Dear Friends,
We are pleased to announce that the 22nd annual Family Shabbaton will be held on Shabbat Parshat Bamidbar, May 30th - June 1st at the Kutsher’s Country Club in Monticello, NY. The Family Shabbaton draws nearly 600 families, which includes Yachad members, their parents, and their extended families. In an unparalleled setting of warmth and love, this informal but structured program provides parents with the opportunity for mutual support and networking. Siblings have a similar opportunity to address their unique issues as brothers and sisters of an individual with special needs. We would like to bring to your attention that for the first time at this year’s Family Shabbaton we will be offering a full Tot program for parents of children ages birth to 5. This program is designed to focus on the needs of families and children in this young age bracket. Please contact Chani Herrmann at 201-833-1349 or e-mail her at herrmann@ou.org, for more details about these exciting new sessions.
Workshops, led by professionals on specific topics such as Autism, Down Syndrome, school-related issues, transitions, vocational training, social skills, residential opportunities, financial planning, and parent support groups are just some of the many important topics that these workshops address and which provide families with vital and timely information. Among the many presenters this year we have joining us for the first time Dr. Pamela Vemtolla from the Yale Child Study Center, where she has trained in the field of Autism. Dr. Verntolla will be addressing such issues as behavioral interventions, vocational training and social skills development. We are also privileged to have Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb, executive vice president of the OU and Dr. Ronen Hizami, a psychiatrist who has extensive experience with special needs families. Also joining us for the weekend is Dr. Stephen Glicksman, developmental psychologist at Women’s League Residences, who specializes in child development, behavior management and social and cognitive skills development. We are pleased to welcome for the first time Dr. Alex Bailey, a clinical psychologist who specializes in the areas of communication and child development, and many other wonderful presenters!
In addition to the workshops offered you can enjoy Kutsher’s Country Club’s activities directly on its grounds, including an indoor and outdoor pool, miniature golf course, racquetball, tennis courts and much more. All of which our guests have unlimited access too. We are also thrilled to offer for our second year in a row, for adults only, men’s and women’s massages, given by professionally trained staff and one on one counseling session’s with our very own Dr. Jeff Lichtman (offered for our national families only). We are also very pleased to welcome back with us for his second year, Rabbi Yair Jacobs, a talented and skilled educator who will be running our most successful childcare program again this year.
Recognizing the significant cost to families, this program is highly subsidized. The cost per adult (ages 12 +) for the entire weekend is $240. Cost per child ages 7-11 (sleeping in parent’s room) is $95. Children ages 3-6 are $70 and any child age 2 and under are FREE. Limited scholarship is available on a first come first serve basis. Should you require assistance in this way, or have any additional questions, please contact Chani Herrmann at
201-833-1349 or e-mail her at herrmann@ou.org as soon as possible.
If you have not yet participated in this marvelous experience, please consider doing so. The Family Shabbaton creates a unique setting where our Yachad members are the stars, families interact, and where everyone grows. The Shabbaton is truly a beautiful and unique experience for everyone involved.
We look forward to greeting you at what we know will be another wonderful Family Shabbaton.
Sincerely,
Chani Herrmann & Blima Druker
Family Shabbaton Coordinators
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
THE PARENTAL GIFT OF HIGH SELF-ESTEEM Presented by NANCY SILBERMAN ZWIEBACH M.A.,P.D.
SAVE THE DATE
WHO: Bellmore-Merrick CHSD SEPTA and the Community Parent Center present:
What: The Parental GifT of High Self-Esteem
Presented by nancy silberman zwiebach M.A.,P.D.
An Interactive Parent Presentation Addressing:
· Definition of self-esteem
· Benefits of children who have self-esteem
· Provides insights & techniques to raise self-esteem
WHEN: Tuesday, May 13, 2008 --- 7:30PM to 9:00PM
WHERE: Grand Avenue Middle School
2301 Grand Avenue --- Bellmore, New York
To Register or for more Information Call: Ms. Cheryl Gitlitz @ 516-992-1349
Mr. Dan DeLilla @ 516-554-5370
WHO: Bellmore-Merrick CHSD SEPTA and the Community Parent Center present:
What: The Parental GifT of High Self-Esteem
Presented by nancy silberman zwiebach M.A.,P.D.
An Interactive Parent Presentation Addressing:
· Definition of self-esteem
· Benefits of children who have self-esteem
· Provides insights & techniques to raise self-esteem
WHEN: Tuesday, May 13, 2008 --- 7:30PM to 9:00PM
WHERE: Grand Avenue Middle School
2301 Grand Avenue --- Bellmore, New York
To Register or for more Information Call: Ms. Cheryl Gitlitz @ 516-992-1349
Mr. Dan DeLilla @ 516-554-5370
Autism Today and Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital are hosting an Autism Summit
Autism Today and Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital are hosting an Autism Summit.
http://www.autismsummit.org
What is the Summit About?
The summit brings together world class speakers specializing in Autism and Asperger's Syndrome, who will provide information on a diverse subject range. Everyone who attends will leave the conference with tools and skills they can use immediately. Empowering presenters and motivational speakers are just the beginning!
Who Should Attend?
Parents
Educators
Caregivers
Grandparents
Professionals
Anyone Interested in Autism and the Autism Spectrum Disorder!
More information and details at:
http://www.autismsummit.org
Take a moment to consider this, early-bird savings are in place right now.
Autism Today
1425 Broadway
#444
Seattle, WA
98122
US
http://www.autismsummit.org
What is the Summit About?
The summit brings together world class speakers specializing in Autism and Asperger's Syndrome, who will provide information on a diverse subject range. Everyone who attends will leave the conference with tools and skills they can use immediately. Empowering presenters and motivational speakers are just the beginning!
Who Should Attend?
Parents
Educators
Caregivers
Grandparents
Professionals
Anyone Interested in Autism and the Autism Spectrum Disorder!
More information and details at:
http://www.autismsummit.org
Take a moment to consider this, early-bird savings are in place right now.
Autism Today
1425 Broadway
#444
Seattle, WA
98122
US
Putting a Challenging Child on a Path to Success
April 17, 2008, 6:48 am
Putting a Challenging Child on a Path to Success
Posted by Sara Schaefer Munoz
JetBlue founder David Neeleman (Credit: JG Howes)
Parents of hyper-active or disruptive kids, take heart. Sue Shellenbarger’s Work & Family column today looks at those with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder who went on to be professionally successful adults — even though they were kicked out of multiple schools or thought themselves “stupid.”
According to the column, JetBlue founder David Neeleman, Kinko’s founder Paul Orfalea and host of the TV show “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” Ty Pennington all caused grief for their parents and had problems with their teachers when young. But parental support (and in some cases, medication,) helped them cope with the constant feedback of failure they got in school.
These days, some 7.8% of children ages 4 to 17 have been told by a doctor or other health professional that they have or might have ADHD, the column says. In a society in which an ever-increasing amount of formal education is needed just to earn a living wage, the disorder is becoming “more impairing” to kids, and thus more troublesome, it says.
