Nov 8, 2018, Pendleton, OR, East Oregonian: Hermiston navigates special education changes after split from ESD http://www.eastoregonian.com/eo/local-news/20181108/hermiston-navigates-special-education-changes-after-split-from-esd … The students are part of Rocky Heights’ behavioral skills class, one of several in the Hermiston School District for students with special needs. Students work on handling behavioral issues, such as anger management and coping with trauma. The Special Programs department serves students with a range of needs, including speech, autism, developmental disabilities and behavioral issues. Many of the programs have specialized classrooms housed at different schools throughout the district. … Beckley said while their strategy has largely stayed the same since she started in Hermiston 18 years ago, a growing number of students need those services. … Another parent, Brandalynn Gorman, has had some complaints. She said her son, who is autistic, had been violent with another student in class, lashing out due to a sensory disorder. After suspending him several times this year, his school attempted to shorten his day. But Gorman said they tried to do so without her permission. She said she was in the middle of working through the situation with the district, but so far was dissatisfied with the way things had been going….
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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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