Aug 11, 2017, Rochester (NY) Democrat & Chronicle: Essay: Improve access to mental health services for children http://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/opinion/guest-column/2017/08/11/essay-improve-access-mental-health-services-children/558658001/
The nature of the problem at hand is the lack of early intervention programs for the elementary school-aged children. While children are assessed annually, at the very least, for their physical health by the pediatrician, there is a lack of emphasis placed on the significance of mental health.
It has been found that 75 to 80 percent of children that are in need of mental health services do not receive them. It is also true that about 20 percent of children, one out of every five, have a diagnosable mental disorder. ...
In August 2007, the Mental Health in Schools Act was introduced to Congress by Grace Napolitano. This was a Public Health Service Act amendment to create better access for children to comprehensive mental health programs within schools. The bill was revised four more times, but was never enacted past Congress. After the fifth revision, the Mental Health in Schools Act was again introduced to Congress on June 15, 2017. As of now, the bill is being considered by a committee, and if supported, the bill will move up to being viewed by the House of Representatives or Senate.
The Mental Health in Schools Act hopes to provide schools with mental health services. Such services will be comprehensive age appropriate services and supports, as well as linguistically and culturally appropriate. Positive behavioral interventions and supports will be strategies of the mental health services. This approach also yields a trauma-informed staff. However, this bill only has a 22 percent chance of being approved.
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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.)
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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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