Special Parents Confidential

ADHD Nation Author Alan Schwarz.

ADHD Nation, Children, Doctors, Big Pharma, and the making of an American Epidemic, is a new book by New York Times correspondent Alan Schwarz, that is putting a lot of focus on ADHD and the way it’s diagnosed and treated in the United States. Alan Schwarz is the Pulitzer Prize nominated investigative reporter who wrote more than 100 articles that helped expose the serious problems of concussions in football players of all ages. His work lead to movies and documentaries about the seriousness of concussions and to the NFL finally admitting the problem and making changes in how they deal with the problems.

Since then Mr. Schwarz has begun investigating ADHD diagnosis and medications, writing a new series of articles on the subject that lead to the publication of ADHD Nation.

Excessive Diagnosis?

Mr. Schwarz has done an intense amount of research in the hard statistical evidence that shows an often higher number of children and adults are being diagnosed with ADHD than what the established rate of diagnosis is supposed to be. In fact, it’s nearly three times the established number, which means millions of people more than expected are being diagnosed, or often misdiagnosed. He also profiles a number of the major names involved in the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD all the way back nearly 200 years when the symptoms we now associate with ADHD were first recorded. Along the way we meet Dr. Keith Conners, who has been called “the father of ADHD”, and we learn his concerns about how his work has been misused.

A Fair Balance.

ADHD Nation is a very well balanced book, in that it doesn’t attempt to deny that ADHD is a valid medical condition. In fact the book opens with the statement, “AHDH is real.” Mr. Schwarz proves that in the correct circumstances ADHD medications work and are highly effective. But, as you’ll hear in this interview, far too many people, especially children, are being put on the medications when they clearly do not have ADHD and don’t need medications. This is an important book and you’ll learn how Mr. Schwarz researched the numbers and compiled the evidence that he presents in the book.

Links Mentioned In The Podcast.

ADHD Nation Official Website 

Alan Schwarz at the New York Times 

Alan Schwarz’ Profile on Wikipedia

 

Parenting Concerns.

Having a special needs child always causes tremendous parenting concerns and a lot of work. Many moments can be incredible, exhilarating, and full of amazing wonder. But it can also be extremely stressful. Dealing with schools, social situations, family situations… it can seem like everywhere you turn is another opportunity for more parenting concerns and stress. The other problem is that not everyone understands or even cares about these situations, so many parents can feel isolated in their worries and concerns.

Family Stress

So what can you do to help you deal with all these stresses and keep yourself from coming apart at the seams?  Our guest on this episode has some great advice. Jean Holthaus is a licensed independent social worker with Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services in Pella Iowa. She specializes in dealing with anxiety issues, parenting concerns and family issues, and working with special needs children. You’ll also find out about setting boundaries for special needs children, dealing with emotions including anger in children and adults, and how to deal with school anxiety issues. Jean also talks about great resources for parents to access that can help with numerous situations for schools, home, and social situations.

Links Mentioned in the Podcast

Jean Holthaus’ Page at Pine Rest 

Office of Special Education Programs, US Department of Education

US Department of Education ED Publications

The American Academy of Children and Adolescent Psychiatry

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Colds And The Flu.

It seems like every year the season for colds and the flu gets longer. Whether you’re a parent of a special needs child or not, our kids are coming down with colds and the flu all year round – for that matter, so are we parents. But what exactly are colds and the flu? Did you know that they share some of the same symptoms? How do you tell them apart? What’s the difference between the flu and a 24 hour stomach bug? How do you treat these illnesses and what can you do if you have a special needs child that has sensitivities to medicines or has challenges with standard treatments?

Why Do Colds And The Flu Affect Kids Differently Than Adults?

For this episode of Special Parents Confidential we are joined again by our friend Dr. Patricia Schultz, who has some answers. Including ways that you can help treat kids who have aversions to medicines. She also talks about the warning signs for when your child might have something else going on instead of the cold or the flu, why dehydration is a huge concern for sick kids, and – most importantly – when it’s time to take your child to the hospital.

Always Call Your Doctor First.

You’ll hear great advice about how colds and the flu, as well as Noroviruses and other illnesses can affect babies and infants, toddlers, younger children, teenagers and adults.  As always, though, Dr. Schultz’s advice is merely for informational purposes only. If you have any concerns about your child’s health, be sure to contact your family health provider or pediatrician.

