The state of New York is building additional residential schools for children with disabilities as a cost-saving measure. The state currently pays more than $200 million a year to educate special needs children in private schools in other states.

Within the next three years, New York will have more than 500 new schools, half of them in Long Island and New York City, officials said.

About 12 percent of the state's school-age population, or 410,000 students, have special needs.

Labels: disabilities, schools

Sasha struggled to focus when she was in middle and high school, but she figured out how to work through it. In college, however, her inability to pay attention became too much of a problem to overcome alone. She went to a psychiatrist, and was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

Dr. Thomas Kirts, psychiatrist at DeKalb Clinic Chartered, said it is not uncommon for ADHD or ADD... to be diagnosed in college-level students... For some, the change of environment may contribute to a student's inability to focus... The change of difficulty in schoolwork may also contribute..."

A student who is diagnosed with ADHD in college has help available. Most colleges offer a help center, and assistance is also guaranteed under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Source: The Northern Star (Northern Illinois University)

Labels: college, diagnosis

The United States needs to do a better job of identifying children with talent in math, according to a new study published in Notices of the American Mathematics Society.

The SAT and other standardized math tests do not measure the creativity, insight and reasoning skills needed to perform math at its highest levels, so many children who could excel in math are overlooked.

Professors Janet and Jonathan Mertz, Joseph Gallian and Titu Andreescu, authors of the study, wrote that the United States' culture does not value math talent, and many high school students stay away from high level math courses and competitions for fear of being "nerdy." This is true of all students, but is particularly relevant for girls. American girls who excel in math are almost always immigrants, or daughters of immigrants, from cultures where math is valued.

"We're living in a culture that is telling girls you can't do math - that's telling everybody that only Asians and nerds do math," said Dr. Janet Mertz. "Kids in high school, where social interactions are really important, think, 'If I'm not an Asian or a nerd, I'd better not be on the math team.' Kids are self-selecting. For social reasons, they're not even trying."

Labels: benefits, math, talents

More children in Australia are being diagnosed with bi-polar disorder, according to a report in the Queensland Courier-Mail. "We are seeing more students with the light gone out of their eyes," said psychiatrist Gordon Parker, "and more students who are behaving erratically."

Professor Parker said that bipolar disorder seems to be increasing in both Australia and the United States. He links the increase to parents who are older when they have their first child and to changes in children's diets.

Bipolar disorder involves periods of mania alternating with severe depression. Symptoms usually begin between ages 15 and 18 years old, although more American children are being diagnosed as young as age two.

It can be extremely difficult to diagnose mental illnesses in children. Dr. Janet Wozniak, director of the pediatric bipolar disorder program at Massachusetts General Hospital, notes that three of the seven symptoms for bipolar disorder are also signs of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Many children have several diagnoses and are prescribed multiple medications by the time they are in their teens.

Some experts believe that bipolar disorder is over-diagnosed and is actually uncommon in children under 10 years old. Dr. Gabrielle Carlson, director of child and adolescent psychiatry at the Stony Brook University School of Medicine, said that many explosive and aggressive children who are labeled bipolar are truly "diagnostically homeless."

The number of doctor visits for children and teens with bipolar disease increased by forty times between 1994 and 2003 in the United States. One international survey of school principals indicates that one in five students needs mental health services or emotional support.

Labels: bipolar_disorder, diagnosis, mental_health

Many parents of autistic children are turning to chelation, which is the removal of metals from the body. The unproven theory is that metals such as mercury and lead can accumulate to toxic levels and cause symptoms of autism. Those undergoing chelation take drugs such as Dimercaptosuccinic Acid (DMSA) and editate calcium disodium.

So far, three children have died during chelation, including one five-year-old autistic boy.

Dr. Susan Swedo, director of the National Institute of Health's autism research, has proposed a study of the effects of chelation on autism. She wants to recruit 120 autistic children and give half of them chelation drugs and the other half placebos. This study has not been approved yet for safety reasons.

According to figures from the Interactive Autism Network at the Kennedy Krieger Institute, more than two percent of parents have tried chelation. This would translate to 3,000 children undergoing chelation at any given time.

Autism is a developmental disorder that occurs in about one out of every 150 children. The symptoms involve difficulties in communication and social interaction, sometimes characterized by repetitive behaviors. Symptoms can be mild to severe. Parents are often frustrated by the slow pace of autism research, and most have tried one or more of 300 untested, alternative treatments like chelation.

"If they hear about a new treatment, they feel the need to try it," said Dr. Paul Law, Director of Medical Informatics at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. "Anything that has a chance of benefiting their child - they're willing to give it a shot."

Labels: autism, treatment

A study conducted by the University of Illinois found that a 20-minute walk in a park improved the focus of kids with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

"'From our previous research, we knew there might be a link between spending time in nature and reduced ADHD symptoms,' said researcher Faber Taylor. 'So to confirm that link we conducted a study in which we took children on walks in three different settings - one especially "green" and two less "green" - and kept everything about the walks as similar as possible.'"

The study found that, when all other elements of the walk were the same - time of day, amount of sleep, use of medication, even the person they were walking with - ADHD children's attention improved far more after walking in a park than after walking in either a downtown or a residential area. Source: PsychCentral

Learn how Stone Mountain School's rustic environment helps lessen ADD symptoms.

Labels: exercise, green_time, symtoms, walking

Information about Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, is easy to find. Accurate information, however, can be harder to come by. Myths or misinformation about ADHD are plentiful, and parents need to invest time in determining what's really true.

"Myth: Kids with ADHD don't form strong or enduring relationships... FALSE. Kids with ADHD are just as capable of forming close relationships - whether with friends or family - as anyone else."

Another myth is that a lack of close relationships with parents or friends can cause ADHD. Talk to experts - psychologists or behavioral therapists who are educated about ADHD - and learn to separate truth from fiction. Good information will make you a better advocate for your child. Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Labels: information, myths, support