Training parents of autistic children how better to cope with their offspring's difficult behaviors may also help the children improve, according to a new study in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry:

• Researchers from Yale, Indiana, and Ohio State universities as well as the University of Pittsburgh had parents attend 15 or more hour long sessions over a six-month period.
  
• Parents learned to use positive reinforcement, teach better communication, and other techniques. Behavioral therapists also came to their homes twice a week.
  
• Children of parents enrolled in the program improved more than those children on medication alone.

"Because parents are the agents of change, parent training is less expensive than many other forms of psychosocial interventions," the researchers wrote in their report. "The growing population of children with pervasive developmental disorders makes the availability of effective behavioral interventions an urgent need."

Labels: autism, parenting, training

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Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder researcher Chris Dendy recently traveled to Saudi Arabia to provide teachers there with training and insight in working with students who have ADHD. She was joined by her sister, Dr. Billie Abney, and son, Alex.

"The three family members spent five days overseas to train 50 English-speaking teachers, under the sponsorship of Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf, the Saudi ambassador to England. The training was held at the Tuwaiq Palace in the Diplomatic Quarter of Riyadh."

During their visit, they also received awards of appreciation for providing the training. ADHD rates in Saudi Arabia are nearly double what they are in the United States. Source: Walker County Messenger (GA)

Labels: teachers, training

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