Links Mentioned In This Podcast.

The Oral Rehydration Solution from The World Health Organization

The Common Cold – What Parents Need To Know. From the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The Flu – Healthy Children from The American Academy of Pediatrics. 

Surviving The Stomach Bug – American Academy of Pediatrics. 

Kids Health – Vomiting 

Kids Health – Diarrhea

Support Special Parents Confidential

If you have found this episode, or any episode of Special Parents Confidential to be helpful, please consider contributing to help support this podcast. Just click on the Support Special Parents Confidential link at the top right of the page to get to our special Pay Pal account so you can make your contribution easily and safely. Any amount you can contribute will help. Thanks for your support!

Nurtured Heart Approach.

What is the Nurtured Heart Approach and how can it help? For many kids with special needs the ability to concentrate, even to sit still in class, is challenging. We’ve given lots of names to these issues: Attention Deficit Disorder. Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Difficult Kid, Problem Child. The list goes on… and if you think about it, it’s a very negative outlook on these children.

A Paradigm Shift.

Now there is a relatively new process of working with kids who have these issues that tries to do away with all that negativity. It’s called the Nurtured Heart Approach. It consists of a set of strategies that assists children in developing their self-regulation, and transforming the way children perceive themselves and the world around them. And it has created a huge amount of success by concentrating on positive behaviors instead of all the negative behavior.

For this episode we’re joined by Dr. William Rowell, a retired licensed Psychologist with Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services of Grand Rapids Michigan who has spent the last  years training parents, educators, foster parents, social workers, and law enforcement personnel in the Nurtured Heart Approach. He explains how the Nurtured Heart Approach works, why it’s more successful than other strategies, and how making a paradigm shift in your thinking will make all the difference for your special needs child.

Links Mentioned In This Episode.

The Children’s Success Foundation The website dedicated to the Nurtured Heart Approach and Howard Glasser, creator of NHA.

Children’s Success Foundation Practitioner’s List – Information on NHA certified trainers in America and around the world.

 Dr. William Rowell’s Page at Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services. 

Dr. Rowell’s Email:  william . rowell @ pine rest . org.  – be sure to remove the spaces.

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Thanks for listening.

Sensory Processing Disorder.

Virtually everyone has heard of sensory overload, and sensory issues. People who have problems with loud noises, large crowded areas, tastes, textures, strong smells, bright lights, the list goes on.

Not A Symptom of Something Else.

For decades sensory issues were simply considered a side-effect of whatever the more prevalent disorder was inhibiting the child, whether Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, Dyslexia, Multiple Sclerosis, and other disorders. However medical research has proven that this is a separate disorder, called Sensory Processing Disorder.  And there is now a push to have it recognized by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders – known as DSM – which is the official medical reference for physicians.

SPD Parent Zone.

My guest for this episode has first hand knowledge of Sensory Processing Disorder. Kelly Jurecko is the President and Co-Founder of SPD Parent Zone, a non-profit organization that offers a website that is full of reliable and credible information on Sensory Processing Disorder. She also hosts a blog and a podcast on the site where she posts articles and interviews experts on SPD and keeps people updated on the latest information.

If your child is having any kind of sensory issues, SPD Parent Zone is a website you need to bookmark and search.

Links Mentioned In The Episode.

SPD Parent Zone

SPD Parent Zone Podcast on iTunes

SPD Foundation – The Star Institute For Sensory Processing Disorder

The Sensory Processing Disorder Resource Center

Support Special Parents Confidential.

If you find this episode helpful, and if you have found other episodes on this site to be helpful as well, please consider investing in supporting Special Parents Confidential. We have a Pay Pal account linked on our home page on the right side below our logo. Or you can click on the “Support SPC” link on our page directory at the top of the site. Any amount you can contribute to help us continue these podcasts is greatly appreciated!

Thanks for listening.

Soledad O’Brien Interview.

A few months ago, while in a doctor’s office for a checkup, reading the usual magazines, my wife happened to see an article about Soledad O’Brien. She talked about her son Jackson, who was having issues in school with behavior and not understanding instructions from the teacher. Finally, Jackson was diagnosed with 80% hearing loss and is now receiving special support help in school. The interview detailed much of the work that Soledad does, not only for her own children’s education, but also her charity, The Starfish Foundation, which helps support education for middle to low income girls in school.

