Anne Dachel On the Shift from Teaching to Trauma Management in Our Schools as Special Education Needs Grow
By Anne Dachel
As we begin a new year, the stories continue. Schools everywhere in the English-speaking world are trying to deal with children with special needs. Regular education is looking more and more like special education. Accommodations for children who can’t learn typically, who can’t focus, and who can’t behave in a classroom are the order of the day. Schools are dealing with things as best they can. They’re trying a host of interventions and adjustments to help the situation, and that’s why we’re seeing so many stories about schools adding in-school mental health services, behavior coaches, sensory/de-escalation rooms, later starting times to reduce anxiety, therapy dogs, fidget toys, flexible seating, mindfulness calming practices
Why are so many schools doing these things? Why now? How has education managed without them in the past? These are questions no one is asking. Instead, we’re solemnly told that new research shows that children who can’t function in school are that way because of “Adverse Childhood Experiences” (ACEs) or trauma inflicted on them AT HOME. Teachers are being trained to recognize trauma-injured children. It’s a neat little revival of the old “refrigerator mom” blame game that was used for years to explain autism in a child.
We’re also being told that bullying and the impact of social media is behind behavioral problems in kids today.
The truth is childhood has changed. Our kids are both chronically ill with a host of physical problems as well as learning and behavioral issues. The proof is there for all to see in countless reports everyday on Google News.
The stories I’ve included here are from a much larger collection, so this is but a glimpse and they should be scaring everyone.
This is now the new norm in schools.
Nov 27, 2017, (UK) Coventry Telegraph: Why this mum has decided to home-educate her autistic daughter –Eleven-year-old Emily says she found school confusing and overwhelming and would become angry and lash out
It revealed a 57% increase in children with a statement, or equivalent, being educated at home.
There has also been a rise in the number of children with recognised needs, but without a school place.
Almost 1,000 children with this highest level of special needs are waiting for a place.
Nov 27, 2017, Youngstown (OH) Vindicator: Rich Center launches $6M campaign
The Rich Center has provided hundreds of area families with education and treatment for children with autism, but it needs to expand its capacity to meet the growing need…
Nov 27, 2017, Edmond (OK) Trumpet: Elementary Schoolteachers Flee Classroom Violence
While the problems with student violence are particularly bad in Harrisburg, this is a national problem. The National Center for Education Statistics released its 2016 Indicators of School Crime and Safety report, finding that “10 percent of elementary teachers and 9 percent of secondary teachers reported being threatened by a student from their school in 2011–12.”
Nov 27, 2017, KMA Radio, Des Moines: Study: Iowa kids face greater challenges than others
A new study finds Iowa children face more Adverse Childhood Experiences or ACEs than kids in many other states. ACEs might include the death of a parent, being a victim of violence, or living with someone with a drug or alcohol problem. …
ACEs can have serious, long-term impacts on a child’s health and well-being, Davis says, by contributing to high levels of toxic stress that derail healthy physical, social and emotional development.
Nov 27, 2017, Chicago Tribune: Hinsdale District 86 plans to add third classroom for students with emotional issues
The classroom was limited to 13 or fewer students and staffed with a special education teacher, three paraprofessionals and a social worker or psychologist trained in behavior therapy for students with mental health needs. …
Nov 27, 2017, KOIN—TV, Portland, OR: Trial over Longview ‘isolation booths’ to begin—The trial is due to start December
Five years ago a photo from Mint Valley Elementary School in Longview sparked controversy by revealing a practice of putting special needs kids in small cells to control outbursts.
Students age 5 to 10 with behavioral issues were put into an “isolation booth” or “seclusion room” to help them calm down. …
Nov 27, 2017, (Australia) Triple M: Steep Increase In Number Of Students Dealing With Anxiety And Depression
There is a large increase in the number of students at school coping with anxiety, depression and self-harm, with some children facing these issues as young as 10 years old.
Nov 27, 2017, (Ontario, Canada) Hamilton Spectator: ‘You can’t discipline autism out of a child’: Mom and student protest suspension
In the 2015-16 school year, there were 1,621 reports involving such outbursts as pushing, pulling, head-butting, scratching and kicking. In 2016-17, there were 2,239 reports, according to union figures.
Nov 27, 2017, White River Junction (VT) Valley News: Vermont Education Secretary Urges Shrinking Schools to Cut Staffing
“The state is suffering an epidemic in terms of student trauma,” Millington said, adding that this epidemic has been “manifesting itself in an explosion of students with significant emotional disabilities, who need high levels of service to be able to exist within our schools and access the curriculum.” He feels that the increasing number of support staff across the state is largely in response to the rising number of children who receive support for emotional disturbances and behavioral issues, which are often tied to traumatic experiences.
Nov 27, 2017, (UK) Tes: ‘Teachers can’t deal with their students’ mental health problems on their own. Parents must play their part, too’
And at the last count, a staggering one in 10 children had a diagnosable mental health problem – about three in every classroom in the country.
Nov 27, 2017, Aurora, NY, SRY—TV: Aurora principal's therapy dog helping reduce student's stress and behavior problems
Over that time, the school has seen a reduction in student behavior referrals, which Clapper believes is due, in part, to Archer's presence.
Nov 28, 2017, Attleboro (MA) Sun Chronicle: Local schools struggling with counselor crunch (Note, this is Kim Rossi's hometown newspaper. She did not know a single child with autism as a girl growing up in the 1970s. She had one friend with Down Syndrome.)
Local school officials say their students increasingly come to class with social and emotional problems, yet tight budgets limit how much help they can give. …
The school department is struggling between the need to restore those teachers as money becomes available and the need to add adjustment counselors and others to help with student emotional problems. …
He said Attleboro is far from alone in feeling the impact of the increased problems students are having and his colleagues in North Attleboro and Norton agree.
“Anxiety and stress and depression are absolutely up. It’s from pre-school to 12th grade,” Norton Superintendent Joseph Baeta said.
Nov 28, 2017, (British Columbia) North Vancouver North Shore News: Crowded classes still a concern for North Van teachers’ association
… That means many classes are still too big, or contain more than the agreed-on number of special needs students in classes. Regular classrooms are supposed to have no more than three special needs students, with no more than one of those designated as having more severe challenges.
Yet “there are many classrooms that have four, five and six (special needs students in them),” said Stuible. …
Nov 28, 2017, Lewiston (ME) Sun Journal: Lewiston schools approve more special ed staff
The caseload for special ed classes at Geiger and Montello is at or above capacity, Emery said. “There’s an extreme need at both of those schools,” she said.
In August, the School Committee approved hiring seven special education techs that were not in the budget approved last spring. The seven were to be assigned at Geiger, McMahon, Montello and Longley elementary schools and one-on-one with students recently moved to Lewiston with high needs, Special Education Director Emery said then.
The trend will continue, Scott predicted.
She works at Sandcastles, which provides preschool special education.
“We’re full all the time,” she said, and children ages 3 to 5 are on waiting lists. “They’re coming to the schools. It’s continuing every year to be more and more. This is definitely going to be a subject that’s not going away any time soon.”