Mr. Neeleman’s father remained committed to seeing ADHD as a strength in his son, as a different and creative way of looking at things. Mr. Pennington’s mother used behavior-modification techniques to reward her son when he did something right. Mr. Orfalea’s mother came home in tears after he was expelled from school for the fourth time, but continued to believe in him, saying ” ‘Look at your five fingers. All five are different for a reason. School wants to make you all the same,’ ” he says she told him.
How parents cope with children who have ADHD is probably similar to how parents cope with a child with any number of behavioral issues that aren’t well-tolerated in today’s school environment. Readers, any success stories on keeping a challenging child motivated and confident even if he or she struggles in an academic setting? Have you needed to scale back or temporarily leave work in order to handle the issue?
Permalink Trackback URL: http://blogs.wsj.com/juggle/2008/04/17/putting-a-challenging-child-on-a-path-to-success/?mod=WSJBlog/trackback/
Save & Share:
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JetBlue founder David Neeleman (Credit: JG Howes)
Parents of hyper-active or disruptive kids, take heart. Sue Shellenbarger’s Work & Family column today looks at those with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder who went on to be professionally successful adults — even though they were kicked out of multiple schools or thought themselves “stupid.”
According to the column, JetBlue […]
--> Digg this -->Email This Print
More related content
Putting a Challenging Child on a Path to Success
Posted by Sara Schaefer Munoz
JetBlue founder David Neeleman (Credit: JG Howes)
Parents of hyper-active or disruptive kids, take heart. Sue Shellenbarger’s Work & Family column today looks at those with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder who went on to be professionally successful adults — even though they were kicked out of multiple schools or thought themselves “stupid.”
According to the column, JetBlue founder David Neeleman, Kinko’s founder Paul Orfalea and host of the TV show “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” Ty Pennington all caused grief for their parents and had problems with their teachers when young. But parental support (and in some cases, medication,) helped them cope with the constant feedback of failure they got in school.
These days, some 7.8% of children ages 4 to 17 have been told by a doctor or other health professional that they have or might have ADHD, the column says. In a society in which an ever-increasing amount of formal education is needed just to earn a living wage, the disorder is becoming “more impairing” to kids, and thus more troublesome, it says.
Mr. Neeleman’s father remained committed to seeing ADHD as a strength in his son, as a different and creative way of looking at things. Mr. Pennington’s mother used behavior-modification techniques to reward her son when he did something right. Mr. Orfalea’s mother came home in tears after he was expelled from school for the fourth time, but continued to believe in him, saying ” ‘Look at your five fingers. All five are different for a reason. School wants to make you all the same,’ ” he says she told him.
How parents cope with children who have ADHD is probably similar to how parents cope with a child with any number of behavioral issues that aren’t well-tolerated in today’s school environment. Readers, any success stories on keeping a challenging child motivated and confident even if he or she struggles in an academic setting? Have you needed to scale back or temporarily leave work in order to handle the issue?
Permalink Trackback URL: http://blogs.wsj.com/juggle/2008/04/17/putting-a-challenging-child-on-a-path-to-success/?mod=WSJBlog/trackback/
Save & Share:
-->Share on Facebook Del.icio.us
JetBlue founder David Neeleman (Credit: JG Howes)
Parents of hyper-active or disruptive kids, take heart. Sue Shellenbarger’s Work & Family column today looks at those with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder who went on to be professionally successful adults — even though they were kicked out of multiple schools or thought themselves “stupid.”
According to the column, JetBlue […]
--> Digg this -->Email This Print
More related content
A Master’s in Self-Help
By JANE GROSS
Published: April 20, 2008
LAURIE DUDDY thought she was on top of things when her toddlers, Tommy and Alex, were diagnosed with severe autism. She knew that early, intensive therapy was the twins’ best hope of learning simple skills, acquiring language and mastering out-of-control behavior.
So at great financial sacrifice, she hired certified therapists to work with them privately for 40 hours a week using applied behavioral analysis (A.B.A.), the therapy of choice for the growing ranks of children with autism. She moved from district to district, seeking the best educational services when they reached school age, and eventually joined a group of parents in starting a private school of their own that would offer state-of-the-art behavioral treatments.
Then, more by coincidence than design, she met Sharon Reeve, a consultant for New Jersey school districts who also supervised home programs for families. Dr. Reeve was gearing up to pitch a graduate program in A.B.A. to Caldwell College, and she welcomed an invitation from Ms. Duddy to evaluate her two boys’ therapy.
“When she left, I was devastated,” Ms. Duddy said. The twins were not being taught play or social skills, Dr. Reeve had told her; nor was “the science being practiced the way it should be practiced.”
Ms. Duddy was recounting her frustration from the student lounge at Caldwell College, where she is working toward an advanced degree in A.B.A. — to “steer the ship better” for her children, now 8.
Of the 100 students in Dr. Reeve’s three-year-old program, 17 are parents of children with autism or related disorders. Like Ms. Duddy, they have decided that completing a master’s degree — and investing some $25,500 in tuition — is worth it to help their children. Along the way, most have been inspired to begin new careers. Ms. Duddy hopes to train therapists once her own education is complete.
In most states, a generic special education degree is sufficient to treat children with autism and to use the particular techniques of A.B.A., the only therapy for the disorder with proven results in peer-reviewed research. But many colleges and universities now offer specialized degrees in A.B.A. Graduate programs are offered at Northeastern University in Boston, Florida State University in Tallahassee, the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, the University of Maryland in Baltimore County and California State University in Los Angeles, to name a few. Administrators at several of the programs say they, too, have parents of autistic children among their students.
Caldwell’s graduate program is the only one of its kind in New Jersey, a state known for pioneering autism education and advocacy. New Jersey is home to the Princeton Child Development Institute and its many offspring, including a host of small private schools founded by parents committed to A.B.A. techniques. The state is thus a magnet for families from out of state looking for the best services for their children. Because of this migration, New Jersey has the highest incidence of autism in the United States: 1 in 94 children versus 1 in 150 nationwide, according to federal studies. The supply of behavioral therapists has not kept up with demand, leading to waiting lists at private schools, an insufficient number of public school programs and desperate families outbidding one another for private instructors.
The Caldwell parents, all but one of them mothers, have firsthand experience advocating for services, battling recalcitrant school districts, monitoring what goes on at school and managing home programs to supplement classroom instruction.
Many have seen their marriages crumble under the stress; moved multiple times to find a district that can educate their child or pay for an out-of-district placement; and run up staggering debts paying for private school, in-home therapists and lawyers versed in the rights of disabled children to a free and appropriate education.
In the classrooms at Caldwell, students study the principles of behavioral learning: to break tasks into their component parts, to reinforce success with tangible rewards like pretzels and intangible ones like praise, to meticulously chart progress, to make course corrections that foster what works and to generalize skills mastered in a controlled classroom for the messier circumstances of everyday life.
They study language and social deficits — the hallmarks of autism spectrum disorder — as well as challenging behaviors common to autistic children, like hand flapping, tantrums or self-injury. They also do the equivalent of student teaching in New Jersey’s private schools and in dedicated public-school programs for autistic children.
At Garden Academy in West Orange, 8 of 15 therapists and aides are Caldwell students. Among them is Lisa Rader, a 29-year-old single mother who left the Air Force and took a high-paying job with a defense contractor to pay the legal bills incurred in getting her autistic 11-year-old son the services he needed.