The article inspired us to get in contact with Soledad’s production company to ask if she would be willing to talk about some of the work she does and the issues that matter to her most about education and special education in America, and around the world. We’re pleased to say that she graciously agreed and this is episode is the resulting interview.

A Great Advocate For Education

As you listen to hear speak, it’s clear that Soledad O’Brien is not only a great advocate for education, but she stresses the importance of all parents being involved in their children’s education, whether the child is in special education or general ed. She is also passionate about the need for proper funding for public education and special education. As she says in the interview, “…the amount of money that it takes to keep people in prison could pay for them to go to Harvard.”

Links Mentioned In The Podcast

The Interview With Soledad O’Brien In Health Magazine (online at WebMD).

Starfish Media Group – Soledad O’Brien’s Production Company

The Starfish Foundation – The education charity founded by Soledad O’Brien and her husband, Brad Raymond.

Matter of Fact. New in-depth interview program produced and hosted by Soledad O’Brien.

Reminder

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Alix Generous.

In 2015, a young woman named Alix Generous gave a Ted Talk speech that has subsequently had over 14 million views. The speech was entitled, “How I learned to communicate my inner life with Aspberger’s”, and in it Alix talks about her amazing life and how she has achieved so much.

Living With Aspberger’s Syndrome

As a child, Alix Generous was misdiagnosed with the wrong disorder and had a  great deal of difficulties. It wasn’t until the age of 11 that she was finally correctly diagnosed with Aspberger’s Syndrome, a high functioning form of Autism. Since then she has made amazing progress.

At 17, she attended the College of Charleston, where she studied Psychology, Molecular Biology, and Neuroscience. When she was 19, she wrote a paper on Coral Reefs and Microbiology that won the 2012 Citizen Science Biodiversity Competition, and she subsequently was invited to speak at the United Nations on her research. Currently, Alix is working as a Neuroscientist, author, and tech consultant, and she gives speeches around the world on issues concerning science, mental health, STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) and women.

Alix Generous joins us on Skype for this episode of Special Parents Confidential to talk about her life and her work, as well as sharing insights into how people with Autism can be helped and supported.

She also discusses how parents, families, and society can benefit through understanding and acceptance of people with Autism and Aspberger’s Syndrome, as well as all people with any physical or developmental disabilities. As she says on the main page of her website:

“This world is in desperate need of creative and intellectual minds to solve complex problems. But before we can do that, we need to build a culture that accepts mental diversity.”

Links For Alix Generous

How I Learned to Communicate My Inner Life With Aspberger’s – Alix Generous’ Ted Talk Speech on the Ted Talk website.

Alix Generous Website 

Facebook Alix Generous Page

Twitter Account for Alix Generous

Special Education Rights.

For many parents of special needs kids, special education rights continue to be the main cause of concern and worry. Are our kids being given the right accommodations in school? Are the schools being held accountable for special education services, and who is supposed to be checking to see if they are? 

Further, with a push in this country to seriously consider doing away with public schools and instead moving into privatizing the public education system into a for-profit model, where does this leave special education and what rights will parents of special needs kids have if it happens?

What Are Your Education Rights?

Back in October of 2016, I attended a rally for Special Education that was held in Lansing, Michigan. Among the speakers at the rally was our guest for this episode, Kristen Totten. She is an education attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan (ACLUMich). Kristen spoke at the rally about the special education rights that the ACLU is working on to help our kids. I asked her to be a guest on the podcast and she agreed.

For this episode we talked about the current state of special education rights in Michigan and across the United States, how some states, like Michigan, allow Charter Schools to reject special education students even though they are required to accept them, and what parents can do to get involved to make sure the education rights of their children are being met.

Update: A Major Victory.

One of the issues we addressed in the podcast is the work that the ACLU of Michigan has done along with Lt. Governor Brian Calley in eliminating the use of restraints and isolation on children in schools. And I’m pleased to be able to say that within 24 hours of our interview being recorded, the Michigan State Senate passed the bill that ends the use of those in all schools.