Nov 28, 2017, Vermont Public Radio: As Problems Grow, Schools Deal With How Social Media, Troubled Homes Affect Students
But increasingly schools are being called on to help students with social and personal problems ranging from the negative effects of social media to trauma in their home lives; problems that can lead to disruptive behavior.
Nov 28, 2017, Spartanburg (SC) Herald Journal: Officials: Strides made in mental health services in ’17
Barnet said all seven school districts in Spartanburg County have joined a Compassionate Schools program and that 1,500 school personnel have been trained through Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) to better deal with disruptive student behavior.
Nov 28, 2017, ABC9 Cedar Rapids, IA: I9 UPDATE: Cedar Rapids Schools blames false data reporting to feds on 'clerical error'
The Cedar Rapids Community School District says it is working to fix reporting issues with its seclusion rooms. I9 uncovered those issues earlier this month, finding the district had not reported to the federal government how often it placed students in seclusion rooms or restraints.
The district says there were nearly 800 cases of seclusion and restraint in 2013, the last year they were required to submit those numbers to the US Department of Education.
Nov 29, 2017, Fayetteville AR, KNWA: Trauma Training Helps Teachers in Northwest Arkansas
Coldiron said mental health issues are becoming more and more common in the classroom. "We're teaching them how to address aggressive acts in between one another. We're teaching teachers the verbal deescalation skills that they need."
Nov 29, 2017, GOAnacortes (WA): Therapy dogs help students ‘focus and find calm within themselves’
Dogs On Call into the needs of students who are battling emotional and psychological issues, and it is an application of animal-assisted therapy that is very near and dear to my own heart, and Houdini’s,” Hall said.
Nov 29, 2017, Disability Scoop: CDC Says Developmental Disabilities Are On The Rise
An increasing number of American children have developmental disabilities, the federal government says, even as autism and intellectual disability rates remain largely steady.
Nov 29, 2017, Knoxville (IA) Journal Express: Mental health, parental roles dominate school talks
Shawn Helle, who teaches second grade at West Elementary, told the board that student mental health concerns are the most extreme she’s seen in her 30-year career. Helle teaches students who are in counseling or have been hospitalized for mental health issues as well as those whose parents are in prison or are dealing with addiction, she said.
“We weren’t trained to deal with some of these really extreme behaviors,” she said. “It’s not uncommon for me to have a student that will just leave the classroom or sometimes leave the building.”
Nov 30, 2017, Minneapolis Star Tribune: Minneapolis schools trim overspending but still $7 million over budget
The district has blamed a number of factors: higher costs for special education and English language learners as well as enrollment declines and negotiated salary increases.
Nov 30, 2017, UK Telegraph: One in six children are now given extra time in public exams, official figures show
Teachers are accused of bending the rules by claiming increasing numbers of students are "special needs"
Nov 30, 2017, BBC News: Call for primary school mental health plan
A mental health strategy promoting pupils' wellbeing is needed in Northern Ireland primary schools, an academic has said.
Nov 30, 2017, Madison (WI) Channel 3000: Milton mother says school principal locked 7-year-old in closet—District says no policies were violate
According to district policy 5630.01, teachers are allowed to use seclusion and physical restraint with students, but “only when the student’s behavior presents a clear, present and imminent risk to the physical safety of the student or others.” The policy also states seclusion can only be used if “no door connecting the seclusion room or area to other rooms or areas is capable of being locked.”
Nov 30, 2017, (Guam) Pacific News Center: GDOE: 42 percent increase in student discipline
The student conduct report reveals that discipline incidents per month rose from 1,235 in the month of September to 1,756 the following month.
Nov 30, 2017, CBS8, Monroe, LA: Local counseling agency treating mental illness "Full Circle"
One in five Louisianans are diagnosed with some form of mental illness each year and one in three Americans are diagnosed nationwide.
Nov 30, 2017, Salt Lake Tribune: Utah’s youth suicide rates growing at alarming pace, new federal report says
The state’s suicide rate among youth ages 10 to 17 had indeed more than doubled from 2011 to 2015, growing at an annual clip nearly four times faster than the national average.
Nov 30, 2017, Ridgefield (CT) Hamlet Hub: School Refusal Parent Workshop at The Westport Day School in Wilton on December 5th
Special Education Law Attorney Lawrence W. Berliner, Dr. Mark Beitel, and Lauren Seltzer, LMFTwill be the featured speakers at a parent workshop titled Taking Ownership of Your Child’s Education When Your Child Refuses to Go to School: A Workshop about School Refusal, Anxiety, and How to Move Forward. …
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, approximately 25% of American teenagers will be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder and 6% will receive a severe diagnosis. More teenagers than ever are suffering from severe anxiety. This workshop will address these growing trends,
Dec 1, 2017, CBS8 Las Vegas: CCSD school board finalizes budget cuts, saves jobs
The proposed cuts had included cutting 120 bus driver positions and special education staff. Parents and staff came out in numbers to make sure that didn't happen.
"I think special education should not be cut anywhere in schools," said Amy Miller-James, parent. "We're coming into this generation with more and more children, who are either have autism or special needs. I believe that's one area we cannot cut at all and should not cut."
Dec 1, 2017, (Birmingham) Alabama News Center: Wilsonville Elementary School’s new sensory room helps special-needs students
Special-education teacher Dana Nave said that the sensory room — provided by the Gaston Chapter of the Alabama Power Service Organization (APSO) — has opened a whole new world for students with autism or special needs, as well as any student who needs a quiet place to regroup. During the Thanksgiving holiday break, members of Gaston APSO installed new equipment in the school’s sensory room, designed not only to calm students but to help them learn. …
“Sometimes children get overwhelmed in the classroom, and this room helps calm them down until they can return to the classroom,” Nave said, watching her students at play. “This room is open to the whole school. Some kids function fine without being affected academically, but they have emotional needs, so this provides them a safe space as well.” …
Dec 1, 2017, UK Telegraph: Soaring numbers of children seeing psychiatrists amid anxiety epidemic
The number of young children seeing psychiatrists has risen by a third amid an ‘epidemic of anxiety’ official figures show.
A new report shows soaring numbers of children receiving psychiatric treatment - with a 31 per cent rise in one year among those aged nine and under.
Dec 1, 2017, UK Daily Mail: 'I've never seen it as bad as this': Parenting expert weighs in after it's revealed there's an anxiety 'epidemic' gripping kids as young as FOUR
They are supposed to be the only 'carefree' years we get to experience in our life.
But children as young as four are being pulled deep into the grips of an anxiety 'epidemic' sparked by the overuse of technological devices, a parenting expert said.
Dec 1, 2017, (UK) Glasgow Live: Sensory room at Glasgow primary opens after successful two year public campaign
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There’s a real cause for celebration at one Glasgow primary school as they open the doors to a new multi-sensory room that will provide unimaginable benefits to the learning experience of the pupils.
St Charles’ Language and Communication Unit and Primary School, situated in Glasgow’s west end, has been raising money since October 2015 to convert an unused classroom into a ‘safespace’ for children with additional support needs in speech, language and communication.
