.

I can only imagine how Cody must have felt.

I knew that Cody was a challenge.  I lived with him.  (Believe me,  I knew!)  But I needed respite and I needed help!  If I couldn’t handle him and the professionals couldn’t handle him, what were we supposed to do?

Desperate for help and answers, we tried one more pre-school, at the local Baptist Church, and we were blessed with an incredible teacher named Ms. Pam.

Ms. Pam worked with Cody and she was willing to “think outside the box”.  Instead of making Cody sit still during story time, she allowed Cody to play with legos or blocks.  When she asked him to tell her about the story, he was able to recite the storybook word for word.  Her system worked!  Ms. Pam loved Cody and she recognized Cody as a precious child of God.  Cody graduated from Ms. Pam’s class and he even participated in the end of the year program.  We will never forget Ms. Pam.

The following year we enrolled Cody in a Pre-K special education program.  When I went to pick Cody up the first day, I dreaded hearing what the teacher would say.  Bracing myself for criticism, tears filled my eyes when the teacher told me that Cody was a helper and he had an excellent vocabulary.  She only offered praise.

Through my tears, I looked at her curiously, waiting  . . .  and wondering . . .

But before I could ask my question, she answered it.  She said, “You already know all of the bad things. I want you to know the good things.”

I still get choked up thinking about those words.

Twelve years and multiple hospitalizations later, Cody  is now sixteen-years-old.  He has a diagnosis of Bi-Polar Disorder and ADHD, he is oppositional and defiant and he has sensory processing issues. Cody is a sick kiddo, but he is also very smart, very mechanical, incredibly loving and kind, he is artistic, and he has a great sense of humor.  We adore Cody.

And Cody suffers from mental illness.

Cody is currently getting his education at a residential treatment center in Utah. This is his second time to be placed in a residential setting.  Sending our son to live somewhere else has been devastating, yet we have fought for these services.  Cody is sick and Cody requires a higher level of care.  The best news is that Cody is thriving in his new placement.  We are thrilled!

Over the years, as we have navigated our nation’s failed mental health care system, and worked with our educators to help our son, I have learned some important lessons .  Thankfully, I no longer hang my head in guilt and shame . . .  In fact, I am proud to say I have learned to effectively advocate for my child.  With the help of our school district, we have finally found some success.

Parents and Teachers, this is for you.  As we enter into a new school year, I want to encourage you. You all play a significant role in the lives of children affected by brain disorders.  Your partnership is critical to the success of the child...

Read Leisl's advice at Bold Faced Ministries.

http://www.leislstoufer.com/?p=1025

A school trip to a local restaurant turned into an emotional and wonderful experience for a group of students with autism this month, thanks to a kind act from a complete stranger.

Teachers, paraprofessionals and speech therapists from Matthew Jago elementary school in Sewaren, N.J. took a group of students in the school's autism classes to Jose Tejas Restaurant in nearby Iselin on May 6, in honor of Cinco de Mayo and Teacher Appreciation Day.

The 21 staff members and 26 children enjoyed a festive meal, and when it came time to pay the $485 bill, they received a major surprise: The manager told them it had already been taken care of by another patron.

"We were all crying," said one of the teachers, Jeannette Gruskowski, of the moment they heard the news. "We couldn't believe it. We were all speechless.''

The meal was supposed to be paid for by the staff and by the children's parents, and the group was bowled over by the kindness of a complete stranger.

"The manager had told us that she's a grandparent of child with special needs," Gruskowski explained. "And she was so touched by us being there with the kids on Teacher Appreciation Day."

The woman chose to remain anonymous, emphasizing the selflessness of her generosity.

Gruskowski has been a teacher at the school since 2006, and says teachers frequently take the kids out into the community, often pegged to different events and holidays. They've gone to the mall to see Santa for Christmas, and the Fire Department for Fire Prevention Week, but she's never experienced anything like this in past outings: "Not to this extent. It's amazing."

Read the full article at TODAY

(http://www.today.com/news/we-were-all-crying-teachers-left-speechless-stranger-who-picked-2D79676931)

by Liberty Pike | Washington, DC | LifeNews.com | 5/15/14

When was the last time one of your expecting friends said to you: “I hope this baby has Down syndrome?”

…awkward silence…

You’ve probably never, ever heard that before, but now, you have. Andy and Mercedes Lara said that to their parents one day. Except they weren’t having a baby the “traditional” way. They felt called to adopt and not to adopt a “normal” baby but one with Down syndrome.

Why would a young, vibrant couple want to adopt a child with lifelong needs? Andy gave an insight into their story with this from their adoption fundraising site:

We had committed as a part of our marriage that we would adopt children no matter what God would bring us, and we decided to start this year.