Links Mentioned In The Podcast.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan

ACLU Michigan: Ehlena and Wonder’s Supreme Court Case

What’s Up With Lead Levels in Flint (Michigan) Schools?

ACLU Local Affiliates Directory Connect with your State’s chapter of the ACLU.

Remember to share Special Parents Confidential with everyone you know. Simply use the social media buttons below this post.

Also be sure to sign up for our email list. We have news and articles coming up next year that won’t always get mentioned in the podcast episodes, but if you are on our email list, you’ll get that information delivered right to your inbox (along with each new episode when it’s posted online). 

 

 

Understanding Learning Disorders Part 2.

ADD. ADHD. Dyslexia. Dysgraphia. Dyscalculia. Understanding learning disorders might be one of the most difficult challenges any parent can face. We’ve known about these disorders for centuries, and the medical names for them have been in place for decades. But there’s still a lot of misinformation and incorrect beliefs when it comes to learning disorders. And these incorrect beliefs can cause a lifetime of needless problems for those who have learning disorders.

This Episode Is Part Two.

My guest for these episodes has such a large amount of information and research to share that the interview I recorded with him took over two and a half hours. I had to split the interview into two episodes because if I had tried to post the original recording in it’s entirety, the file size exceeds the limit that my web hosting service allows.

Dr. John McCaskill, of McCaskill Family Services in the Detroit, MI area, is a clinical psychologist who specializes in learning disorders. He’s spent years researching the causes and the affects of learning disorders, and has done extensive work in finding the right solutions and therapies. The one thing he makes clear is that so much of what we think we know about learning disorders is incorrect or misleading. Dr. McCaskill fully explains his methods of research and breaks down exactly how learning disorders affect those who have them.

Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, Dyscalculia and Other Learning Disorders.

In this episode, Dr. McCaskill talks about Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, Dyscalculia, and other learning disorders. He breaks down exactly what each disorder is, how it affects those who have it, and what kinds of treatments and therapies can help. He also discusses how to advocate for your special needs child with schools to make sure the school is offering not just the appropriate help, but the correct kinds of help; how families need to ensure that they are also supporting kids with special needs the right way at home; and how parents can make sure they are finding the right kinds of therapies and treatments for their kids outside of school. 

As always, please share this episode with everyone you know. Just use the social media buttons at the bottom of this posting.

Further Information.

McCaskill Family Services Located in the Detroit, Michigan Area.

Understanding Learning Disorders Part 1.

ADD. ADHD. Dyslexia. Dysgraphia. Dyscalculia. Understanding learning disorders might be one of the most difficult challenges any parent can face. We’ve known about these disorders for centuries, and the medical names for them have been in place for decades. But there’s still a lot of misinformation and incorrect beliefs when it comes to learning disorders. And these incorrect beliefs can cause a lifetime of needless problems for those who have learning disorders.

This Episode Is Part One.

My guest for these episodes has such a large amount of information and research to share that the interview I recorded with him took over two and a half hours. I had to split the interview into two episodes because if I had tried to post the original recording in it’s entirety, the file size exceeds the limit that my web hosting service allows.

Dr. John McCaskill, of McCaskill Family Services in the Detroit, MI area, is a clinical psychologist who specializes in learning disorders. He’s spent years researching the causes and the affects of learning disorders, and has done extensive work in finding the right solutions and therapies. The one thing he makes clear is that so much of what we think we know about learning disorders is incorrect or misleading. Dr. McCaskill fully explains his methods of research and breaks down exactly how learning disorders affect those who have them.

Learning Differently.

In this first part of the interview, Dr. McCaskill discusses the many misconceptions and incorrect beliefs about learning disorders. People with learning disorders are not lazy. They’re not deliberately refusing to learn. They have, according to Dr. McCaskill, ‘glitches in the brain’ that causes them to learn differently, and given the correct methods, they can be educated just as successfully as those who don’t have those issues. He also goes into great detail about ADD and ADHD, what Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder is, and just as importantly, what it is not.

As I say in my introduction to this episode, what you’re about to hear is nothing short of a master class in learning disorders. 

Of course please be sure to share this episode with everyone you know. Just use the social media buttons at the bottom of this posting.

Further Information:

McCaskill Family Services, located in the Detroit Michigan Metro Area.