Dec 1, 2017, (Twin Falls) Idaho Statesman: Idaho’s home visiting program works with Idaho families to counteract the trauma of adverse childhood events
Adverse Childhood Experiences, also known as ACEs, are stressful or traumatic events that have been linked with negative, long-term effects on health and well-being. ACEs research has shown how toxic stress during early childhood impacts brain development and has lifelong effects on health. The most common ACEs often include abuse and neglect, domestic violence, sexual violence, substance use, parental mental illness, incarceration of a family member, and divorce….
A recent survey by the United Health Foundation found that about 28 percent of Idaho children up to age 17 experienced two or more ACEs.
Dec 1, 2017, Queens (NY): ‘The numbers have skyrocketed’: Education officials talk bullying and suicide in Middle Village
“We’re now realizing that between the ages of 10 and 14, the numbers have skyrocketed with children attempting to take their lives,” Brailsford said. “Children as young as four and five years old have been known to express thoughts of wanting to die.”
Dec 2, 2017, Terre Haute (IN) Star Tribune: Education Foundation awards nearly $42K in grants
A sensory room at Hoosier Prairie Elementary School is aimed at calming children to allow them to focus on learning.
“Children who are overwhelmed with daily stress or trauma they are experiencing at home can be overstimulated when they come in the building or even throughout the day,” said Jennifer Nickel, principal at Hoosier Prairie.
Dec 2, 2017, Grand Junction (CO) Daily Sentinel: Principals looking to reverse schools' low ratings
Fruitvale Principal Angela Galyon said a higher-than-normal number of behavior incidents — which include students disrupting learning or behaving in an unsafe way — impacted student learning last year.
As a result, Galyon hired a full-time counselor and two behavior coaches and is working with teachers to build community in classrooms through daily community circles and trauma training. …
Training about trauma has helped her teachers and staff to better help students, Stephenson said. …
Dec 3, 2017, Tes News: Government pledges £215m to bring mental health treatment into schools
In a new mental health Green Paper, the government also proposes £95 million to fund a senior lead for mental health in every school.
Dec 3, 2017, (Australia) The Advertiser: Push for compulsory suicide prevention training for all school staff as kids flood crisis phone line
SCHOOLS are referring rapidly growing numbers of primary students at risk of suicide to an intervention service, prompting calls for compulsory training for all school staff. …
Dec 3, 2017, WGRA-TV, Elma, NY: Anxiety Counseling Program for Local Students
… And now studies also cite one in five children in the U.S. have mental health needs, including severe anxiety. Others who directly observe in the hallways and classrooms feel it may be worse and that girls and boys both try to hide it.
Dec 3, 2017, Rocky Mount (NC) Telegram: Our View: Pilot program can help children at risk
The participation of Patillo Middle School and Stocks Elementary School in a new pilot program to assist children experiencing trauma in their lives promises to pay dividends to all who participate. …
The effects of these traumas also can affect the classroom when children suffering from trauma cause disruptions that impact other students and the teacher.
Dec 3, 2017, Eugene (OR) Register-Guard: A plan to address bullying in schools
Regardless of how much effort Oregon teachers dedicate to meeting learning objectives, students who are stressed are not going to learn — and often they will not even come to school. The disruption is harming all students. The stress being experienced by school staff members is profound. …
School-wide mindfulness practices: Increasing mindfulness practices that enable students to better self-regulate, especially in stressful situations, is critically important.
Basics include daily mindfulness practice, mindfulness calming glitter jars on every elementary school students’ desk and a “calming corner” in every elementary school classroom.
Dec 4, 2017, Buffalo (NY) News: Hamburg schools training staff to recognize kids' mental health crises
…But the district is training them to recognize the symptoms of mental illness and direct students to someone who can help. The district also wants to reduce the stigma attached to mental illness. …
The mental health of children is getting attention from a lot of school district administrators. Increasing funding for mental health services has moved ahead of adding money for extra academic help as the top priority for more than half of superintendents surveyed in October by the state Council of School Superintendents.
Dec 4, 2017, (Canada) CBC: Bitten and bruised: Former educational assistant says health risks caused her to quit
Working with students with complex needs can come with intense mental and physical strain
A former educational assistant in the provincial school system says her job supporting students with complex needs became so stressful and injury-prone, she felt forced to quit when she developed a life-threatening blood pressure condition. …
Fowler started as a teacher's assistant in 1999 and described her duties as mainly working with students on the autism spectrum. …
Dec 4, 2017, VT Digger: Schools with low student-staff ratios feel pressure to cut
“The state is suffering an epidemic in terms of student trauma,” Millington said, adding that this epidemic has been “manifesting itself in an explosion of students with significant emotional disabilities, who need high levels of service to be able to exist within our schools and access the curriculum.” He feels that the increasing number of support staff across the state is largely in response to the rising number of children who receive support for emotional disturbances and behavioral issues, which are often tied to traumatic experiences.
Dec 4, 2017, (Norman, OK) Oklahoma Watch: Despite Objections, Oklahoma Schools Use ‘Seclusion Rooms’ to Isolate Students
Some Oklahoma school officials defend the use of the rooms, saying they are used only in extreme circumstances to isolate a student acting violently. Or, as in Mustang, they are used as part of a program to prevent suspensions of students with severe behavioral and emotional disabilities. …
Dec 5, 2017, Philadelphia Tribune: Tips to be Fit: Stress: Children suffer from it, too
If your child suffers from headaches, fatigue, compulsive overeating, over-critical behavior, teeth grinding, crying over nothing, thoughts of running away, edginess, indecisiveness, or feeling ready to explode, stress may be the cause.
Dec 5, 2017, (Korea) JoongAng Daily: Gov’t to build 22 special ed schools in the next 5 years
The Ministry of Education announced on Monday plans to create 22 new schools for people with disabilities by 2022, under a five-year plan aimed at developing special education.
…Education programs for those with disabilities will also be introduced in 1,250 mainstream schools.
Dec 5, 2017, Hartford (CT) Courant: Middle School of Plainville Students Practice Yoga and Mindfulness Strategies in the Classroom
The main student goal in utilizing these strategies is to reduce stress levels and help manage emotions. Olmstead and Birdsall will eventually introduce these strategies to students in all grade levels at the Middle School
Dec 6, 2017, Akron (OH) Suburbanite: Springfield Board of Education approves various personnel items
“Our special education population was 18.02 percent of our students,” he said.
Dec 6, 2017, Omaha World Herald: Bellevue School Board digest: December
Another $68,860 will be spent on hiring up to 340 substitute teachers so district teachers can attend “Trauma Informed Classroom” training, which teaches them awareness of the academic impact of students experiencing trauma, including maltreatment, violence, family death or poverty.
Dec 7, 2017, (Australia) Guardian: ‘Sadness is all you have’: why youth mental health is in need of urgent help
A new survey of 24,055 young Australians, released today by Mission Australia, shows mental health has been identified as the most important issue in the nation. It is the first time mental health has topped the list.