Now, with the legal battles resolved, she is making another career change. Ms. Rader works at Garden Academy during the week, runs home programs for private clients over the weekend, goes to school at night and does her homework when her son is sleeping. It is an exhausting enterprise.
As her son gets older, she hopes to shift her personal and professional focus to adolescents and adults with autism.
The Garden Academy, which opened in 2006, has 17 students 3 to 8 years old. They also have a waiting list of 80 — but not enough therapists to expand, says David Sidener, the school’s director. Mr. Sidener’s goal is 24 students. “It’s a seller’s market for A.B.A. therapists,” he says.
Sixteen other Caldwell students, including Ms. Duddy, work in the Bernards Township public school district.
Carole Deitchman, a former advertising art director and the mother of a 20-year-old with Asperger’s syndrome, teaches social skills to children like her son, who have boundless academic ability but no understanding of interpersonal niceties.
One recent afternoon, she instructed a 5-year-old and a 6-year-old, both in mainstream classrooms for the first time, on the rudiments of conversation.
Look at the other person when you speak, Ms. Deitchman urged. Then ask a question, wait for an answer, ask another question and say something at the end.
The boys’ chitchat, while stiff and halting, fit the formula:
“Hi, how are you?”
“Fine, how are you?”
“What did you do today?”
“I played a game.”
“What game?”
“It’s called Candy Land.”
“I don’t have Candy Land yet.”
Perfect. Ms. Deitchman beamed and rewarded the boys with high fives and green smiley-face stickers.
Most of the parents studying at Caldwell have areas of professional interest related to their own particular tribulations and fears. Martine Torriero, who has a 15-year-old son, hopes to run recreational and cultural programs for autistic teenagers. Delia O’Mahony, whose son is now 22, is interested in adult services, since children like hers “fall off a cliff” when they are past school age. Diana Kelly, who used all her skills as a lawyer to get her two sons properly diagnosed and treated — each has a different variation of autism spectrum disorder — does private consulting for families and schools as she works toward her master’s degree. She hopes Caldwell will add a doctoral program, too.
Once a liberal-arts school for “Catholic women of modest means,” Caldwell is now a coeducational institution with 1,032 undergraduates and 625 graduate students, mostly from New Jersey. The college focuses on career preparation, especially in medical and educational specialties.
Sharon Reeve, an associate professor of education, started the graduate program with her husband, Kenneth, who is now chairman of the psychology department. They met as doctoral candidates at Queens College, where both were doing basic research in behavioral analysis; she was studying pigeons in a laboratory. One day, a colleague dragged her to a school for autistic children. She knew at once, she says, that the classroom application of applied behavioral analysis was far more compelling than the research she was doing with her pigeons.
As final exams approached last semester, a class taught by Kenneth Reeve reviewed how to evaluate treatments based on data, not anecdote. He frequently turned to Ms. Kelly to share her personal experiences.
By her own account, Ms. Kelly has tried just about everything, from A.B.A., which many families find harsh and robotic, to kinder and gentler programs with little data to support effectiveness, to special diets and detoxification. Each consumes time and money, Ms. Kelly said, telling her fellow students, as she does the parents she works with, that trying a little bit of everything is tempting but not necessarily wise.
“It’s not what looks good, it’s what works,” Ms. Kelly said. “And every hour spent doing X is time lost for Y.”
She also laments the imperfect choices available when moving from a home program, usually reserved for toddlers, to a school setting as children get older. Over the years, Ms. Kelly said, she tried a public school classroom for the handicapped, an integrated private school, a mainstream parochial school with a “shadow” for her sons and a school for children with learning disabilities.
“Could it be better?” she asked. “Absolutely. Could it be worse? Absolutely. I did a lot of things right and many wrong. I know what was missing for us. And what I’d like to do for other people is help plug the holes.”
Jane Gross is a national reporter for The Times
Published: April 20, 2008
LAURIE DUDDY thought she was on top of things when her toddlers, Tommy and Alex, were diagnosed with severe autism. She knew that early, intensive therapy was the twins’ best hope of learning simple skills, acquiring language and mastering out-of-control behavior.
So at great financial sacrifice, she hired certified therapists to work with them privately for 40 hours a week using applied behavioral analysis (A.B.A.), the therapy of choice for the growing ranks of children with autism. She moved from district to district, seeking the best educational services when they reached school age, and eventually joined a group of parents in starting a private school of their own that would offer state-of-the-art behavioral treatments.
Then, more by coincidence than design, she met Sharon Reeve, a consultant for New Jersey school districts who also supervised home programs for families. Dr. Reeve was gearing up to pitch a graduate program in A.B.A. to Caldwell College, and she welcomed an invitation from Ms. Duddy to evaluate her two boys’ therapy.
“When she left, I was devastated,” Ms. Duddy said. The twins were not being taught play or social skills, Dr. Reeve had told her; nor was “the science being practiced the way it should be practiced.”
Ms. Duddy was recounting her frustration from the student lounge at Caldwell College, where she is working toward an advanced degree in A.B.A. — to “steer the ship better” for her children, now 8.
Of the 100 students in Dr. Reeve’s three-year-old program, 17 are parents of children with autism or related disorders. Like Ms. Duddy, they have decided that completing a master’s degree — and investing some $25,500 in tuition — is worth it to help their children. Along the way, most have been inspired to begin new careers. Ms. Duddy hopes to train therapists once her own education is complete.
In most states, a generic special education degree is sufficient to treat children with autism and to use the particular techniques of A.B.A., the only therapy for the disorder with proven results in peer-reviewed research. But many colleges and universities now offer specialized degrees in A.B.A. Graduate programs are offered at Northeastern University in Boston, Florida State University in Tallahassee, the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, the University of Maryland in Baltimore County and California State University in Los Angeles, to name a few. Administrators at several of the programs say they, too, have parents of autistic children among their students.
Caldwell’s graduate program is the only one of its kind in New Jersey, a state known for pioneering autism education and advocacy. New Jersey is home to the Princeton Child Development Institute and its many offspring, including a host of small private schools founded by parents committed to A.B.A. techniques. The state is thus a magnet for families from out of state looking for the best services for their children. Because of this migration, New Jersey has the highest incidence of autism in the United States: 1 in 94 children versus 1 in 150 nationwide, according to federal studies. The supply of behavioral therapists has not kept up with demand, leading to waiting lists at private schools, an insufficient number of public school programs and desperate families outbidding one another for private instructors.
The Caldwell parents, all but one of them mothers, have firsthand experience advocating for services, battling recalcitrant school districts, monitoring what goes on at school and managing home programs to supplement classroom instruction.
Many have seen their marriages crumble under the stress; moved multiple times to find a district that can educate their child or pay for an out-of-district placement; and run up staggering debts paying for private school, in-home therapists and lawyers versed in the rights of disabled children to a free and appropriate education.
In the classrooms at Caldwell, students study the principles of behavioral learning: to break tasks into their component parts, to reinforce success with tangible rewards like pretzels and intangible ones like praise, to meticulously chart progress, to make course corrections that foster what works and to generalize skills mastered in a controlled classroom for the messier circumstances of everyday life.
