From the Vancouver Sun:
After her daughter was barred from playing on a youth soccer team because she has Down syndrome, Abbe Gates of Vancouver started a team for children with special needs.
Sadie Gates and her teammates will take the field today at McKechnie elementary in Vancouver and play soccer. There are people in this world who still believe this is out of the ordinary. This is a shame.
From the Los Angeles Times:
At a time when major league baseball players are taking ADD medications in record numbers, LA Clippers center Chris Kaman offers an opposing view. He says he found out recently that he was misdiagnosed with ADD as a child, and wishes he hadn’t spent years taking Ritalin and Adderall.
Kaman says he actually had an anxiety disorder, and is now using neurofeedback to reinforce calm thoughts. He hopes to become a spokesman for children who are misdiagnosed or are looking for another alternative instead of taking medication for hyperactivity.
From Reuters:
Research in psychiatrically ill children and adolescents suggests that those with depression, anxiety and other so-called “internalizing” disorders are more likely to have allergies.
Among a sample of 184 young people being evaluated for psychiatric disorders and allergies, 105 (57 percent) had a history of allergic disorders, including asthma, hay fever, hives and eczema.
Quoting anonymous sources, the Washington Post reports that Fairfax County special educators had identified shooter Seung Hui Cho as having a “severe” anxiety disorder, but regulations prevented them from notifying officials at Virginia Tech. Cho was getting help in high school for the condition, called selective mutism, but was frequently ridiculed and became more isolated in college when that assistance did not continue, the newspaper reported.
Professors and school administrators at Virginia Tech could not have known of Cho’s emotional disability — Fairfax officials were forbidden from telling them. Federal privacy and disability laws prohibit high schools from sharing with colleges private information such as a student’s special education coding or disability, according to high school and college guidance and admissions officials. Those laws also prohibit colleges from asking for such information.
More than 50 million people in the United States have disabilities, a number that is growing rapidly as the population ages. Experts say disability will soon affect the lives of most Americans. This blog attempts to explore what we know about disability, and to chronicle the efforts of people who are seeking new ways to address familiar challenges.
Join veteran journalist Patricia E. Bauer as she sifts through current news and commentary, bringing you the best information about what's happening now and what it may mean for you and your loved ones.
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