MMR shot is associated with increased risk of febrile seizures – considered harmless but in rare cases can flag underlying epilepsy Today, the journal Pediatrics published an update to the 2011 Institute of Medicine report on the safety of early childhood vaccines. The new study, “Safety of Vaccines Used for Routine Immunization of U.S. Children: A Systematic Review,”…
Straight-forward, positive problem-solving helped one mom support her kids to overcome challenges. Over seventeen years ago, just a week and a half into kindergarten, my bright, sweet five-year-old daughter Dria told me she had “failed seven times, once each day” for failing to follow her teacher’s directions. By first grade, she had fallen into the…
In an effort to strengthen relationships between individuals with OCD and their family members, and to promote understanding and cooperation within households, we have developed the following list of useful guidelines. These guidelines are meant as tools for family members to be tailored for individual situations, sometimes more powerfully employed with the help of a…
A mother of an ADD child has 19 helpful suggestions for parenting a child with Attention Deficit Disorder and coping with the challenges. A Mother’s Point of View The following is a compilation of personal thoughts and ideas derived from several years experience raising my son, an interesting, delightful, and lovable child, acquired by using…
In a new report, parents of children with autism describe a broad range of benefits associated with having a specially trained service dog. They feel their child is safer – particularly in terms of curbing the tendency to bolt or wander. They also describe how having a service dog both calms their child and draws a…
“At the end of last summer, our twins – who both have autism – had a terrible time switching back to early wake up and long school days. This year, how can we help them prepare for the transition?” This week’s “Got Questions?” response comes from autism educator Peter Gerhardt. Dr. Gerhardt is world-renowned for…
Pregnant women who live within a mile of spaces where commercial pesticides are applied appear to have an increased risk of having a child with autism, a new study suggests. The risk that a child would develop autism appeared to be highest for women who lived near farms, golf courses and other public spaces that were…
Introduction Ever since our country established a system of universal compulsory education, educators and clinicians have begun to notice students with ADHD-like symptoms. It has gone by many names and has been addressed in many different ways. Accepting the Diagnosis Many families go through a period of uncertainty during the time leading up to the…
Patricia Wright, Ph.D., MPH, is the vice president of professional services at Rethink, a program whose goal is to improve access to Applied Behavior Analysis treatments for people on the autism spectrum. She works to ensure Rethink’s educational technology is implemented effectively. Prior to joining Rethink, Patricia was the national director of autism services for Easter Seals,…
Being a parent of an ADHD child is a challenge. Here are 30 tips on managing Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD) at home. Based on 50 Tips on the Classroom Management of Attention Deficit Disorder by Edward M. Hallowell, MD and John J. Ratey, MD These tips are directly from Hallowell and Ratey with only slight modifications in…