Dec 7, 2017, Asbury Park (NJ) Press: NJ teacher fired after confining special needs kids in bathroom
The teacher Donna DeMarco placed two students in the bathroom on separate occasions. DeMarco asserted "she did so to de-escalate their emotional and potentially dangerous behavior," according to arbitrator's opinion. …
The report states that DeMarco was a teacher at Packanack Elementary, where she had a classroom of 16 students, half of whom were special needs or on the autism spectrum.
She testified in the arbitration hearing that she also called the children names in front of her colleagues as a means of venting and used bathroom confinement as a de-escalation technique. …
Dec 7, 2017, Lancaster (WI) SW News: Trauma Sensitive At Darlington School District
…Mental health has become a huge issue in the news lately and Nodorft wanted to find out how to help. She wrote for a grant to participate in a Trauma Sensitive School Initiative and she, along with other staff, are now teaching the rest of the teachers, staff and assistants at DEMS how to help students that may have experienced any type of trauma.
“Educators are aware that many of their students face or have faced adverse situations in their lives that may negatively impact their ability to learn at school.
Dec 7, 2017, UK Huffington: The Crisis In Children’s Mental Health Cannot Be Resolved With Warm Words
According to the Children’s Commissioner, there are 800,000 children living with mental health disorders - that’s the equivalent of at least three children in every classroom.
Demand for mental health support has reached unprecedented levels, and yet three in four children with a diagnosable mental health condition still do not receive the support they need.
…The sad reality is that Theresa May’s Tories are aiming for just 35% of children with diagnosable mental health conditions to receive treatment by 2020/21. That still leaves 65% with unmet needs- an appalling reality. …
The Government is committed to rolling out these teams to just 25% of the country by the end of 2022/23- a whole five years away. What of the other 75%? Even beyond 2022/23 there is no guarantee of a wider rollout- the Government has unhelpfully stated this “will be part of future spending review decisions.”
Dec 7, 2017, Athens (GA) Banner Herald: Walton EMC awards grants to Oconee schools
Two grants were awarded – one to be used for speech and language materials for students with a variety of special needs. The teacher who received the grant serves four schools, so this will be utilized at elementary and secondary levels. The other grant will be used to purchase sensory materials for students who need items such as pencil grips, weighted pencils, noise-canceling headphones and more.
Dec 7, 2017, Worcester (MA) Telegram: Worcester City Council OKs $1.1M for School Dept. deficit
…He said the funding, which was requested by Superintendent Maureen Binienda, was needed because the public schools have experienced a large increase in special education out-of-district tuition costs …
Dec 7, 2017, Boston Herald: School start times to be announced today
The new policy aims to increase the number of high school kids starting after 8 a.m., increase the number of elementary school students dismissed before 4 p.m. and assign schools with higher numbers of medically fragile students or students with autism to bell times reflective of their needs and reinvest money from the changes back into classrooms. It will be reviewed every five years.
Dec 7, 2017, Santa Clarita (CA) Signal: Dealing with mental health issues in the classroom
Another major cause of mental health issues for children is what is going on in their home life. Within this, marriage break-ups, divorces, or abuse can have a huge impact on them. If you notice a change in the behavior of one of your pupils, then often it can be something like this that is causing it. You may find that it manifests itself in general behavioral problems and out-of-character, rowdy behavior. …
Dec 10, 2017, Tulsa Public Radio: Despite Objections, Oklahoma Schools Use ‘Seclusion Rooms’ to Isolate Students
A controversial practice of shutting children alone in small closet-like rooms to control their behavior has led Oklahoma parents to withdraw their children from school, seek police intervention and take legal action. …
Dec 10, 2017, Janesville (WI) Gazette: Our Views: Seclusion a tool to be used sparingly
The unacceptable alternative is to allow the most dangerous, disruptive behavior to take over classrooms, infringing on the rights of other students who want to learn.
The best way to avoid the kind of ordeal afflicting Milton is for school districts to have policies for de-escalating situations before they require restraint or seclusion.
Dec 10, 2017, Kennebec (ME) Journal & Morning Sentinel: School nurses on front lines of mental health, societal problems
The problems include a rise in children being diagnosed with complicated, chronic conditions such as diabetes and asthma, as well as mental illnesses such as anxiety.
Dec 10, 2017, NBC News: Generation at risk: America’s youngest facing mental health crisis
There is an acute health crisis happening among members of the youngest generation of Americans, with critical implications for the country's future.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports one in five American children, ages 3 through 17 — some 15 million — have a diagnosable mental, emotional or behavioral disorder in a given year.
Dec 11, 2017, Boston Fox 25 News: Lawrence mother pulls daughter out of school due to concerns over "relaxation room"
A Lawrence mother has brought to light concerns regarding a room at the Community Day Arlington Elementary School meant to help students de-stress.
The room, called the "sensory depravation room" is where the school sends children who are being disruptive in the classroom for a "time-out".
Dec 12, 2017, WISH—TV, Indianapolis: Teachers, social workers address child trauma in schools
Indiana teachers and mental health experts are advocating for communities to implement mental health programs emphasizing a method called “trauma-informed care” inside schools.
“Trauma-informed care started from something called the ‘Adverse Childhood Experience Survey,’ and it shows that childhood experiences affect behavior,” said Stephanie Shene, communications coordinator for the Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS). “Instead of ‘kids act badly,’ some professionals started looking at why kids might act the way that they act, and a lot of that is just being aware of what kind of experiences they might have at home.”
Dec 12, 2017, Danbury (CT) News Times: Brookfield superintendent proposes 6.4 percent school budget increase
A hike in special education costs makes up the bulk of Superintendent John Barile’s proposed 6.4 percent increase in the 2018-19 schools budget.
Dec 12, 2017, (Scotland) The Herald: Number of vulnerable children reaches record high
THE number of vulnerable pupils in Scottish schools has reached a record high at a time of cuts to support services, new figures show.
Statistics from the Scottish Government show the number of pupils with Additional Support Needs (ASN) is 183,491.
The figure represents more than a quarter of the overall pupil population and an increase of over 55 per cent since 2012. …
ASN covers pupils with a range of issues including learning disabilities, dyslexia, a visual or hearing impairment, language or speech disorders, autism and social, emotional and behavioural difficulties.
Dec 12, 2017, MI State U. School of Journalism: Teachers unpack reasons behind increases in Special Ed enrollment
Special education enrollment continues to increase across the nation as the number of students with autism grows.
According to PowerSchool, a leading education technology platform, the 2015-2016 school year marked an increase in special education students between the ages of 6 and 21. This increase is the fourth of its kind in as many school years.
“The increases are mostly attributed to the growing number of students identified as being on the autism scale,” the report reads, “as well as those categorized as having ‘other health impairments,’ including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.”
Dec 13, 2017, (Wales, UK) South Wales Argus: More support for young people with special needs
"Nearly a quarter of learners in Wales will experience some form of additional learning need during their early years or education and this bill places them at the very heart of our system.
Dec 13, 2017, Jasper (AL) Daily Mountain Eagle: New program to meet special needs of students in county schools
“We have a growing number — just like every other school system in the state — of children with senory and behavioral disorders, social disorders and mental health disorders. …”
Dec 13, 2017, York (PA) Dispatch: York Suburban considers expanding district autism support program
The district already has an in-house autistic support classroom for students in second grade and under, and new data presented by Hasenfuss shows a growing number of students in grades 3 through 5 with autistic support needs. …
In the current arrangement, the district pays out $36,648 per student to the LIU, leading to more than $146,000 in tuition costs this school year.
