Aug 4, 2018, Colorado Springs Gazette: Back to School Guide: Therapy by text: New service arrives in El Paso County schools https://gazette.com/education/back-to-school-guide-therapy-by-text-new-service-arrives/article_46300130-981c-11e8-999a-cb536b67c7e3.html El Paso County still bears the wounds of multiple teen suicides — 2015 alone had 15 children who took their own lives — but the National Alliance on Mental Health’s campaign, Below the Surface, aims to help children with a “texting therapy” resource. The steps are simple: text TALK to 38255 and trained counselors will respond in a confidential text. If students cannot text, then they can call 1-844-493-8255…. This free service irelationship problems, suicidal thoughts, drugs and alcohol, death and grief, domestic violence, or worries as dedicated to helping students through any situation — depression, stress, anxiety, bout a friend or family member. In 2016, Below the Surface received funding from Colorado Springs Health Foundation, and it is now making its way into schools. … “We only reach out to law enforcement if we believe a teen is a threat to themselves or some-one else,” Jarvis said. Other organizations such as Suicide Hotlines or Safe2Tell have been integrated into schools, but Below the Surface is taking a different angle; “Safe2Tell is primarily about reporting something of concern and action will be taken with law enforcement, but Below the Surface is a therapeutic service for any situation,” Jarvis explained. … Sixteen El Paso County schools have already integrated Below the Surface into their districts to meet students where they are, including Mesa Ridge, Discovery Canyon, Manitou High School and Manitou Middle School, Falcon, Atlas Preparatory and more. …
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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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