They study language and social deficits — the hallmarks of autism spectrum disorder — as well as challenging behaviors common to autistic children, like hand flapping, tantrums or self-injury. They also do the equivalent of student teaching in New Jersey’s private schools and in dedicated public-school programs for autistic children.
At Garden Academy in West Orange, 8 of 15 therapists and aides are Caldwell students. Among them is Lisa Rader, a 29-year-old single mother who left the Air Force and took a high-paying job with a defense contractor to pay the legal bills incurred in getting her autistic 11-year-old son the services he needed.
Now, with the legal battles resolved, she is making another career change. Ms. Rader works at Garden Academy during the week, runs home programs for private clients over the weekend, goes to school at night and does her homework when her son is sleeping. It is an exhausting enterprise.
As her son gets older, she hopes to shift her personal and professional focus to adolescents and adults with autism.
The Garden Academy, which opened in 2006, has 17 students 3 to 8 years old. They also have a waiting list of 80 — but not enough therapists to expand, says David Sidener, the school’s director. Mr. Sidener’s goal is 24 students. “It’s a seller’s market for A.B.A. therapists,” he says.
Sixteen other Caldwell students, including Ms. Duddy, work in the Bernards Township public school district.
Carole Deitchman, a former advertising art director and the mother of a 20-year-old with Asperger’s syndrome, teaches social skills to children like her son, who have boundless academic ability but no understanding of interpersonal niceties.
One recent afternoon, she instructed a 5-year-old and a 6-year-old, both in mainstream classrooms for the first time, on the rudiments of conversation.
Look at the other person when you speak, Ms. Deitchman urged. Then ask a question, wait for an answer, ask another question and say something at the end.
The boys’ chitchat, while stiff and halting, fit the formula:
“Hi, how are you?”
“Fine, how are you?”
“What did you do today?”
“I played a game.”
“What game?”
“It’s called Candy Land.”
“I don’t have Candy Land yet.”
Perfect. Ms. Deitchman beamed and rewarded the boys with high fives and green smiley-face stickers.
Most of the parents studying at Caldwell have areas of professional interest related to their own particular tribulations and fears. Martine Torriero, who has a 15-year-old son, hopes to run recreational and cultural programs for autistic teenagers. Delia O’Mahony, whose son is now 22, is interested in adult services, since children like hers “fall off a cliff” when they are past school age. Diana Kelly, who used all her skills as a lawyer to get her two sons properly diagnosed and treated — each has a different variation of autism spectrum disorder — does private consulting for families and schools as she works toward her master’s degree. She hopes Caldwell will add a doctoral program, too.
Once a liberal-arts school for “Catholic women of modest means,” Caldwell is now a coeducational institution with 1,032 undergraduates and 625 graduate students, mostly from New Jersey. The college focuses on career preparation, especially in medical and educational specialties.
Sharon Reeve, an associate professor of education, started the graduate program with her husband, Kenneth, who is now chairman of the psychology department. They met as doctoral candidates at Queens College, where both were doing basic research in behavioral analysis; she was studying pigeons in a laboratory. One day, a colleague dragged her to a school for autistic children. She knew at once, she says, that the classroom application of applied behavioral analysis was far more compelling than the research she was doing with her pigeons.
As final exams approached last semester, a class taught by Kenneth Reeve reviewed how to evaluate treatments based on data, not anecdote. He frequently turned to Ms. Kelly to share her personal experiences.
By her own account, Ms. Kelly has tried just about everything, from A.B.A., which many families find harsh and robotic, to kinder and gentler programs with little data to support effectiveness, to special diets and detoxification. Each consumes time and money, Ms. Kelly said, telling her fellow students, as she does the parents she works with, that trying a little bit of everything is tempting but not necessarily wise.
“It’s not what looks good, it’s what works,” Ms. Kelly said. “And every hour spent doing X is time lost for Y.”
She also laments the imperfect choices available when moving from a home program, usually reserved for toddlers, to a school setting as children get older. Over the years, Ms. Kelly said, she tried a public school classroom for the handicapped, an integrated private school, a mainstream parochial school with a “shadow” for her sons and a school for children with learning disabilities.
“Could it be better?” she asked. “Absolutely. Could it be worse? Absolutely. I did a lot of things right and many wrong. I know what was missing for us. And what I’d like to do for other people is help plug the holes.”
Jane Gross is a national reporter for The Times
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
CONTINUUM OF SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES FOR SCHOOL-AGE STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
FROM:James P. DeLorenzo
SUBJECT:CONTINUUM OF SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES FOR SCHOOL-AGE STUDENTS WITHDISABILITIES
The purpose of this memorandum is to provide guidance on the continuumof special education services for school-age students with disabilities.Effective July 1, 2007, the Board of Regents approved amendments tosection 200.6 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Educationrelating to the continuum of special education services. Theseamendments have raised questions from the field as to the definitionsand related requirements for each of the special education servicesoptions. Please note that this field memorandum does not describe thecontinuum of special education services options for preschool studentswith disabilities. To support research based instructional practices and special educationservices provided to the maximum extent possible in classrooms withtheir non-disabled peers, in July 2007 the Board of Regents approvedamendments to section 200.6 of the Regulations of the Commissioner ofEducation relating to consultant teacher, resource room and integratedco-teaching services as follows (underlined language is new): Section 200.6 (d) Consultant teacher services. Consultant teacherservices, as defined in section 200.1(m) of this Part, shall be for thepurpose of providing direct and/or indirect services to students withdisabilities who attend regular education classes, including career andtechnical education classes, and/or to such students' regular educationteachers. Such services shall be recommended by the committee onspecial education to meet specific needs of such students and thestudent's individualized education program (IEP) shall indicate theregular education classes in which the student will receive consultantteacher services. Consultant teacher services shall be provided inaccordance with the following provisions:(1) . . . (2) Each student with a disability requiring consultant teacherservices shall receive direct and/or indirect services consistent withthe student's IEP for a minimum of two hours each week, except that thecommittee on special education may recommend that a student with adisability who also needs resource room services in addition toconsultant teacher services, may receive a combination of such servicesconsistent with the student's IEP for not less than three hours eachweek. Section 200.6(f) Resource room programs. Resource room programs shallbe for the purpose of supplementing the regular or special classroominstruction of students with disabilities who are in need of suchsupplemental programs.