Aug 14, 2018, WECT—TV, Wilmington, NC: New Hanover County Schools adding SROs, mental health workers http://www.wect.com/story/38883507/new-hanover-county-schools-adding-sros-mental-health-workers As parents gear up to send their students back to school, district and county leaders met to address some of their concerns in regard to school safety. New Hanover County Schools hosted a back-to-school safety summit Tuesday night with district officials, Judge J.H. Corpening, law enforcement and other first responders, counselors and mental health professionals…. When students return to school in a few weeks, they will likely see a few new faces in the hallways. The district added five school resource officer positions, one new detective, and three mental health workers for the 2018-19 school year. … School mental health professionals including counselors and behavioral specialists spoke at the summit. They highlighted support services throughout the school system that serve to treat and prevent a broad range of issues. "One thing that people don't know about New Hanover County Schools is that we have one of the most robust mental health systems for school systems in North Carolina," said Kristin Jackson, the director of student support services. "We have counselors at almost every single school and every high school has a WHAT (Wilmington Health Access for Teens) clinic, which is run through Coastal Horizons. ... When we see kids that need some help, we're able to get them that help very quickly." Student support services provided by the school system include bullying prevention, school-based mental health services, counselors and social workers as well as social and emotional learning. Jackson says mental health services begin as early as kindergarten for some students. …
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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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