Dec 13, 2017, KTVU-TV Oakland, CA: 12 reasons why Oakland Unified School District must slash $9M from budget mid-year
Rising pension costs, more special needs students, declining enrollment, raises given to teachers and the fact that the district has no Chief Financial Officer are among some of those other key reasons. All that, of course, coupled with OUSD’s cultural history of financial mismanagement. …
The district is mandated to take care of children with special needs – and charter schools do not. Almost 20 percent of OUSD's students have special needs, and last year alone, the district spent $11 million in transportation costs to get them to and from school. In addition, the numbers of students who have autism or ADHD continually increase, Gonzales said. Charter schools can, and often do, turn these students away. …
Dec 13, 2017, Buffalo (NY) News: Editorial: District's 'restorative' practices deserve a chance
The new policy of “mindfulness” rooms holds promise. Its aim is to address behavioral problems, resolve conflicts, reduce suspensions and teach kids how to cope with the stress and emotional trauma that so many bring with them to the classroom, and which are the sources of at least some of the misconduct that troubles classrooms.
Dec 13, 2017, Fargo (ND) Valley News Live: Local schools tackling youth mental health crisis
A new study says, 1 in 5 children have a mental health disorder and only 20% are actually diagnosed.
It's another example of what officials are calling a mental health crisis. Our local schools are noticing the problem and tackling it, head on.
"Some are experiencing anxiety, depression, and some are having a hard time focusing in school. Learning is hard for them," says Fargo Public Schools Student & Parent Wellness Facilitator, Amy Riccio.
Dec 13, 2017, Greenwich (CT) Time: Psychologist schools Greenwich families on anxiety
“A third of kids will meet some criteria for an anxiety disorder by age 18,” said Galanti, founder of Long Island Behavioral Psychology, with offices in in Cedarhurst and Rockville Centre, N.Y. “Anxiety disorders happen really young. They are the first class of mental disorders to pop up. The median age of onset is 6 years old. It can be younger, but it typically peaks around 12.”…
“We’ve definitely seen an increase in anxiety across the board here, just like many other schools and institutions, and research is showing it’s everywhere right now,” he said.
Dec 14, 2017, (New Zealand) Stuff.co.nz: Principal of 30 years calls Auckland teacher shortage ‘catastrophe’
"We have kids coming into the system who have significant health issues, with a range of learning disabilities that may have come from drug or alcohol abuse when mum was pregnant.
"One of the reasons why so many children with special needs are coming into the system is because the medical community can save so many babies that would have died in the past." …
Dec 14, 2017, (Australia) Education HQ: Staying ahead of the curve with Torrens short courses in education
But, there’s also been a huge growth in diagnosis of mental health conditions among children and adolescents. The unfortunate reality is that most of the parents, students and educators are left without the resources to adequately manage the diverse needs of the contemporary classroom. …
Dec 14, 2017, ABC7, Norfolk, VA: Study: One-third of Virginian kindergartners not ready for school
The report done by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission says the one-third start school lacking social, self-regulation, literacy, or math skills needed to start that grade.
It was estimated that one-third, or 34 percent, were not prepared, however no statewide comprehensive data exists. …
Dec 14, 2017, NPR Illinois State University: Mental Health Fraying Among Young Schoolchildren In B-N
Mental health among elementary school students is a growing problem in the Twin Cities, according to the head of the Unit 5 school district.
Superintendent Mark Daniel said aggressiveness and rage can affect an entire school environment even if only two or three children per building have troubles.
Dec 15, 2017, WBOI—Northeast Indiana Public Radio: IDOE Faces Special Education Funding Gap
The Indiana Department of Education is short on money to help schools provide additional special education services for the second year in a row. The department says an uptick in students with disabilities and increased service costs have squeezed that piece of the state budget about halfway through the fiscal year.
Dec 15, 2017, (UK) Buckinghamshire, East Lothian Courier: Dunbar Grammar School fighting pupil anxiety with... a weighted blanket!
DUNBAR Grammar School has a new weapon to combat pupil anxiety... a weighted blanket!
Being beneath the specially made blanket feels similar to getting a big hug and it is now being put to use at the school by helping calm autistic or anxious pupils.
And it is already proving useful, with one teacher describing the effect it can have as “like magic”.
Dec 15, 2017, Storm Lake (IA) Pilot Tribune: School boards discuss funding, at risk asking
Three staff members took part in a recent autism conference. “More and more students being diagnosed with autism and spectrum issues are coming through our doors,” Hanna said.
Dec 16, 2017, Columbus, OH, NBC4: One in five kids are at risk for mental health problems: Is too much screen time to blame?
An estimated 1 in 5 children or teens has an emotional, behavioral, or mental health disorder.
NBC News is diving into a question so many parents ask themselves: Is there a link between our kids’ use of smartphones and other electronic screens and their mental health? …
Dec 16, 2017, Janesville (WI) Gazette: Seclusion, restraint are tools to keep students and teachers safe, school officials say
Most, but not all, incidents that require seclusion or restraint involve special education students or those with emotional or behavioral issues. …
Records from school districts across The Gazette's coverage area show seclusion and restraint is used everywhere.
Dec 17, 2017, Hutchinson, MN, Crow River Media: Looking Back at Hutchinson history
Special education in Hutchinson School District 423 is becoming more common than special, with the number of special-needs students as much as doubled at the kindergarten level, according to Wayne Scott, director of special education. “Percentage-wise and number-wise, there’s more disabled students,” Scott said, more than the district has even been responsible for in the past.
Dec 17, 2017, (UK) Kent Online: Harrietsham Primary School enlists mental health expert over self-harming fears
A primary school has enlisted the help of mental health experts after discovering evidence of self-harming among its pupils.
Dec 17, 2017, New Bern (NC) Sun Journal: New Bern school offers ‘trauma informed’ approach to learning
According to Superintendent Dawn Baldwin Gibson, and her husband, Anthony Gibson, senior pastor at Peletah Ministries, PACE’s staff take a “trauma informed” approach to the school’s students, dealing with children who act out due to emotional disturbances in a therapeutic versus punitive fashion.
“When you look at a child and you see that their behavior is somewhat odd, you don’t look at it from the perspective of what’s wrong with him or her. You look at it from the perspective of what has happened to them. So that shapes every interaction that child has in that setting,” said Anthony Gibson.
Dec 18, 2017, Carterville, IL, ABC3: West Frankfort's Denning Elementary School gets "de-escalation" room
The Franklin Community Unit School District Board, has voted unanimously, to create a "de-escalation room" at West Frankfort's Denning Elementrary School.
The room would be a place for children kindergarten through second grade to cool off, instead of in the office, and get focused again on learning. Superintendent Matt Donkin says the school has had an ongoing issue with students acting out.
