Sept 8, 2017, Yahoo News, Canada: Earlier testing promised for special needs in school children https://ca.news.yahoo.com/earlier-testing-promised-special-needs-145714678.html Special needs assessments for children in Newfoundland and Labrador are late and ineffective, and the education minister is committing to do something about it. Children in the province's schools do not undergo comprehensive assessments until Grade 4. Dale Kirby said attitudes around early diagnoses of learning disorders and other exceptionalities need to change. A recent report on the province's education system made recommendations for earlier interventions. … Parents of struggling children can get their child assessed earlier but the testing is done independently of the school system. As a result, waitlists span more than a year and the cost is more than $2,000....
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.