April is Autism Awareness Month

April is "Autism Awareness Month" and April 2 was "World Autism Day," according to Lee Grossman, president of the American Autism Society. The society asked people to buy Autism Awareness bracelets and wear them on April 2.

Over 25 local autism societies hosted "Annual Walks for Hope and Autism Awareness" to raise money for research. Also, "Bounce for Autism" fundraising parties with inflatable playgrounds for children were held in cities all over the country. Volunteers went to Washington in April to lobby for the Combating Autism Act as well as more government funds for autism research.

Autism is a complex brain disorder that can range from mild to extremely severe, impairing communication and the ability to relate to other people. Today one in 150 children are autistic, with four times as many boys diagnosed than girls. The number of people with autism has increased tenfold since 1997, and no one knows why.

I Don't Believe in ADHD

Though there are many scientific studies that confirm the validity of ADD and ADHD, there are also many people - both in and outside the medical community - who don't believe it's a real disorder. In this article for ParentingIdeas.org, family therapist Douglas Cowan, Psy.D, tries to set the record straight.

"Look, there are lots of physical differences between the actual brains of people with ADD and those who don't have it, and there are also functional differences in the way that their brains work. And there are lots of scientists and physicians who are investing lots of time and money into identifying and writing about those differences. Just because their research is too boring to make the Morning Show on TV doesn't mean that it doesn't exist, or isn't true."

Cowan goes on to list the many differences that have been discovered via MRIs, PET scans and other scientific studies. Though some of his evidence may be a little hard to follow, it's even harder to refute. Read more at ParentingIdeas.org.

Controversial ADHD Ads Pulled

The Child Study Center at New York University has pulled a set of controversial ads intended to raise awareness about childhood mental health issues. The ads featured "ransom notes" addressed to parents indicating that their kids will "pay" if mental health issues aren't addressed.

"An introductory press release from the Child Study Center attempts to explain the goal of the campaign, which is to raise awareness of childhood mental illness and urge treatment as early as possible."

Critics of the campaign have said that it gives the impression that there's a "criminal element" to childhood mental health issues and that kids with these issues are doomed to a life of total dysfunction. Just two weeks after the campaign began, the Child Study Center released a statement of apology and has pulled all related ads.

Students with learning disabilities have rights to a good education. Visit LearningDisabilitiesInfo.com for more information.

Dispelling the Myths about ADHD

Canada has launched it's first-ever Awareness Campaign to promote understanding, dispel myths and stimulate advocacy for ADHD. One of the main goals of the campaign is to increase the support that Canadian students with ADHD receive in the classroom.

"Currently in Ontario, a diagnosis of ADHD does not qualify a student for a special needs designation in most school boards. This designation gives these students the right to receive accommodations in the way they are taught and evaluated. There is also no consistency in Ontario on how children with ADHD are serviced or if they are serviced at all."

Heidi Bernhardt, national director for the Centre for ADHD Advocacy in Canada (CADDAC), hopes to use the Awareness Campaign as leverage to convince the Ministry of Education that educational changes need to be implemented. Kathleen Wynne, Minister of Education, recently acknowledged that the Ontario Human Rights Code requires school boards to accommodate students with ADHD.

Contest Raises ADHD Awareness

The U.S. Senate recently declared September 19th as National Attention Deficit Disorder Awareness Day. In recognition of this day, the director of ADDClasses.com is holding an ADHD Awareness contest.

"The purpose of the contest is for those affected by Attention Deficit Disorder to come up with creative ideas on how to create and promote ADHD Awareness. Those coming up with the most creative ADHD Awareness ideas will receive prizes."

The contest runs through September 30th and is open to members of ADHDAwareness.org. Prizes will include books, DVDs and club memberships - all ADHD related.