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JUSTIN, Texas - Video games and a young boy with Aspererger's Syndrome has led one North Texas district to learn barriers can be broken. Matthew Lowery, who has a mild form of autism, has become an inspiration for many in the Northwest Independent School District, and a lot of that is thanks to those at Gene Pike Middle School in Justin, Matthew's parents say.

The Safer Health Care for Kids program is designed for physicians, allied health professionals, administrators, parents, and caregivers, who share a commitment to ensuring a safe health care environment for infants, children, adolescents, and young adults.

Our mission is to to empower all Children & Young Adults with Chronic Medical Conditions and Disabilities, and their families, to obtain Quality Health Care by building on the unique perspectives of Physician-Parents.

Nominations are now open for the seventh annual Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities Youth Achievement Award. This $1,000 award recognizing the strengths and accomplishments of young people with learning disabilities and ADHD will be given to a student 19 or younger who has demonstrated initiative, talent, and determination resulting in a notable accomplishment in any field—including art, music, science, math, athletics or community service. Honorable Mentions will also be awarded.

The Children's Clinic mission for the past 60 years has been to provide quality medical care and promote the well-being of infants, children and young adults. The providers at the clinic are excited about opening a second Westend location on June 6, 2011 at 3401 Avenue E. Check out http://www.childrensclinicofbillings.com for more information.

New York, NY — Eleigha Love, who describes her brain as a computer, and Jared Schmidt, a teenage sky diver, are the recipients of this year's $10,000 Anne Ford and Allegra Ford Scholarships given to two graduating high school seniors with documented learning disabilities (LD) who are pursuing undergraduate degrees. Anne Ford, Chairman Emerita of the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD), is a well-known philanthropist and author, who has been a long-time parent advocate for children with learning disabilities, starting with her own daughter, Allegra. The scholarship was created in 2001 by the NCLD board when Ms. Ford stepped down as chairman in honor of her service. In 2008, Allegra agreed to match the existing award, creating a second scholarship. Anne Ford and Today Show Host Al Roker presented the scholarships at this year's NCLD 34th Annual Benefit Dinner, emceed by Paula Zahn in New York City. Jared and Eleigha are two of more than 2.5 million students who are wrestling with learning disabilities. They are among the mere 64 percent of students with LD who graduate high school, and only 10 percent with LD that go on to a four-year college. "We received over 300 applications, and let me tell you everyone of them came from students deserving a scholarship," said Anne, handing out the awards to this year’s winners. “We hear so much about the challenges and struggles of students with LD, and it is so inspiring to see that so many are able to meet and surpass those challenges." "Our goal is to see every child with LD graduate from high school," said James Wendorf, Executive Director of NCLD. "We are still failing about 1 million children. We've seen graduation rates and classroom inclusion rise more than 15 percent over the past 10 years. But we need to continue to empower parents and teachers, reduce stigma among kids, and keep education funding on the top of the education agenda if we are going to see those numbers increase, not decrease." One of the biggest problems with learning disabilities is diagnosing them in time, before children get frustrated with the system. "To a child with learning disabilities, school can be a very isolating place, it can be a very frustrating place and frankly overwhelming," relayed CNN's Anderson Cooper at a recent NCLD lunch. "Too many kids with LD struggle to try and keep up with their peers and suffer from low confidence and self-esteem and lose their love of learning at a young age. It's hard to rekindle that once it's gone, which is why the work of this organization is so important."

Click here to download the flyer for this event (PDF) What: This month we have the OPPORTUNITY to expand our understanding of the complicated world of Social Security with guest speaker Lori Idland! Also featured will be a brief message from Ashley Bickerstaff From the Young Athletes Program With Special Olympics. When: Tuesday, April 12th, 2011 6:00 PM Where Willson School Room 217B Bozeman, MT For more information: Call Joanna Dumas, SEPTA President, at 406-522-0851

Every week an average of 10 children with serious mental illnesses are admitted to Billings Clinic Psychiatric Center and about the same number are discharged. Most young psychiatric patients stay less than a week. “We try to stabilize them in two or three days,” said Terry Smith, a clinical social worker who cares for kids at Billings Clinic. The kids come from the Billings area, the Hi-Line, Eastern Montana and beyond. Billing Clinic is the only psychiatric hospital in the eastern half of the state that cares for children. It serves all children who need its services, but two-thirds of them depend on Medicaid — the state-federal health program — to pay their medical bills.

An easy, five-minute checklist could help doctors identify autism in children as young as 12 months, offering kids an important head start on treatment, researchers said this week.

Got Transition? is a national resource for health care professionals, families, youth, and state policy makers focusing on a young adult's transition from pediatric to adult health care. This site serves as the basis for an information exchange about health care transition, particularly as pertaining to youth with special health care needs.

Despite recommendations that doctors routinely screen young children for developmental delays, less than half of pediatricians do so. Just 47.7 percent of pediatricians say they conduct regular developmental screenings of their patients who are under age 3, according to findings from a national survey published online in the journal Pediatrics on Monday.

Click here to register for this webinar What: Going to college is both an exciting and scary step for everyone. If you are a young adult who happens to have a disability or chronic health condition, that transition can add a whole other list of things to think about- but it doesn’t mean that you can't have a great experience!  Tune into this episode of Got Transition Radio as hosts Mallory Cyr and Eileen Forlenza offer their insight about what high school students- with and without special health needs- might think about as they begin the college transition process. During the show, they will be asking their listeners to share personal lessons learned as well as taking their comments and questions. Don't miss this chance to hear and share your own adventures with college transition. When: Wednesday, October 26, 2011 1:00 - 1:30pm Mountain

StopBullying.gov provides information from various government agencies on how kids, teens, young adults, parents, educators and others in the community can prevent or stop bullying.

“We are finding more solid evidence, based on higher quality studies, that these early intensive behavioral interventions can be effective for young children on the autism spectrum, especially related to their cognitive and language skills,” said lead author Amy Weitlauf, Ph.D., assistant professor of Pediatrics and a Vanderbilt Kennedy Center investigator. “But the individual response to these treatments often varies from child to child.”

The vast majority of American children may not be receiving recommended screenings for developmental delay, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. In a government survey, parents of 79 percent of young children reported that they had not been asked to participate in screening efforts in the previous year. This, despite recommendations that children are routinely checked at pediatrician visits for signs of developmental issues.