Dec 19, 2017, Austin TX, My Statesman: Austin school district awarded $4.5 million for mental health clinics
The Austin school district has received $4.5 million to open mental health centers in 22 elementary schools in the eastern part of the city during next semester. …
Dec 19, 2017, Roanoke (VA) Times: Roanoke County turning attention to expanding demand for services for at-risk youth
The rising demand for the specialized supports offered by the Children’s Services Act has become a statewide conundrum. …
The Children’s Services Act is a state and local program designed to serve at-risk youth — a population that includes children with special education disabilities, mental health needs, behavioral issues, court involvement or other challenges. …
Within county schools, officials have been steadily working to beef up their special education staffing and are aiming to develop more approaches to supporting students with conditions like autism — one of the fastest-growing populations both locally and statewide. …
Dec 19, 2017, Austin (TX) NPR: It's 'All Hands On Deck' At Mendez Middle School To Avoid Takeover
In addition to not being on grade level, almost half the students are English learners and almost a fifth need special education. The vast majority of the students come from poor families. So, the challenges are huge.
Dec 19, 2017, Maine PBS/NPR: Task Force Studying Rising Costs Of Special Education
A Maine task force is studying ways to tackle the rising cost of special education. …
Dec 19, 2017, (Nottingham, England) Notts TV: Number of children permanently excluded from Nottingham schools more than doubles
The number of children permanently excluded from Nottingham city schools has more than doubled in four years, figures show.
Dec 20, 2017, (New Zealand) The Educator: NZ schools flagged for breaching spending rule
“We have seen an increase in special needs, severe behaviour and mental health issues, and schools have been stretched to spend over their budgets to ensure that these young people have their needs met,” he said…..
Dec 21, 2017, Newman, CA, Gustine Press Standard: Growth boosting NCLUSD budget
“We are seeing that a disproportionate amount are special ed kids which increases our costs,” Fillpot explained. “A lot of the (added per-pupil funding) is kind of getting eaten up with that cost.”
Dec 21, 2017, Oklahoma NPR: As Students’ Mental Health Needs Grow, Schools Find Counselors Have Little Time For Counseling
Oklahoma County data show only one in four kids with a mental health disorder received services. National data shows a similar trend: A 2015 report from the Child Mind Institute found that only about 20 percent of young people with a diagnosable anxiety disorder get help. …
Dec 21, 2017, Palm Beach Post: Boca Raton OKs $10,000 for free high school mental health counseling
A $10,000 investment by Boca Raton means students at two local high schools will have access to free mental health counseling to tackle anger management, self-esteem and depression, among other issues. …
One in five children in the United States experience a mental disorder in a given year, the Centers for Disease Control reports. And many of those families don’t have access to therapy or counseling because of availability or cost.
Dec 22, 2017, (UK) Schools Week: MPs to hold inquiry into school mental health support plans
“There is a growing prevalence of mental ill health among children and young people,” said education committee chair Robert Halfon. …
Dec 22, 2017, Milwaukee Sentinel Journal: Kids in Crisis: Putting therapists in schools helps children with mental health needs
The model grew in response to a problem: Students are increasingly coming to school with untreated mental health challenges that interfere with learning. School staff are not equipped or given enough time to handle severe needs. When staff members refer families to mental health professionals, too often nothing happens….
Dec 22, 2017, (UK) Belfast Telegraph: School discipline shock as levels of suspension and expulsion revealed
More than 10,000 pupils were suspended from schools across Northern Ireland in just three years.
A further 73 were expelled because of their indiscipline, statistics from the Education Authority (EA) reveal.
The problem is so bad that one teaching union had to produce advice for its members on how to deal with violence in the classroom.
Dec 22, 2017, Little Falls, MN, Morrison County Record: Little Falls one of many school districts to ask federal government to fund special ed as promised
Laager said every year the district’s costs for special education increase.
Dec 23, 2017, (Prince Edward Island, Canada) CBC: How many kids are struggling? A look at child mental health in P.E.I.
Just under five per cent of P.E.I. youth were referred to community mental health services for assessment in the last fiscal year, according to Health PEI.
Dec 23, 2017, (Canada) Surrey (BC) Now-Leader: Delta’s special needs student enrollment increases despite predictions
Student enrolment numbers recently released by the provincial government show that Delta has seen an increase in the number of special needs students, rather than the decrease projected in the 2017-2018 school district budget.
Dec 26, 2017, (West Cork, Ireland) Southern Star: Ireland has more SNAs than gardaí, Minister tells Dáil
There is concern, she said, that the Minister for Finance, Pascal Donohoe, believes this is a bad thing as he is reported as having expressed alarm about the sharp increase in the cost of education for children with special needs – our most vulnerable children – which is costing the State more than the higher education system.
Dec 26, 2017, Mercer, NJ, Community News: Letter: Mercer school superintendents issue call to action
In Mercer County, we are in the middle of an alarming trend regarding teenage mental health concerns. During the last 20 months there have been seven confirmed suicides of teenagers who were residents of, or students attending, schools in Mercer County.
Dec 26, 2017, Youngstown (OH) Vindicator: District adds therapy dog
Pawss is on campus every day and spends time with students when they are overwhelmed, angry or sad. The students also may read to her.
Dec 26, 2017, The Denver Post: Therapy dogs bring new tricks to Arvada middle school
The school started bringing in the therapy dogs last year to help students who have learning disabilities or emotional needs better cope with their school day. …
Gillette said many of the students who work with the therapy dogs struggle with social anxiety and are often shy or nervous around new people.
Dec 26, 2017, Arkansas Public Radio: Springdale Elmdale Elementary Sanctuary for Traumatized Students
Elmdale faculty and staff have partnered with Ozark Guidance, a regional community mental health center, to learn how to assess students struggling with trauma to provide them proper help. …
Dec 27, 2017, Huffington (UK): Huge Rise In Special Education Appeals Is Not A Surprise
The latest statistics revealed this month (14 December) by the Ministry of Justice show the number of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) appeals registered in the last academic year has risen by a huge 27% or over 1,000 cases to 4,725 appeals. …
Put simply, there are more children needing additional provisions every year.
Dec 27, 2017, East Austin (TX) Patch: East Austin Schools Get $4.5M For Mental Health Services
Twenty-two elementary schools in East Austin will have new access to mental health services as the district was given $4.5 million to open mental health centers starting next semester, according to reports.
Dec 27, 2017, (UK) Guardian: Girls are facing a mental health crisis – and it’s not just because of Instagram
From the intervention of a senior judge in the case of Girl X to rising numbers of girls and young women undergoing mental health admissions, self harm and suicidal thoughts, there has been wide range of evidence over the last year showing that our girls are facing a mental health crisis.
Dec 27, 2017, Athens (GA) Banner Herald: Grants aims to stem toll of trauma in Athens schoolchildren
Teachers say they are more and more seeing the signs of post-traumatic stress syndrome — hypervigilance, distrust, an inability to concentrate, flying into a rage for no apparent reason, etc.
Dec 28, 2017, Lock Haven (PA) Express: New Sensory Room at Wingate Elementary helps students remain calm and focused
Weisbrode, Bald Eagle Area’s occupational therapist, knows that it is increasingly common for students to have sensory processing differences. This impacts their ability to focus and to be in control of their bodies and emotions.
