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For decades, frustrated parents and teachers have barked at fidgety children with ADHD to “Sit still and concentrate!” But new research conducted at UCF shows that if you want ADHD kids to learn, you have to let them squirm. The foot-tapping, leg-swinging and chair-scooting movements of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder are actually vital to how they remember information and work out complex cognitive tasks, according to a study published in an early online release of the Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology. The findings show the longtime prevailing methods for helping children with ADHD may be misguided. “The typical interventions target reducing hyperactivity. It’s exactly the opposite of what we should be doing for a majority of children with ADHD,” said one of the study’s authors, Mark Rapport, head of the Children’s Learning Clinic at the University of Central Florida. “The message isn’t ‘Let them run around the room,’ but you need to be able to facilitate their movement so they can maintain the level of alertness necessary for cognitive activities.”

The Social Security Administration published proposed rules on revisions to the criteria for mental impairments, including intellectual disability/mental retardation. These criteria, or "listings", are the first major step in determining whether an individual is eligible for disability benefits under the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security disability programs. The proposed rules are available for public comment until November 17, 2010. See the proposed rules at: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/pdf/2010-20247.pdf.

When: May 20-21, 2010 Day Two : May 21, 2010 Who Should Attend: Social Workers Counselors Teachers Juvenile Court and Probation Staff Residential Treatment Staff Daycare Staff Parents and More! Objectives: Describe how different explanations for and interpretations of challenging behavior in kids can lead to dramatically different approaches to intervention, and why conventional reward and punishment procedures may not be effective for many challenging kids Identify and assess the various cognitive skills that are central to handling life’s social, emotional, and behavioral challenges • Identify and prioritize unsolved problems precipitating challenging behavior The three basic mechanisms by which adults handle problems and unmet expectations in kids (Plans A, B, and C) and what is accomplished by each, and the three steps or “ingredients” of Plan B How to effectively implement Plan B to develop a helping relationship, solve problems, teach lagging cognitive skills, and reduce the frequency and intensity of challenging behavior in schools, homes, and restrictive therapeutic facilities

When: February 8, 2011 12:00 - 1:00pm Where: Mansfield Health Education Center Room 7 Billings, MT Target Audience: Primary Care Providers to include but not limited to Family Practice, Pediatrics, Emergency Department physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, advanced practice nurses, registered nurses, and all other healthcare providers of pediatric/adolescent patients Lecture Specific Objectives: At the end of this educational activity, participants should be able to: Discuss the pathophysiologic changes associated with brain trauma in children. Identify emotional and cognitive short and long term sequelae of brain trauma in children. List effective therapies for emotional and cognitive sequelae of mild brain injury in children. Series Objectives: At the end of this educational activity, participants should be able to: Apply current medical guidelines in the treatment of pediatric/adolescent patients.  Utilize multidisciplinary approach to the management of complex pediatric patients. Recognize the need for consultation and/or referral to pediatric specialists/subspecialists in a timely manner. Discuss the diagnostic approach and treatment of variety of pediatric diseases. If you would like to attend via videoconference contact: St. Vincent Healthcare University at 406.237.3348 or email svhu@svh-mt.org.  Reservations for videoconferencing must be made at least 24 hours prior to live activity.

About 6 million kids in America receive special education, according to the U.S. Department of Education. One out of every 10 children under the age of 14 has some type of special need, which includes any physical, cognitive, or medical disability, or chronic or life-threatening illness. My 3-year-old son Jacob is one of them.

Who are students with learning disabilities? It depends on what state or school district you live in. The combination of a surge in the use of response to intervention and a lack of consensus about how much of a role cognitive assessment should play in an evaluation prompted the National Center for Learning Disabilities this month to issue a new set of guidelines on its view of how students with specific learning disabilities should be identified. As the use of RTI has grown, there have also been concerns that it has been used inappropriately, delaying or preventing the identification of some students as having learning disabilities, or other disabilities.

