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The stresses of poverty — such as crowded conditions, financial worry, and lack of adequate child care — lead to impaired learning ability in children from impoverished backgrounds, according to a theory by a researcher funded by the National Institutes of Health. The theory is based on several years of studies matching stress hormone levels to behavioral and school readiness test results in young children from impoverished backgrounds. Further, the theory holds, finding ways to reduce stress in the home and school environment could improve children's well being and allow them to be more successful academically.

According to Gary Coody, R.Ph., FDA’s national health fraud coordinator, the agency has warned a number of companies that they are facing possible legal action if they continue to make false or misleading claims about products and therapies claiming to treat or cure autism. Some of these so-called therapies carry significant health risks and include:“Chelation Therapies.” These products claim to cleanse the body of toxic chemicals and heavy metals by binding to them and “removing” them from circulation. They come in a number of forms, including sprays, suppositories, capsules, liquid drops and clay baths. FDA-approved chelating agents are approved for specific uses, such as the treatment of lead poisoning and iron overload, and are available by prescription only. FDA-approved prescription chelation therapy products should only be used under medical supervision. Chelating important minerals needed by the body can lead to serious and life-threatening outcomes.Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy. This involves breathing oxygen in a pressurized chamber and has been cleared by FDA for certain medical uses, such as treating decompression sickness suffered by divers. It has not been cleared for autism, among other conditions.Miracle Mineral Solution. Also known as Miracle Mineral Supplement and MMS, this product becomes a potent chemical that‘s used as bleach when mixed according to package directions. FDA has received reports of consumers who say they experienced nausea, severe vomiting and life-threatening low blood pressure after drinking the MMS and citrus juice mixture.Detoxifying Clay Baths. Added to bath water, these products claim to draw out chemical toxins, pollutants and heavy metals from the body, falsely offering “dramatic improvement” for autism symptoms.CocoKefir probiotics products. Product claims include being a “major key” to recovery from autism, but they are not proven safe and effective for this advertised use.Coody offers some quick tips to help you identify false or misleading claims.Be suspicious of products that claim to treat a wide range of diseases.Personal testimonials are no substitute for scientific evidence.Few diseases or conditions can be treated quickly, so be suspicious of any therapy claimed as a “quick fix.”So-called “miracle cures,” which claim scientific breakthroughs and secret ingredients, may be a hoax.The bottom line is this—if it’s an unproven or little known treatment, talk to your health care professional before buying or using these products.

To assist people with disabilities, consumers, survivors, family members, advocates, and health care/mental health providers to better understand the rights of people with disabilities, the challenges posed by the assertion of these rights, and the protections offered under the law, the SAMHSA ADS Center invites you to a free training teleconference titled “Building an Inclusive Society.”

The study also reports on the extent to which consultation efforts are occurring nationally and provides a series of recommendations generated by experts in the field to guide policymakers/funders, early childhood mental health consultation providers, early care and education program administrators, and researchers/evaluators.

Lisa Jennings is a family leader in Massachusetts. She has been working as a parent consultant on a National Institutes of Health (NIH) research project to help identify and acknowledge all of the unique experience, skills and knowledge it takes to raise a child with special needs. Part of this research includes an online survey. If you care for a child younger than 21 years of age with special needs, please consider participating. Find the survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/specialneedschild.

El Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos de Estados Unidos (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) dio a conocer hoy CuidadodeSalud.gov, el primer sitio de Internet en español de su tipo para ayudar los consumidores a tomar el control de su cuidado de salud al conectarlos con nueva información y recursos que los ayudarán a obtener acceso a seguro médico económico y de calidad.

Montana's mental health community was given a $13 million boost Wednesday through a settlement agreement between the state and pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly over the marketing and sale of the anti-psychotic drug Zyprexa.

Washington, DC (April 2, 2010) – Autism Speaks, the nation’s largest autism science and advocacy organization, today joined with grassroots advocates to celebrate the passage of three more state autism insurance reform bills this week in Iowa, Kansas, and Kentucky. The effort to end autism insurance discrimination nationwide has gained new momentum with these recent victories, combined with President Obama’s enactment this week of the Health Care Education and Affordability Reconciliation Act of 2010, which contains a provision including behavioral health treatment as part of the essential benefits package required in certain health plans.

