July 28, 2018, (Ireland) Donegal Democrat: Back to School 'Quiet Night' at McElhinneys in Ballybofey https://www.donegaldemocrat.ie/news/home/326642/back-to-school-quiet-night-at-mcelhinneys-in-ballybofey.html McElhinneys Ballybofey have announced plans for a Back to School ‘Quiet Night’ which will take place in the Kids Department from 6:30pm on Wednesday, August 8. The evening is planned to be autism-friendly and suitable for children with disabilities, or for children who would simply prefer a quieter and more calm shopping experience. McElhinneys have taken the decision to trial the evening in an effort to help parents get their kids ready for the school term in September. The evening will be a more sensory friendly shopping experience, with measures being taken to ensure the most calm and comfortable store environment on the night…. “We really hope that following the launch of our Back to School Quiet Night that this is an initiative that we could roll out store-wide in the near future.”
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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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