Dec 28, 2017, (UK) Bridgwater Mercury: Autism centres to open in Taunton and Bridgwater thanks to £2.3m investment
Westover Green Community School, in Bridgwater, is set to open its new, 14-place facility in January after a £700,000 investment.
Westover Green Community School, in Bridgwater, is set to open its new, 14-place facility in January after a £700,000 investment.
Later in the year a similar base is due to be completed at Holway Park School, in Taunton, along with an extended and refurbished base at Heathfield Community School, also in Taunton.
Together, the developments amount to £2.3m of investment from the county council creating 48 places for primary and secondary school children. …
Dec 28, 2017, Stevensville (MD) Eastern Shore: Mental Health Committee awards $42K in grants
With the help of QACMHC’s grant, the McArdle School will build a sensory room to help those with learning disabilities, developmental disabilities or sensory impairments learn to interact with the world around them.
Dec 28, 2017, Jupiter (FL) Alternative Daily: If Your Kid Is Depressed Or Anxious, This Could Be
Hardly a week goes by, one educator told me, that a classroom isn’t disrupted by a student having a panic attack. They also added that a record number of kids are on powerful psychotropic medications to help stabilize their mood.
More kids are experiencing mental distress than ever before.
Dec 28, 2017, Waupaca County (WI) News: Clinic serves 350 area families
With offices in Appleton and Oshkosh, Catalpa provides mental health services to children, teens and their families.
Catalpa has four counselors at its Waupaca office, plus another counselor working with the Waupaca School District.
“We’d like to get a fifth person, an MD, who can prescribe medications for kids,” according to Scott Radtke, Catalpa’s director of clinic operations. …
In the Waupaca area, there are about 350 families who rely on Catalpa’s services.
“Kids have difficulties that are getting in their way at school,” Radtke said.
Dec 28, 2017, (Canada) Calgary Herald: School survey asks Alberta principals how they stretch limited resources
“More kids are coming to school with ADHD, diagnosed and not yet diagnosed, anxiety disorders, psychological effects from . . . abuse, trauma and other family issues. Kids are exposed to, and are even doing, drugs at an alarming rate.”
“Kids are suicidal and self-harming . . . we could easily employ a counsellor two to three days per week. Yet, educational assistants are being cut back more and more.”…
Dec 29, 2017, (NY) Kaplan Independent News: Irvington knew pupil was violent years earlier than trainer attacked, data present
An Irvington Middle School teacher seriously injured in an attack by a special education student had been warning school district officials about the teen‘s violent tendencies for years, records show.
Dec 29, 2017, Smithtown (NY) Patch: Op-Ed: Keeping Long Island's Schools Safe And Secure Together
A recent survey of school superintendents statewide indicates that half of respondents have rising concerns about the needs of our students in non-academic areas, including health, safety and mental health.
Dec 29, 2017, Plano (TX) Star Courier: Plano ISD handles recapture, resignations in 2017
Teachers across Plano ISD received more than $100,000 in grants to fund classroom projects like calming corners for students in need.
Dec 30. 2017, The Oregonian: Oregon teens struggle with mental health more than ever, according to state survey
In Oregon, the kids are increasingly not all right. A report from the Oregon Health Authority shows that middle- and high school-aged children feel they struggle more with mental illness and cope less well with the stress of their lives than was the case as recently as two years ago.
Dec 30, 2017, Jackson Observer (IA): Iowa elementary school uses therapy pig to improve learning
An elementary school in eastern Iowa is using a therapy pig to help special education students manage emotions and focus on learning.
The Muscatine Journal reports that Frankie the pig serves as a calming mechanism.
Dec 31, 2017, (Canada) CBC: Violence against teachers by students is turning into a bona fide workplace hazard
According to one survey, 60 per cent of teachers have personally experienced violence on the job
It was once considered a highly remote risk. But now, incidents of violence by students against teachers has exploded into a bona fide workplace hazard, one that my profession seems to be witnessing — and worse, tolerating — with alarming frequency. …
Dec 31, 2017, New Orleans Sun Herald: Disruptive students need help from professional school counselors
Disruptive kids are not necessarily “bad” kids. Kids are just young humans. They have the same sorts of problems as adults plus a special set that most adults have left behind. They have divorced parents, blended families, single parent homes, absentee fathers or mothers, parents with substance abuse problems, parents who are in prison. …
And yet we expect them to concentrate on their classroom behavior and homework. Sometimes it’s just too much. Kids become overwhelmed and develop mental or emotional health disorders.
Some research shows that “about 10 percent of the school population ... struggle with mental health problems”
Anne Dachel is Media Editor for Age of Autism. Her extensive coverage of the rapid and troubling shifts in our schools is a huge project - please join us in thanking her for having the stamina to report the crisis.
Past coverage on this topic from 2017:
http://www.ageofautism.com/2017/09/take-the-keys-and-lock-them-up-amer-ican-children.html
http://www.ageofautism.com/2017/07/frog-in-a-pot-special-education-in-great-britain-.html
http://www.ageofautism.com/2017/07/the-fight-is-on-in-ireland.html
http://www.ageofautism.com/2017/07/special-ed-should-be-renamed-regular-ed.html
http://www.ageofautism.com/2017/07/dachel-wake-up-special-ed-numbers-exploding.html
http://www.ageofautism.com/2017/07/dachel-wake-up-sped-directors-have-no-job-worries.html#more
http://www.ageofautism.com/2017/06/schools-were-drowing-in-special-needs-students.html
You know, maybe this is the tipping point, and maybe school personnel will finally put two and two together and realize that it is high time for them to step up and demand change in the public health system. For decades now, autism parents have been telling teachers and school nurses and principals about the role vaccines have played in damaging their children, only to have their concerns dismissed, mocked, or ignored. And now, look where we are. Look at the list Anne has compiled here. It basically screams out that teachers and school administrators are at their wit's end with a problem that they've played a HUGE role in creating and sustaining.
In the manufacturing field, if a company receives raw material that is flawed or damaged and unworkable, they send it back/refuse to do business with that supplier. And yet, in the education field, with every late summer/fall letter home to parents stating "Your child will not be able to attend school until s/he receives the following immunizations", they are literally begging for damaged raw material. And then they wonder why they have the problems they are having.
Time to wake up. Teachers unions have power that parents do not. Teachers unions could effect change in the current childhood vaccine schedule. They could demand a return, for example, to the vaccine schedule of the early 80s, a time in which most kids were actually educable and not chronically sick/allergic/anaphylactic/epileptic/autistic. Historically speaking, all they have to do is strike or threaten to strike, and they pretty much get whatever they want. And if they want healthier students and safer work environments, maybe they ought to demand that the entire public health system moves in that direction.
Posted by: Donna L. | January 13, 2018 at 01:45 PM
History/ SNOEZELN Multy Sensory Enviroments https// www.snoezeln.info/history.
I realise now how fortunate we were in the early 1990's ,the small NHS Hospital I worked in
of 20 beds for children with profound, multiple, very complex disabilities ,now closed.
