June 28, 2018, Alexander City (AL) Outlook: City BOE learns about dyslexia and finances https://www.alexcityoutlook.com/2018/06/28/city-boe-learns-about-dyslexia-and-finances/ The system has an average of about 15 percent of the student population in some sort of special education program, while the state average is 10 percent. “I was hoping it would be better,” Ward said. Ward explained the number would hopefully get better now the system has hired on Orton Gillingham certified teacher and four others are now trained for the program. The special education program also has a total of 23 certified teachers, three speech pathologists and 12 parapros. Ward explained the program cannot diagnose dyslexia but the system does have eight students with the medical diagnosis of dyslexia while another 148 students have characteristics of dyslexia…. Ward also informed the board the program holds monthly meetings with parents of students in the program on the first Monday of the month and that students are also taking part in Special Olympics. “It (Special Olympics) is a good thing for all our students,” Superintendent Dr. Darrell Cooper said. ...
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Childhood Lost
Children today are noticeably different from previous generations, and the proof is in the news coverage we see every day. This site shows you what’s happening in schools around the world. Children are increasingly disabled and chronically ill, and the education system has to accommodate them. Things we've long associated with autism, like sensory issues, repetitive behaviors, anxiety and lack of social skills, are now problems affecting mainstream students. Blame is predictably placed on bad parenting (otherwise known as trauma from home).
Addressing mental health needs is as important as academics for modern educators. This is an unrecognized disaster. The stories here are about children who can’t learn or behave like children have always been expected to. What childhood has become is a chilling portent for the future of mankind.
Anne Dachel, Media editor, Age of Autism
http://www.ageofautism.com/media/
(John Dachel, Tech. assist.)
What will happen in another 4 years? How can we go on like this? This is a national (and international) problem of monumental proportions. We have an entire new class of children who cannot be accommodated by the system: many are manifestly neurologically impaired. Meanwhile, the government and the medical profession sleep on regardless.
John Stone,
UK media editor, Age of Autism
The generation of American children born after 1990 are arguably the sickest generation in the history of our country.
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
It seemed to me that with rising autism prevalence, you’d also see rising autism costs to society, and it turns out, the costs are catastrophic.
They calculated that in 2015 autism cost the United States $268 billion and they projected that if autism continues at its current rate, we’re looking at one trillion dollars a year in autism costs by 2025, so within five years.
Toby Rogers, PhD, Political economist
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