Click here to register for this event What: Social inclusion occurs when individuals and entire communities of people have access to rights, opportunities, and resources that are usually available to members of American society. People with mental health and substance use problems are more  likely to fully recover and rebuild their lives when they have access not only to care and services, but also to social, economic, educational, recreational, and cultural opportunities that most citizens take for granted.  A socially inclusive society also provides opportunities for individuals in recovery to contribute to their communities as peers, employees, parents, residents, students, volunteers, teachers, and active citizens. Social inclusion provides a policy framework to make this vision a reality.  The SAMHSA ADS Center invites you to a FREE teleconference training to learn about three innovative community programs that are improving lives, changing communities, and transforming systems through social inclusion practices. The training will highlight the promising practices of the 2010 Campaign for Social Inclusion Award recipients, including:  SC SHARE’s Dream Team, which is reaching thousands of young people throughout South Carolina through partnerships with key government, faith, and community leaders. The Dream Team uses lived experience to show that there is hope; that a full, productive life can be the expectation; and that recovery is possible.  Heartland Consumer Network’s Poetry for Personal Power, which is changing lives and influencing educational systems by bringing open mic spoken poetry competitions to colleges throughout Missouri. This program is offering young people with mental health and substance use problems the chance to use personal experience and creativity to inspire others.     Advocacy Unlimited, Inc., which developed a 30-minute documentary titled Shining Stars – Young Adults in Recovery to give a voice to young people with mental health and substance use problems who teach about what recovery looks like and the important role all of us play in supporting each other. This program will be featured during a public viewing of the documentary in June at the State Legislative Office Building in Connecticut.    These SAMHSA-supported community-based efforts will demonstrate how social inclusion programs improve lives, communities, and systems. Participants will also learn how they can apply for the 2011 Campaign for Social Inclusion Awards and become a pioneer for building a socially inclusive America.   Date and Time Monday, May 9, 2011 1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Mountain

All parents endure stress, but studies show that parents of children with developmental disabilities, like autism, experience depression and anxiety far more often. Struggling to obtain crucial support services, the financial strain of paying for various therapies, the relentless worry over everything from wandering to the future — all of it can be overwhelming.

Developing effective, real-world-ready approaches to providing early diagnosis, treatment, and supportive services for people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is the goal of 12 research grants awarded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). These grants are part of a broad research effort to provide models for the delivery of needed services to children, youth, and adults with ASD, across different communities and care settings, appropriate to each age and individual. NIMH is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

All parents endure stress, but studies show that parents of children with developmental disabilities, like autism, experience depression and anxiety far more often. Struggling to obtain crucial support services, the financial strain of paying for various therapies, the relentless worry over everything from wandering to the future — all of it can be overwhelming.

Many kids struggle with developmental problems at some point in their childhoods, and getting care for them can be costly and confusing. If your child isn’t babbling or sitting at nine months, for instance, struggles with stairs or speaks unclearly at age three, you might be worried about a developmental delay. Help is available to enable your child to catch up, but parents will need to navigate a complicated zone where health care rubs up against education—and kids sometimes fall through the cracks.

The Network of Care for Service Members, Veterans & Their Families is a one-stop-shop for virtually all services, information, support, advocacy, and much more. This public service is an attempt to bring together critical information for all components of the veterans' community, including veterans, family members, active-duty personnel, reservists, members of the National Guard, employers, service providers, and the community at large.

Autism advocates celebrated what they thought was a major victory when President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act in 2010: They expected the law to require all insurance companies to cover pricey, potentially lifelong treatments for those with the incurable condition. But instead of creating a national standard for autism coverage, the administration bowed to political pressure from states and insurers and left it to states to define, within certain parameters, the "essential benefits" that insurance companies must provide.

Services provided to ages 18 and younger who do not have health insurance and do not have a physician or dentist. For appointments or more information, call 406-238-6008 or 866-822-1411.

A new 11-country survey from the Commonwealth Fund finds that adults in the United States are far more likely than those in 10 other industrialized nations to go without health care because they have trouble paying medical bills, encounter high medical bills even when insured, have disputes with their insurers or discover that insurance won't pay as they expected.