Aug 17, 2019, Kearney (NE) Hub: Creating sensory boards for autistic students hits close to home for Minden Girl Scout https://www.kearneyhub.com/news/local/creating-sensory-boards-for-autistic-students-hits-close-to-home/article_147090e0-c095-11e9-bd53-779db35bac52.html MINDEN — Cheyanne Ellis was encouraged to find a subject that interested her when she was researching a project for her Girl Scout Gold Award. Cheyanne pondered ideas such as working with animals or at Pioneer Village in Minden, but then she had an idea that was close to her heart. Cheyanne’s 8-year-old twin cousins, Lex and Lane Long, both have autism. She wanted to find a way to help them and raise awareness for children with autism spectrum disorder. … She contacted Katie Schmidt, the boys’ K-3 life skills teacher at Minden East Elementary School, and told Schmidt about her idea to create sensory boards for their classroom. Sensory sensitivity is a common factor for people with autism. Sensory sensitivity issues may include sights, sounds, smells, tastes, touch, balance and body awareness, according to the Autism Speaks website. … They are people, too. They do have feelings,” Tammy said. When Cheyanne and Tammy took the sensory objects into the classroom, the twins instantly were drawn to them. … “They were excited,” Cheyanne added. … Cheyanne and her family hope that her project not only will raise awareness about autism, but help people better understand those on the autism spectrum disorder, like Lex and Lane. “They are lovable, and they will love on you. They can’t say it, but they can show it,” Tammy said.
top of page
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
Search
bottom of page