Mercedes has worked in the Special Needs industry for 9 years and she expressed her heart’s desire to me to adopt a child with Down syndrome, and I agreed and moved forward.  Mercedes is an advocate and an educator for people with Special Needs and I couldn’t feel surer of this blessing to pursue.

Read the full article and view the attached video at Life News 

(http://www.lifenews.com/2014/05/15/couple-prays-to-adopt-baby-with-down-syndrome-watch-them-meet-their-beautiful-daughter/)

Timothy Archibald has received acclaim in the news for taking photos of his son Eli who has autism. The “ECHOLILIA Series” as Timothy calls it was started when his son was 5 and lasted untill he was 8. You can see more photos from his series here.

Can you tell us more on how the Echolilia Series started and what you hoped to gain from it?

Well, like most things, it just began as a reaction. My son was five, had just started Kindergarten, and suddenly every moment and every topic in the house revolved around Eli. The school wants to know why is he acting a certain way? The parents have questions about Eli…Eli this, Eli that….everyone was suddenly trying to address this unusual behavior or simply this bit of unusual something that inhabited Eli. My wife and I didn’t really know anything was up…we just knew he always was a challenge. But after our second son grew older and we started to see what a non autistic child was like…we started to get an idea that things were different with Eli. In an attempt to gain some control over this situation, I begain photographing him during times we were together and alone. 

Like most kids, you can’t really make Eli do something if he doesn’t want to. So he wasn’t very interested in being in the photo alone. But if he could collaborate, if he could suggest the pose, the idea the structure, then he was very much into it. That began our process.

Read the full article at Autism Speaks 

(http://www.autismspeaks.org/news/news-item/timothy-archibald-talks-photography-and-autism-awareness)

Laura Geggel

In a classroom buzzing with noise, children with autism — especially those who also have hearing problems — can find it challenging to tune in.

A study published earlier this year found that 6 percent of children with hearing problems have autism, compared with 1 percent of the general population. Still, there is little research exploring devices that improve hearing in these children.

A new study, published 30 October in The Journal of Pediatrics, reports that a wireless radio-frequency listening device helps children with autism hear teachers talk, which in turn improves their social interactions and learning.

With this kind of system, a teacher wears a wireless microphone, usually on her lapel. A transmitter relays her voice to a receiver and earpiece worn by the child...

Read the full article at Sfari

(http://sfari.org/news-and-opinion/blog/2013/hear-this-listening-device-helps-children-with-autism)

  SEPTEMBER 09, 2013

AS STUDENTS return to school this fall, most will find a plethora of new technologies and virtual environments, on which their institutions have been spending millions of dollars to bring into the classroom. Yet many of these resources will be needlessly discriminatory. What would happen if an institution constructed a new state-of-the-art building but neglected to make it accessible to the disabled? People would rightly be outraged. Yet even as new technology-rich environments revolutionize the classroom, few make provision for people who are blind, dyslexic, or otherwise print-disabled.

By Erika Angulo, Producer, NBC News

In classrooms across the country, teachers are going back to school to learn how to spot symptoms of mental illness among their students.

It's all part of an effort to prevent incidents such as this week's shooting at an elementary school in Georgia, which could have ended in disaster were it not for the quick thinking of school bookkeeper Antoinette Tuff. Suspect 20-year-old Michael Brandon Hill told Tuff he was mentally unstable and had nothing to live for, but she calmed him down, and convinced him to surrender.  

Mental illness also played a role in the December shooting deaths at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newton, Conn., and the massacre at Columbine High School in Colorado 14 years ago.

By Deborah Mitchell G+ August 19, 2013 - 11:59am for eMaxHealth

Young children love to play, but the types of playtime activities they are drawn to differ, and this is true for kids with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) as well. Researchers in New York state have identified playtime options that seem to appeal to children with ASD, which may help parents make choices for their kids.

Based on the research conducted by Kathy Ralabate Doody, assistant professor of exceptional education at SUNY Buffalo State, and Jana Mertz, program coordinator at the Autism Spectrum disorder Center at the Women & Children’s Hospital of Buffalo, the good news is that kids with autism seem to respond well to a great number of different types of toys and activities.

Basically, the researchers found that kids with autism gravitate toward options that involve repetitive movement, lots of sensory feedback, and play items that allow them to experience cause-and-effect. The study was conducted in a children’s museum that has exhibits designed to attract kids with opportunities to play. Each month, the museum has an event that is open to families who have children with ASD.

Read the full article at E Max Health 

By Genevra Pittman
NEW YORK | Wed Aug 21, 2013 9:36am EDT

About one in every 88 U.S. children has an ASD, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Read more at the Huffington Post