(1) Each student with a disability requiring a resource roomprogram shall receive not less than three hours of instruction per weekin such program except that the committee on special education mayrecommend that for a student with a disability who also needs consultantteacher services in addition to resource room services may receive acombination of such services consistent with the student's IEP for notless than three hours per weekThe change in regulation to the minimum level of service requirementsfor students receiving both consultant teacher services and resourceroom programs authorizes Committees on Special Education (CSEs) torecommend, consistent with the individual needs of the student, acombination of these services that total a minimum of three hours perweek. Prior to this regulatory amendment, resource room programsrecommended for a student needed to be provided for a minimum of threehours per week, and consultant teacher services two hours per week. Thecombination of these two services is expected to result in increasedstudent time in the general education classrooms for many students.Questions and answers relating to consultant teacher services andresource room programs are also addressed in pages 6 - 11 of theattachment to this memorandum.Section 200.6(g) A school district may include integrated co-teachingservices in its continuum of services. Integrated co-teaching servicesmeans the provision of specially designed instruction and academicinstruction provided to a group of students with disabilities andnon-disabled students.(1) The maximum number of students with disabilities receivingintegrated co-teaching services in a class shall be determined inaccordance with the students' individual needs as recommended on theirIEPs, provided that effective July 1, 2008, the number of students withdisabilities in such classes shall not exceed 12 students.(2) School personnel assigned to each class shall minimally include aspecial education teacher and a general education teacher.(3) Additional personnel, including supplementary school personnel,assigned to such classes by the district, may not serve as the specialeducation teacher pursuant to paragraph (2) of this subdivision. One of the fastest growing practices nationally is the provision ofco-teaching. "Integrated co-teaching services" as used in theRegulations of the Commissioner of Education means a general educationteacher and a special education teacher jointly providing instruction toa class that includes both students with and students withoutdisabilities to meet the diverse learning needs of all students in aclass. While this option, unlike other continuum options, is notrequired to be available for all students with disabilities, schooldistricts are strongly encouraged to phase this practice into itsschools. Questions and answers regarding integrated co-teachingservices can be found on pages 11 - 13 of the attachment to thismemorandum. For further information on co-teaching, see www.k8accesscenter.org/index.php. The attached question and answer document should assist school personnelto understand the regulatory requirements under which each service mustbe provided and to assist in the determination of which of these specialeducation services might be most appropriate for an individual student.Questions regarding this memorandum may be directed to the SpecialEducation Policy Unit at 518-473-2878 or to the local Special EducationQuality Assurance (SEQA) Office at: Central Regional Office (315) 428-3287Eastern Regional Office (518) 486-6366Hudson Valley Regional Office (518) 473-1185 or (914) 245-0010Long Island Regional Office (631) 884-8530New York City Regional Office (718) 722-4544Western Regional Office (585) 344-2002Nondistrict Unit(518) 473-1185Attachment________________________________Continuum of Special Education Services for School-Age Students withDisabilitiesApril 2008The University of the State of New YorkThe State Education DepartmentOffice of Vocational and EducationalServices for Individuals with DisabilitiesAlbany, N Y 12234FORWARDResearch on specially designed instruction clearly supports high qualityinstruction provided to the greatest extent possible to meet thestudent's individualized education program (IEP) in the generaleducation classrooms where students with disabilities have the greatestlikelihood of receiving curriculum content delivered by highly qualifiedteachers. Schools may utilize a variety of combinations of specialeducation supports and services to serve students with disabilities ingeneral education settings and promote meaningful access, participationand progress in the general curriculum, including consultant teacherservices, paraprofessional support, resource room services andintegrated co-teaching.Access to and participation in the general education curriculum does notoccur solely because a student is placed in a general educationclassroom, but rather when students with disabilities are activelyengaged in learning the content and skills that define the generaleducation curriculum. Meaningful access to the general educationcurriculum means that a student with a disability has the appropriatesupports, services and accommodations to address his or her disabilityin consideration of the content of the curriculum, instructionalmaterials, how the curriculum is taught to the student, the physicalenvironment and how the student's learning is measured. It is theconsideration of the individual needs of the student and the support,services and/or modifications needed to the general educationcurriculum, instructional methods, instructional materials and/orinstructional environment that determine which of the service deliveryoptions would be most appropriate to assist the student to meet his/herannual goals and to meet New York State's (NYS) learning standards. This document should assist school personnel to understand theregulatory requirements under which each service must be provided and toassist in the determination of which of these special education servicesmight be most appropriate for an individual student. Questions regardingthis document may be directed to the Special Education Policy Unit at518-473-2878 or to the local Special Education Quality Assurance (SEQA)Office at: Central Regional Office (315) 428-3287Eastern Regional Office (518) 486-6366Hudson Valley Regional Office (518) 473-1185 or (914) 245-0010Long Island Regional Office (631) 884-8530New York City Regional Office (718) 722-4544Western Regional Office (585) 344-2002Nondistrict Unit(518) 473-1185
SUBJECT:CONTINUUM OF SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES FOR SCHOOL-AGE STUDENTS WITHDISABILITIES
The purpose of this memorandum is to provide guidance on the continuumof special education services for school-age students with disabilities.Effective July 1, 2007, the Board of Regents approved amendments tosection 200.6 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Educationrelating to the continuum of special education services. Theseamendments have raised questions from the field as to the definitionsand related requirements for each of the special education servicesoptions. Please note that this field memorandum does not describe thecontinuum of special education services options for preschool studentswith disabilities. To support research based instructional practices and special educationservices provided to the maximum extent possible in classrooms withtheir non-disabled peers, in July 2007 the Board of Regents approvedamendments to section 200.6 of the Regulations of the Commissioner ofEducation relating to consultant teacher, resource room and integratedco-teaching services as follows (underlined language is new): Section 200.6 (d) Consultant teacher services. Consultant teacherservices, as defined in section 200.1(m) of this Part, shall be for thepurpose of providing direct and/or indirect services to students withdisabilities who attend regular education classes, including career andtechnical education classes, and/or to such students' regular educationteachers. Such services shall be recommended by the committee onspecial education to meet specific needs of such students and thestudent's individualized education program (IEP) shall indicate theregular education classes in which the student will receive consultantteacher services. Consultant teacher services shall be provided inaccordance with the following provisions:(1) . . . (2) Each student with a disability requiring consultant teacherservices shall receive direct and/or indirect services consistent withthe student's IEP for a minimum of two hours each week, except that thecommittee on special education may recommend that a student with adisability who also needs resource room services in addition toconsultant teacher services, may receive a combination of such servicesconsistent with the student's IEP for not less than three hours eachweek. Section 200.6(f) Resource room programs. Resource room programs shallbe for the purpose of supplementing the regular or special classroominstruction of students with disabilities who are in need of suchsupplemental programs.