GENETIC ALLIANCE BY REBECCA DOWNEY & SHARON ROMELCZYK Nearly every newborn baby born in the United States receives screening for certain treatable genetic conditions between 24 to 48 hours after birth. This routine process of newborn screening is a state run public health program that reaches nearly four million babies in the US each year. As technology advances, it is plausible that screening in the future will change to provide even more information about a […]
ANNUAL EDUCATION ISSUE BY SUZANNE PEARSON Nationwide, more than one quarter of the students in grades 6 through 12 are victims of bullying. News stories about the problem make regular appearances on television and newspaper outlets, sometimes with tragic endings. Bullying has moved from an adolescent rite of passage to a serious obstruction that is affecting the success of our entire education system. To further exacerbate the problem, students who are being bullied are likely […]
BY WALTER MAYER, L.M.S.W. Proactively emphasizing and teaching positive expectations and values such as respect, acceptance, empathy, positivity, cooperation and peaceful coexistence can serve to establish a new climate. Lately it seems that, for better or worse, we have all become more aware of ‘bullying’ and its negative impact on children and school culture. Unfortunately, some have gone so far as deeming it an ‘epidemic’. Also unfortunate is the vagueness of the term ‘bullying’ and, […]
BY BARBARA MINTZ, MS, RD The truth is, staying healthy is a journey, not an annual quest. It is not a series of failed diets or exercise binges. It is a series of small steps. We know the holidays can challenge even the most disciplined and vigilant. It is that time of the year when every day seems like a food fight. We are tempted by those treats our kids came home with on Halloween. […]
BY ERNST VANBERGEIJK, Ph.D., M.S.W Most non-disabled adults take for granted the ability to travel overseas for business or pleasure. However, for many teens and young adults with disabilities, the ability to travel independently without their parents is a dream. At best, they may have gone on a holiday with their families. They have never traveled to a foreign country with their friends. The benefits of traveling internationally for students with disabilities are numerous. Not […]