Play is essential to the social, emotional, cognitive, and physical well-being of children beginning in early childhood. It is a natural tool for children to develop resiliency as they learn to cooperate, overcome challenges, and negotiate with others.

This spring, Montana State University's College of Nursing and Extended University offer a series of recorded Webinars designed for primary care providers who offer mental health care in their practices but who are not mental health professionals.Topics cover conditions that often present in the primary care setting: Diagnostics; Pharmacotherapy; Depressive Disorders; Anxiety Disorders; Bipolar Disorders; Cognitive Disorders in the Older Adult; and Managing Neurobehavioral Crises.

Learning more about the neurological facets of student learning has helped solve some long-held frustrations of Debbie Cockerham, a teacher at the Hill School in Fort Worth, Texas—a school for students with cognitive and attention challenges. "I've taught children with learning disabilities for years, and thought, how could students be so intelligent and yet not able to read? What's going on in their brains?" she told me.

Autism on the Seas has been in collaboration with Royal Caribbean International since 2007 in developing cruise vacation services to accommodate adults and families living with children with Special Needs, including, but not limited to, Autism, Asperger Syndrome, Down Syndrome, Tourette Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy and all Cognitive, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.  These services quickly expanded to other cruise lines.   We provide Cruises with our Staff (selected from regular cruises throughout the year) that assist adults and families in accommodating the typical cruise services, as well as providing specialized Respite and Private Activities/Sessions that allow our guests the use of the ships entertainment venues in an accommodated and assisted manner. Our professional Staff (educated, experienced, background checked and sanctioned by the cruise lines) accompanies you on your cruise to provide these amazing vacation and travel experiences onboard Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Disney and Carnival Cruise Lines. We also provide a "Cruise Assistance Package" (Cruises without our Staff) on all of the major Cruise Lines to help accommodate guests who wish to cruise on their own. 

Peer-led interventions that target parental well-being can significantly reduce stress, depression and anxiety in mothers of children with disabilities, according to new findings released today in the journal Pediatrics. In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers from Vanderbilt University examined two treatment programs in a large number of primary caregivers of a child with a disability. Participants in both groups experienced improvements in mental health, sleep and overall life satisfaction and showed less dysfunctional parent-child interactions.

Kids who are bullied are more likely to experience life-long mental health issues such as depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts. They also suffer from poorer health, cognitive function, and social well-being.

A novel autism intervention program using theatre to teach reciprocal communication skills is improving social deficits in adolescents with the disorder that now affects an estimated one in 88 children, Vanderbilt University researchers released today in the journal Autism Research. The newly released study assessed the effectiveness of a two-week theatre camp on children with autism spectrum disorder and found significant improvements were made in social perception, social cognition and home living skills by the end of the camp. There were also positive changes in the participants’ physiological stress and reductions in self-reported parental stress. Called SENSE Theatre, the Social Emotional Neuroscience & Endocrinology (SENSE) program evaluates the social functioning of children with autism and related neurodevelopmental disorders.

Disability is part of my family's daily life and it has been since my oldest daughter was born with a chromosomal abnormality over seven years ago. My daughter's genetic disorder resulted in a variety of disabilities, both cognitive and physical, that impact nearly every aspect of our lives. Usually we go along with our routine, but sometimes I am struck by how little others know about disability and what life is like for us. I have been reminded of this recently and wanted to share five things I wish everyone knew about disability.

Recent studies have exposed the benefit—even necessity—of spending time outdoors, both for kids and adults. Some argue that it can be any outdoor environment. Some claim it has to be a "green" environment—one with trees and leaves. Others still have shown that just a picture of greenery can benefit mental health. These nuances aside, most of the studies agree that kids who play outside are smarter, happier, more attentive, and less anxious than kids who spend more time indoors. While it's unclear how exactly the cognitive functioning and mood improvements occur, there are a few things we do know about why nature is good for kids' minds.