(1) Each student with a disability requiring a resource roomprogram shall receive not less than three hours of instruction per weekin such program except that the committee on special education mayrecommend that for a student with a disability who also needs consultantteacher services in addition to resource room services may receive acombination of such services consistent with the student's IEP for notless than three hours per weekThe change in regulation to the minimum level of service requirementsfor students receiving both consultant teacher services and resourceroom programs authorizes Committees on Special Education (CSEs) torecommend, consistent with the individual needs of the student, acombination of these services that total a minimum of three hours perweek. Prior to this regulatory amendment, resource room programsrecommended for a student needed to be provided for a minimum of threehours per week, and consultant teacher services two hours per week. Thecombination of these two services is expected to result in increasedstudent time in the general education classrooms for many students.Questions and answers relating to consultant teacher services andresource room programs are also addressed in pages 6 - 11 of theattachment to this memorandum.Section 200.6(g) A school district may include integrated co-teachingservices in its continuum of services. Integrated co-teaching servicesmeans the provision of specially designed instruction and academicinstruction provided to a group of students with disabilities andnon-disabled students.(1) The maximum number of students with disabilities receivingintegrated co-teaching services in a class shall be determined inaccordance with the students' individual needs as recommended on theirIEPs, provided that effective July 1, 2008, the number of students withdisabilities in such classes shall not exceed 12 students.(2) School personnel assigned to each class shall minimally include aspecial education teacher and a general education teacher.(3) Additional personnel, including supplementary school personnel,assigned to such classes by the district, may not serve as the specialeducation teacher pursuant to paragraph (2) of this subdivision. One of the fastest growing practices nationally is the provision ofco-teaching. "Integrated co-teaching services" as used in theRegulations of the Commissioner of Education means a general educationteacher and a special education teacher jointly providing instruction toa class that includes both students with and students withoutdisabilities to meet the diverse learning needs of all students in aclass. While this option, unlike other continuum options, is notrequired to be available for all students with disabilities, schooldistricts are strongly encouraged to phase this practice into itsschools. Questions and answers regarding integrated co-teachingservices can be found on pages 11 - 13 of the attachment to thismemorandum. For further information on co-teaching, see www.k8accesscenter.org/index.php. The attached question and answer document should assist school personnelto understand the regulatory requirements under which each service mustbe provided and to assist in the determination of which of these specialeducation services might be most appropriate for an individual student.Questions regarding this memorandum may be directed to the SpecialEducation Policy Unit at 518-473-2878 or to the local Special EducationQuality Assurance (SEQA) Office at: Central Regional Office (315) 428-3287Eastern Regional Office (518) 486-6366Hudson Valley Regional Office (518) 473-1185 or (914) 245-0010Long Island Regional Office (631) 884-8530New York City Regional Office (718) 722-4544Western Regional Office (585) 344-2002Nondistrict Unit(518) 473-1185Attachment________________________________Continuum of Special Education Services for School-Age Students withDisabilitiesApril 2008The University of the State of New YorkThe State Education DepartmentOffice of Vocational and EducationalServices for Individuals with DisabilitiesAlbany, N Y 12234FORWARDResearch on specially designed instruction clearly supports high qualityinstruction provided to the greatest extent possible to meet thestudent's individualized education program (IEP) in the generaleducation classrooms where students with disabilities have the greatestlikelihood of receiving curriculum content delivered by highly qualifiedteachers. Schools may utilize a variety of combinations of specialeducation supports and services to serve students with disabilities ingeneral education settings and promote meaningful access, participationand progress in the general curriculum, including consultant teacherservices, paraprofessional support, resource room services andintegrated co-teaching.Access to and participation in the general education curriculum does notoccur solely because a student is placed in a general educationclassroom, but rather when students with disabilities are activelyengaged in learning the content and skills that define the generaleducation curriculum. Meaningful access to the general educationcurriculum means that a student with a disability has the appropriatesupports, services and accommodations to address his or her disabilityin consideration of the content of the curriculum, instructionalmaterials, how the curriculum is taught to the student, the physicalenvironment and how the student's learning is measured. It is theconsideration of the individual needs of the student and the support,services and/or modifications needed to the general educationcurriculum, instructional methods, instructional materials and/orinstructional environment that determine which of the service deliveryoptions would be most appropriate to assist the student to meet his/herannual goals and to meet New York State's (NYS) learning standards. This document should assist school personnel to understand theregulatory requirements under which each service must be provided and toassist in the determination of which of these special education servicesmight be most appropriate for an individual student. Questions regardingthis document may be directed to the Special Education Policy Unit at518-473-2878 or to the local Special Education Quality Assurance (SEQA)Office at: Central Regional Office (315) 428-3287Eastern Regional Office (518) 486-6366Hudson Valley Regional Office (518) 473-1185 or (914) 245-0010Long Island Regional Office (631) 884-8530New York City Regional Office (718) 722-4544Western Regional Office (585) 344-2002Nondistrict Unit(518) 473-1185
Monday, April 14, 2008
Audio Conference: There Are No IEP's In College - Tues. April 15, 2008 1-2:30pm CST - AND MORE
REFERENCE POINTS is an activity of TATRA, a project of PACER CenterREFERENCE POINTS: Conference and Workshop Updates Added to the TATRAWebsiteREFERENCE POINTS is an activity of TATRA, a project of PACER CenterREFERENCE POINTS Conference and workshop updates feature NEW additionsto the listing of transition related national and regional conferencesmaintained on PACER Center's TATRA Project web site. To see our completecalendar of events, please visit us athttp://www.pacer.org/tatra/calendar.asp.* (see below)APRIL 15, 2008 "THERE ARE NO IEP's IN COLLEGE" AUDIO CONFERENCE, 1:00 -2:30 PM CST Sponsored by the DBTAC National Network of ADA Centers. Formore information go to http://www.adacourse.org/events.php?eventid=440APRIL 15, 2008 "MANY VOICES ONE VOTE!" WEB CAST, 8:00 PM E.T.Sponsored by the National Youth Leadership Network and ILRU. For moreinformation go to http://metadot.nyln.org/index.pl?iid=3845 . APRIL 16, 2008 "MEDICAID WAIVERS: A TOOL FOR SELF-EMPLOYMENT" WEB CAST,2:00 - 2:45 P.M.Sponsored by VCRU. For more information go tohttp://www.start-up-usa.biz/training/webcasts.cfm ***APRIL 23 - 25, 2008 "GREAT PRACTICES, GREAT RESULTS" NCSAB 2008 SPRINGCONFERENCE Hosted by the National Council of State Agencies for theBlind and held in Bethesda, MD. For more information go tohttp://www.ncsab.org/conference/08%20spring/ncsab_2008_spring_conference_cal.htmAPRIL 24, 2008 GovBenefits 6TH ANNIVERSAY WEBCAST, 1:30 P.M. ESTSponsored by GovBenefits. For more information go tohttp://www.mobilevideo.net/govbenefits/registration.html JUNE 4 - 7, 2008 "NO HEALTH WITHOUT MENTAL HEALTH" MENTAL HEALTH AMERICA2008 CONFERENCE Sponsored by Mental Health America and held inWashington, DC. For more information go tohttp://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/annualconference/index.html JUNE 5 - 6, 2008 NATIONAL WORKSHOP: PERSONAL ASSISTANCE SERVICES FORSTUDENTS WITH SEVERE PHYSICAL DISABILITIES Hosted by Midwest Alliance inScience, Tech., Engineering, and Mathematics and held inUrbana-Champaign, IL. For more information go tohttp://www.pascenter.org/documents/PASinPSE.pdfSEPT 18 - 19, 2008 "MENTORING-THE MAGIC OF CONNECTIONS" NATIONALMENTORING SUMMIT Sponsored by the California Mentor Foundation and theEvelyn Freed Mentor Center and held in Anaheim, CA. For more informationgo to http://www.calmentor.org NOV 