April 8, 2020, Lewes, DE, Cape Gazette: Continued services needed for families affected by autism https://www.capegazette.com/article/continued%C2%A0services-needed-families%C2%A0affected-autism/200396 In late March, as social services providers like Autism Delaware continued supporting families during the shutdowns and shelter-in-place restrictions imposed in response to the coronavirus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released updated autism prevalence reports estimating that the number of 8-year-olds diagnosed with autism has increased from one in 59 to one in 54. The estimates are based on data collected from health and special education records of children living in 11 communities across the United States during 2016. Delaware’s autism prevalence numbers have generally been consistent with the network’s findings, but Autism Delaware organizers suspect that the state’s numbers are higher, given the advances in diagnosis since 2016. “We have been watching demand for our services grow in the last several years, and these updated numbers from the CDC really bring home the urgency of the situation,” said Brian Hall, Autism Delaware executive director. ... Going virtual with many family support services and fundraising events such as the Walk for Autism, is one way Autism Delaware is meeting these demands….
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.
Loss of Brain Trust features over 9,000 news stories published worldwide since January, 2017
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