High-Dose Vitamin D3 May Be Beneficial for Multiple Sclerosis

By Alicia Ciccone High doses of vitamin D3 may help regulate the hyperactive immune response seen in people with multiple sclerosis, results from a pilot study indicate. Low levels of vitamin D have previously been linked to an increased risk of MS, and patients who have MS and low levels of vitamin D are more likely to experience greater disability and disease activity. The double-blind, single-center randomized study — conducted by Elias S. Sotirchos, MD, […]

Does My Disability Mean I’m Not “Normal?”

LIVING WITH A DISABILITY BY JERRY LEVINSON Often, the words that a person uses in talking with, or about you, affect not only your perception of the individual speaking them, but also your perception of yourself – your “self esteem.” Anyone who knows me will tell you that I have a couple of screws loose, my elevator doesn’t go all the way to the top, and that I’m a few tacos short of a combo […]

Youth Participation In Transition Planning

BY VALERIE LEITER In 2004, Congress added new transition requirements to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), striving to improve youth outcomes after high school. These new requirements say that the Individual Education Program (IEP) must include “appropriate measurable postsecondary goals” and the “transition services… needed to assist the child in reaching those goals.” They also give students the right to participate in planning once their IEP meetings focus on transition from school. It […]

An Endless List Of Role Models

BY H. Barry Waldman, DDS, MPH, PhD & Steven P. Perlman, DDS, MScD, DHL (Hon) These heroes are living proof of the saying, “It is better to try and fail, than to fail to try.” Hope is the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best.1 Aspiration is a strong desire, longing or ambition.1 Hope and aspirations are the twin pillars which maintain the drive of […]