14 - 16, 2008 "LEARNING TODAY, LEADING TOMORROW" 2008 CONFERENCE OFTHE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF DISABLED STUDENTS Sponsored by NEADS andheld in Ottawa, Ontario. For more information go tohttp://www.neads.ca/conference2008/en/DEC 3 - 6, 2008 "SOCIAL JUSTICE IN THE 21ST CENTURY" 33RD ANNUAL TASHCONFERENCE Sponsored by TASH and held in Nashville, TN. For moreinformation go to http://www.tash.org/2008tash/DEC 5 - 7, 2008 "PERSPECTIVES ON EMPLOYMENT OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIESIN THE FEDERAL SECTOR"Sponsored by eight federal departments and held in Bethesda, MD. Formore information go tohttps://register.grad.usda.gov/Conferences/Perspectives/ * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * **REFERENCE POINTS is administered by PACER Center http://www.PACER.org asa technical assistance activity of the TATRA Project. The TATRA Projectis funded by the Rehabilitation Services Administration.To SUBSCRIBE to REFERENCE POINTS go tohttp://www.pacer.org/tatra/list/index.aspTo UNSUBSCRIBE, please go directly tohttp://www.pacer.org/tatra/list/maildel.aspReaders are invited to send information about new resources on secondaryeducation, transition and vocational rehabilitation topics totatra@pacer.org.Reference Points received initial support from the National Center onSecondary Education and Transition http://www.ncset.org/. Visit theirweb site for a wealth of information related to secondary education andtransition for youth with disabilities.Note: There are no copyright restrictions on this document. However,please credit the source and support of federal funds when copying allor part of this material.Audioconference: There are no IEP's in College **Date: Tuesday, April 15, 2008Time: 1:00 P.M. to 2:30 P.M. CSTWhere:Online/Web-basedSponsored By:Collaborative project of the DBTAC National Network of ADA Centers withfunding from NIDRR.Description:Transitioning from high school to college is tough enough; for studentswith disabilities who may not know their rights and responsibilitiesunder federal law, the experience can be even tougher. This presentationwill compare the rights and responsibilities of students withdisabilities in high school and in college. By understanding thedifferences, students, parents, teachers, counselors, service providers,and administrators can be better prepared and increase student's chancesof graduating.Registration:Deadline to Register - April 14, 2008 The fee for each 90-minute audioconference is based on profit status.* Non-Profit Entities * Single Audioconference: Session $25; Real-time Captioning orStreaming Audio $15 * Full Series: Sessions $240; Real-time Captioning or Streaming Audio$120 * For-Profit Entities * Single Audioconference: Session $40; Real-time Captioning orStreaming Audio $25; * Full Series: Sessions $420; Real-time Captioning or Streaming Audio$240 Note: Until the fee is paid, registration is not guaranteed orconfirmed; the deadline for registration and fee payment is 24 hoursprior to the scheduled date of the audioconference.Register for Audioconference <http://ada-audio.org/Registration/> orview more information on Prices, Registration and Cancellation Policy<http://ada-audio.org/ProgramInformation/prices.php> atwww.ada-audio.org.Contact For More Information:DBTAC National Network of ADA CentersPhone: 800-949-4232 (v/tty) or 312-413-1407 (v/tty) Fax: 312-413-1856 Web: www.ada-audio.orgMedicaid Waivers: A Tool for Self-Employment ****Presenter: Molly SullivanDate: April 16, 2008A critical step in the business planning process is identifying thesupport services that business owners will need to assure success inimplementing and maintaining their businesses. For people who areenrolled in and using the services provided through a Medicaid Home andCommunity Based Services Waiver, there are unique opportunities forfunding some of the disability specific support services. This livewebcast will provide some examples of how waivers can and cannot be usedin supporting a business owner with a disability. Tips for how toincorporate waiver services in the business resource plan will beprovided as well as tips on how to learn more about the specific waiverprograms in each participant's state.Individual Access to Single Webcast: $50 Includes access to the selected webcast for one individual.
Attention Employers! The Workforce Recruitment Program for College Students with Disabilities is ready NOW
With Thanks to Monica Moshenko of DisAbility Radio -
https://wrp.gov/LoginPre.do?method=login
Neil Romano, Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor, DisabilityEmployment PolicyWorkforce Recruitment Program (WRP)Attention Employers! The Workforce Recruitment Program for College Studentswith Disabilities is ready NOW to help you fill your summer and permanenthiring needs with talented and gifted college students with disabilities.Currently there are 2000 students waiting to hear from employers across thenation on the WRP database. Assistant Secretary Romano explains thisexciting new initiative out coordinated by the Office of DisabilityEmployment Policy (ODEP) and the U.S. Department of Defense. The WRP is oneof many federal programs being offered through ODEP to foster gainfulemployment of students and adults with disabilities. Tap into WRP and youwill be tapping into employees with disabilities that will make a positiveimpact in your business - your workforce and our community will be betterfor it! In December 2007, Mr. Romano was nominated and appointed by Senateconfirmation as Assistant Secretary of Labor in charge of EmploymentDisability Policy. Mr. Romano is considered among the nation's leadingauthorities in the field of media and public advocacy. Assistant SecretaryRomano is already making a difference at ODEP for thousands.http://www.wrp.gov <http://www.wrp.gov/> .
https://wrp.gov/LoginPre.do?method=login
Neil Romano, Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor, DisabilityEmployment PolicyWorkforce Recruitment Program (WRP)Attention Employers! The Workforce Recruitment Program for College Studentswith Disabilities is ready NOW to help you fill your summer and permanenthiring needs with talented and gifted college students with disabilities.Currently there are 2000 students waiting to hear from employers across thenation on the WRP database. Assistant Secretary Romano explains thisexciting new initiative out coordinated by the Office of DisabilityEmployment Policy (ODEP) and the U.S. Department of Defense. The WRP is oneof many federal programs being offered through ODEP to foster gainfulemployment of students and adults with disabilities. Tap into WRP and youwill be tapping into employees with disabilities that will make a positiveimpact in your business - your workforce and our community will be betterfor it! In December 2007, Mr. Romano was nominated and appointed by Senateconfirmation as Assistant Secretary of Labor in charge of EmploymentDisability Policy. Mr. Romano is considered among the nation's leadingauthorities in the field of media and public advocacy. Assistant SecretaryRomano is already making a difference at ODEP for thousands.http://www.wrp.gov <http://www.wrp.gov/> .
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Study supports theory that rise in autism is related to changes in diagnosis
Research funded by the Wellcome Trust suggests that many children diagnosed with severe language disorders in the 1980s and 1990s would today be diagnosed as having autism. The research supports the theory that the rise in the number of cases of autism may be related to changes in how it is diagnosed.
Professor Dorothy Bishop, a Wellcome Trust Principal Research Fellow at the University of Oxford, led a study which revisited 38 adults, aged between 15-31, who had been diagnosed with having developmental language disorders as children rather than being autistic. Professor Bishop and colleagues looked at whether they now met current diagnostic criteria for autistic spectrum disorders, either through reports of their childhood behaviour or on the basis of their current behaviour. The results are published this month in the journal Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology(1).
Developmental language disorders, which include specific language impairment, are diagnosed when a child has unusual difficulty in his or her grasp of the spoken language, despite normal development in other areas. This may range from a child who has very limited ability to produce or understand spoken sentences, to one who does speak in long and complex utterances, but nevertheless has problem communicating effectively because of problems in conveying a point or grasping what others mean.
