Jan 22, 2018, Jerusalem Post: NUMBER OF CHILDREN ON AUTISTIC SPECTRUM HAS TRIPLED OVER PAST DECADE HTTP://WWW.JPOST.COM/ISRAEL-NEWS/ALUT-NUMBER-OF-CHILDREN-ON-AUTISTIC-SPECTRUM-HAS-TRIPLED-OVER-PAST-DECADE-539475 The number of children on the autistic spectrum has tripled over the past decade and Israel is unprepared to deal with this growing population group, The Israeli Society for Autistic Children (ALUT) said on Monday. According to the organization, one in every 100 babies is diagnosed with autism each year and statistics show that the numbers will only continue to grow. … Shapira said that the rapid increase in the number of children diagnosed with autism and the lack of preparedness by the State has caused a situation in which existing educational frameworks are overflowing and do not allow for proper care of children with special needs. … He explained that the reality today, sees countless children having to attend schools up to an hour and a half away from home or attending frameworks that are not suited to meet their needs. Worst of all, he said, there are many children who are forced to stay home with one of their parents since no suitable educational framework is provided for them. Additionally, he said that the Education Ministry had set a limit of 80 pupils per school for autistic children, though in reality enrollment often exceeded 100 pupils. According to ALUT, there is to date a need for some 25 additional schools dedicated solely for children with special needs to meet the growing demand for educational frameworks.
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.