We had around 33 families sharing 6 respite places with 2 beds kept free for "Crisis Intervention Respite" A strong/determined/very capable multi-disciplinary team . Between staff and families,we raised around £10,000 for a sensory room ,with little encouragement or support from our health board ?. Our smashing child psychologist in the team pointed out ,"The NHS Board wasn't pleased about it because it made them look small and appear financially impotent, because they were not funding such valuable therapy equipment!" Read also History -Camphill School Aberdeen.
Even in the 1990's there was a huge visible improvement in "The Behaviours "of the children who attended this residential facility ,then came to us for respite breaks . I hear and read with utter dismay that Rudolf Steiner ,Waldorf Schools are being slashed and trashed alongside Homeopathy etc as providing nothing more as "Wishy Washy WOO-WOO Learning,Healing enviroment!
Runrig Rocket To The Moon youtube Excellent work to read Book Healing Threads . Traditional Medicines of The Highlands and Islands By Mary Beith ISBN No 1 84158 277 8
Slante Mhath to your very good health !. Child vomited 2pm. Mother coming up later . Was it a Dr or Nurse that wrote that in a childs medical records . fact not fiction !
Posted by: Morag | January 12, 2018 at 05:43 AM
I am an independent researcher of over 35 years. Send me your mailing address and I will send you a couple of my books that gives insight into these problems especially in Iowa. I think you will be shocked at the cause.
Posted by: Margaret Shontz | January 10, 2018 at 11:37 PM
I'm still trying to figure out how restraint and seclusion (or watching other fellow students being restrained or put into seclusion) are not considered Adverse Childhood Experiences. I guess if you put your kid into a chokehold at home or lock them into a closet, it is an ACE, but if a professional does this in an educational facility, it is called positive behavioral intervention.
Gotta love the American educational system.
Posted by: Stand back, I'm a professional. | January 10, 2018 at 06:32 PM
Mr. John Stone recently reminded me of this tell-tale study:
Leslie, Kobre, Richmand , Guloksuz, Leckman, 'Temporal Association of Certain Neuropsychiatric Disorders Following Vaccination of Children and Adolescents: A Pilot Case–Control Study', https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5244035/
We need to consider and research just how much any vaccination qualifies as an ACE, perhaps far anything listed by people throwing the phrase around.
I'm increasingly of the opinion that incentivizing homeschooling might do a lot of good in many ways, but as President Trump said he wanted to do something about the numbers of autism in the classroom, I think he could broaden that more generally to incentivizing neurologically healthy classrooms, healthcare programs, etc. No wireless, not even blue-tooth technology in schools. Keep cellphone towers away from such centers of learning. Get the worse than useless continually irradiating "S.M.A.R.T" meters out of any residential area. Consider increasing maternity leave and reducing the "required" vaccine load for daycare or offering care options that decreases the need (or perceived need maybe) for dozens of neurotoxic vaccines. And follow up on the developmental progress of babies delivered in various hospitals, etc. rewarding the programs that have the highest developmental progress, the lowest level of developmental delays and NDs, which I believe might put aluminum containing Vit. K injections, HepB for all newborns, prenatal vaccines etc. in a more relative light as to their cost benefit ratio.
Posted by: Jeannette Bishop | January 10, 2018 at 12:02 AM
There are so many articles from all over that visually it reminds me of the room of shoes at the Holocaust Museum in DC.
Posted by: michael | January 09, 2018 at 01:03 PM
Thank you, Anne, for this amazing research. It must have taken hours, days, weeks.....! It is so much appreciated and I will tweet it to our Health Dept. and BBC - and will get the usual 'silence'.
I wonder what it will be that they cannot ignore/cover up that finally exposes this criminal activity. Will it really have to reach 1:2 before media covers it?
Posted by: Susan Welch | January 09, 2018 at 12:47 PM
It would be nice to think a comprehensive, well-documented, horrifying article like this will wake people up to the mass destruction of our children, however, it likely won't. As the vaccine, pesticide, chemical, and prescription drug poisoning of our populace escalates, along with its genetic destruction, the levels of denial, apathy, and misplaced blame seem to escalate in tandem. It is surrreal, in the worst possible way.
Thank you for your documentation of the destruction of our children, Anne. Should humanity survive today's toxic onslaught, your work may one day be cited as the truth that was ignored.
Posted by: Laura Hayes | January 09, 2018 at 09:52 AM
Frightening it is. Anxiety and depression? Commonplace in children today? Have the cowards and worms on these editorial boards entirely lost their ability to think and reason?
Posted by: Gary Ogden | January 09, 2018 at 09:32 AM
I don't know which is worse .. the depression I have after reading of the overwhelmed educational system throughout the country .. or .. the anger I have reading that much of the blame for the steadily deteriorating health and well-being of children is being blamed on ... wait for it .. Adverse Childhood Experience ,.. also known as ACEs, which are stressful or traumatic events that have been linked with negative, long-term effects on health and well-being.
Really? As someone already said .. blaming parents and family for the long-term effects on health and well-being .. is no different than "experts" who blamed "refrigerator moms" for autism. How did that work out?
“More kids are coming to school with ADHD, diagnosed and not yet diagnosed, anxiety disorders, psychological effects from . . . abuse, trauma and other family issues. Kids are exposed to, and are even doing, drugs at an alarming rate.”
Wonder where "kids" get "exposed to drugs at an alarming rate".. at such an early age?
As I understand it .. children as young a two have been prescribed drugs .. such as .. Adderall .. to deal with what once was recognized as the "terrible twos" .. but is now diagnosed and certified as child with a "Defiance Disorder".
In any event .. wouldn't you think it is at least possible that the potential causes of "ADHD, anxiety disorders and psychological effects" may be due to receiving the most childhood vaccines in the world .. at the earliest of ages possible .. such as .. HEP B for infants within hours of birth .. may be at least partially responsible for the otherwise inexplicable deteriorating behaviors and health of this generation .. that are obviously suffering chronic childhood disorders that were far less COMMON IN ALL PREVIOUS .. LESS VACCINATED GENERATIONS?
"SCHOOLS are referring rapidly growing numbers of primary students at risk of suicide to an intervention service, prompting calls for compulsory training for all school staff ... as schools are now realizing that between the ages of 10 and 14, the numbers have skyrocketed with children attempting to take their lives .... children as young as four and five years old have been known to express thoughts of wanting to die.”
Does ANYONE inquire as to the medications this "rapidly growing number of primary students at risk for suicide" have been prescribed?
"It was once considered a highly remote risk. But now, incidents of violence by students against teachers has exploded into a bona fide workplace hazard, one that my profession seems to be witnessing — and worse, tolerating — with alarming frequency. …"
Living in New York .. the Mayor of NYC is very proud of the dwindling numbers of students being suspended for bad behavior in the class rooms .. which he accomplished by issuing instructions to School officials to simply become more "tolerant" of bad behavior .. rather than disciplining those who continue their bad behavior to the detriment of their class mates and teachers.
Yeah .. it's the fault of those damn parents ... whose child comes home from school expecting mom and dad to "tolerate" his bad behavior.
Posted by: bob moffit | January 09, 2018 at 06:51 AM