Oct 11, 2018, Good News Network: This Entire Town Became Autism-Friendly After Every Business Agreed to Apply Four Specific Measures https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/this-entire-town-became-autism-friendly-after-every-business-agreed-to-apply-four-specific-measures/ The members and businesses of this community have all united in order to become Ireland’s first autism-friendly town. In order for the town of Clonakilty to achieve the title, over 212 organizations worked with the As I Am charity in order to be accredited as autism-friendly. Clonakilty businesses were accredited after implementing four simple measures: they erected maps and visual guides of their facilities; they made sure that their buildings were open to service dogs; they set up relaxation zones for visitors or guests who may become overwhelmed by their surrounds; and finally, they established quiet time periods that will have adjusted environments for visitors with sensory issues. On top of that, staff members, workers, and community members have been given autism-friendly training. …
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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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