Autistic spectrum disorders, which include autism and Asperger syndrome, are developmental disorders affecting how a person communicates with and relates to other people and how they make sense of the world around them.
Participants in the study were drawn from a pool of children who had participated in a series of studies of developmental language disorder conducted during the period 1986 to 2003 and about whose conditions detailed information was known. All attended special schools or classes for children with language impairments, and would have been diagnosed by educational psychologists, paediatricians or speech therapists as having developmental language disorders and none had previously been diagnosed as autistic. However, when reassessed by Professor Bishop and colleagues using current criteria, around a quarter were identified as having autistic spectrum disorder.
In recent years, the criteria for diagnosing developmental language disorders and autism have changed. This has coincided with a marked rise in the rates of diagnosis of autism. According to the Special Needs and Autism Project(2), the figure until the 1990s was widely accepted as being about 5 people per 10,000; even using the narrowest definition of autism, this rose to almost 40 in 10,000 by 2006
There are two main hypotheses to explain this rise: the "autism epidemic" hypothesis and the "diagnostic substitution" hypothesis. Whilst the former says that the rise is genuine, the latter maintains that the true prevalence of the disorder is constant but that changes in diagnostic criteria mean that more children are being diagnosed as autistic. The latter theory is supported by a UK study(3) using the General Practice Research Database, which found that the rise in autism was mirrored by a decline in frequency of language disorders, and now by Professor Bishop's study.
"Our study shows pretty direct evidence to support the theory that changes in diagnosis may contribute towards the rise in autism," says Professor Bishop. "These were children that people were saying were not autistic in the 1980s, but when we talk to their parents now about what they were like as children, it's clear that they would be classified as autistic now.
"Criteria for diagnosing autism were much more stringent in the 1980s than nowadays and a child wouldn't be classed as autistic unless he or she was very severe. Now, children are being identified who have more subtle characteristics and who could in the past easily have been missed."
However, Professor Bishop cautions against using the results to suggest that the prevalence of autism is not genuinely rising.
"We can't say that genuine cases of autism are not on the increase as the numbers in our study are very small," she says. "However, this is the only study to date where direct evidence has been found of people who would have had a different diagnosis today than they were given fifteen or twenty years ago."
Professor Dorothy Bishop, a Wellcome Trust Principal Research Fellow at the University of Oxford, led a study which revisited 38 adults, aged between 15-31, who had been diagnosed with having developmental language disorders as children rather than being autistic. Professor Bishop and colleagues looked at whether they now met current diagnostic criteria for autistic spectrum disorders, either through reports of their childhood behaviour or on the basis of their current behaviour. The results are published this month in the journal Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology(1).
Developmental language disorders, which include specific language impairment, are diagnosed when a child has unusual difficulty in his or her grasp of the spoken language, despite normal development in other areas. This may range from a child who has very limited ability to produce or understand spoken sentences, to one who does speak in long and complex utterances, but nevertheless has problem communicating effectively because of problems in conveying a point or grasping what others mean.
Autistic spectrum disorders, which include autism and Asperger syndrome, are developmental disorders affecting how a person communicates with and relates to other people and how they make sense of the world around them.
Participants in the study were drawn from a pool of children who had participated in a series of studies of developmental language disorder conducted during the period 1986 to 2003 and about whose conditions detailed information was known. All attended special schools or classes for children with language impairments, and would have been diagnosed by educational psychologists, paediatricians or speech therapists as having developmental language disorders and none had previously been diagnosed as autistic. However, when reassessed by Professor Bishop and colleagues using current criteria, around a quarter were identified as having autistic spectrum disorder.
In recent years, the criteria for diagnosing developmental language disorders and autism have changed. This has coincided with a marked rise in the rates of diagnosis of autism. According to the Special Needs and Autism Project(2), the figure until the 1990s was widely accepted as being about 5 people per 10,000; even using the narrowest definition of autism, this rose to almost 40 in 10,000 by 2006
There are two main hypotheses to explain this rise: the "autism epidemic" hypothesis and the "diagnostic substitution" hypothesis. Whilst the former says that the rise is genuine, the latter maintains that the true prevalence of the disorder is constant but that changes in diagnostic criteria mean that more children are being diagnosed as autistic. The latter theory is supported by a UK study(3) using the General Practice Research Database, which found that the rise in autism was mirrored by a decline in frequency of language disorders, and now by Professor Bishop's study.
"Our study shows pretty direct evidence to support the theory that changes in diagnosis may contribute towards the rise in autism," says Professor Bishop. "These were children that people were saying were not autistic in the 1980s, but when we talk to their parents now about what they were like as children, it's clear that they would be classified as autistic now.
"Criteria for diagnosing autism were much more stringent in the 1980s than nowadays and a child wouldn't be classed as autistic unless he or she was very severe. Now, children are being identified who have more subtle characteristics and who could in the past easily have been missed."
However, Professor Bishop cautions against using the results to suggest that the prevalence of autism is not genuinely rising.
"We can't say that genuine cases of autism are not on the increase as the numbers in our study are very small," she says. "However, this is the only study to date where direct evidence has been found of people who would have had a different diagnosis today than they were given fifteen or twenty years ago."
Online Study to Access Parental Perceptions & Needs to Develop Future Interventions & Resources
Online Study to Access Parental Perceptions & Needs to Help DevelopFuture Interventions & ResourcesDear Parent,There are various needs associated with parenting. These needs may bedifferent for parents of a child who may experience some uniquecognitive, behavioral, educational, and emotional difficulties. You areinvited to participate in a study that will assess parental perceptionsof various needs related to raising a child with Asperger Syndrome orAutism. This study is being conducted as part of a DoctoralDissertation by Polly Robinson, MS, school psychologist, under thesupervision of Mark D. Terjesen, Ph.D., Department of School Psychology,St. John's University, Queens, NY. Participation in the study will include the completion of four briefonline questionnaires. The first will include background information onyour family. The second will ask questions regarding behaviors relatedto your child's diagnosis. The third will assess your impressions ofthe needs of your family. The parental needs assessed will includeparent education, educational needs for your child, your child'ssocial/behavioral needs, your own needs, and access to communityservices. The survey will also contain several items regarding theavailability of resources for you and your child. You will be asked torate how helpful you have found these resources and if they have beenused in the past. Finally, you will be asked to complete a shortmeasure of parental stress. Determining the most important needs of families with children willprovide future program developers and school and mental healthprofessionals with critical information necessary for developinginterventions and resources for parents of children with AspergerSyndrome or Autism. If you would like to participate in this studyplease go to the following web address to access the consent form:http://irsurveys.stjohns.edu/4/Polly/You will need to enter the password 1234 and then click on start toenter the survey.As a token of my appreciation for your participation in the researchstudy, all participants will be given the opportunity to enter into alottery to win a $50 gift certificate to Borders Book store aftercompletion of the surveys.Thank You, Polly Robinson, MSSt. John's University, Doctoral CandidatePatricia R. SchisselPresident, AHAAsperger Syndrome and High Functioning Autism Assoc.PO Box 916Bethpage, NY 11714516.470.0360 p
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