July 23, 2018, Little Rock, Arkansas Democrat—Gazette: Summer program teaches school behavior http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2018/jul/23/summer-program-teaches-school-behavior-/ …The Prekindergarten Bridge program serves children who have struggled with behavioral issues. Gregory Hanley, a psychology professor at Western New England University, developed the curriculum the program uses to teach critical social skills to young students. Thirty-five Bentonville School District children have met four hours per day, four days per week at Russell Primary School. The program is entering its fifth week. … Program goals include improving students' social and emotional development and gaining a full understanding of each students' strengths and weaknesses, which will better inform the schools when it comes to lesson planning and placement in kindergarten. … The curriculum starts with learning how to follow instructions. Children learn to respond to their name being called and to follow instructions in a timely manner. Children also learn functional communication, such as knowing when to ask for help or saying "excuse me" when needing someone's attention. Tolerance and friendship also are part of the curriculum. … The idea for the program developed from a realization it's the youngest students -- kindergartners and first-graders -- who struggle the most with behavior, said Tamara Gibson, director of elementary education…. Passmore and Webber wrote the proposal for the program. The School Board approved it by a 5-1 vote in April. The cost at the time was estimated at $44,140. There is no cost to participating families. … Emilee Lacy, the lead special education teacher at Willowbrook Elementary School last school year, was chosen as program coordinator. She oversees six licensed teachers, six teaching assistants and two psychological examiners, all district employees who wanted to work this summer….
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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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