June 23, 2018, Cranberry (Township PA) Eagle: Special ed. changes unveiled http://www.thecranberryeagle.com/article/20180623/CRAN0101/706239791/-1/CRAN01 Mars School District officials on Monday unveiled the district's plan to address issues with the special education program, many of which will be visible when school reconvenes this fall…. “We do have some systems in place, we just need to broaden them,” McMahon said. A life skills support program will be added for younger students, in an effort to bring students back to the district who had been placed in other schools. McMahon said she and other administrators have visited other schools that have such programs to learn what worked and what didn't work. Additionally, sensory rooms will be added or maintained at every school in the district. McMahon said those rooms will be ready in the fall. Staffing enhancements The district will also hire a licensed, professional counselor to meet with students who need psychological services. McMahon said this position is in addition to replacing outgoing guidance counselors and special education teachers in the district…. The district will also focus on additional training measures for teachers, some of which will be led by the new special education director. This includes the district wide implementation of the Rachel's Challenge program, as well as disability awareness programming…. Additionally, officials said every graduating student with special needs was given the proper … Parents' concerns While parents in attendance said they were pleased to see progress being made, some raised concerns about the individual needs of their children, and shared their hesitation in trusting that the district will fully address the issues that have been presented. Many cited a 2012 audit in which the same items were identified, while others expressed worries over funding for programs in the 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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