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Vol.3.05
- December
2005
Vol.5.06
– February
[email protected]
[email protected]
How To Help: Talk With Someone at School
To Resolve Problems
Homework hassles can often be avoided when
parents and caregivers value, monitor, and
guide their children's work on assignments. But,
sometimes helping in these ways is not enough.
Problems can still come up. If they do, the
schools, teachers, parents, and students may
need to work together to resolve them.
Share Concerns With the Teacher.
You may want to contact the teacher if:
• Your child refuses to do his/her
assignments, even though you've tried
hard to get him/her to do them.
• Instructions are unclear.
• You can't seem to help your child get
organized to finish the assignments.
• You can't provide needed supplies or
materials.
• Neither you nor your child can
understand the purpose of assignments.
• The assignments are often too hard or
too easy.
• The homework is assigned in uneven
amounts- for instance, no homework is
given on Monday, Tuesday, or
Wednesday, but on Thursday four of
your child's teachers all make big
assignments that are due the next day.
• Your child has missed school and needs
to make up assignments.
In some cases, the school guidance
counselor may be helpful in resolving
problems and
communicating with
teachers.
For Your Information…
10 Distinct Personality Disorders
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Antisocial Personality Disorder : Lack of regard for the
moral or legal standards in the local culture, marked inability
to get along with others or abide by societal rules.
Sometimes called psychopaths or sociopaths.
Avoidant Personality Disorder : Marked social
inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, and extremely sensitive to
criticism.
Borderline Personality Disorder: Lack of one's own
identity with rapid changes in mood, intense unstable
interpersonal relationships, marked impulsively, instability in
affect and in self-image.
Dependent Personality Disorder: Extreme need of
other people, to a point where the person is unable to make
any decisions or take an independent stand on his or her own.
Fear of separation and submissive behavior. Marked lack of
decisiveness and self-confidence.
Histrionic Personality Disorder: Exaggerated and often
inappropriate displays of emotional reactions, approaching
theatricality, in everyday behavior. Sudden and rapidly
shifting emotion expressions.
Narcissistic Personality Disorder: Behavior or a
fantasy of grandiosity, a lack of empathy, a need to be
admired by others, an inability to see the viewpoints of
others, and hypersensitive to the opinions of others.
Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder:
Characterized by perfectionism and inflexibility;
preoccupation with uncontrollable patterns of thought and
action.
Paranoid Personality Disorder: Marked distrust of
others, including the belief, without reason, that others are
exploiting, harming, or trying to deceive him or her; lack of
trust; belief of others' betrayal; belief in hidden meanings;
unforgiving and grudge holding.
Schizoid Personality Disorder: Primarily characterized
by a very limited range of emotion, both in expression of and
experiencing; indifferent to social relationships.
Schizotypal Personality Disorder: Peculiarities of
thinking, odd beliefs, and eccentricities of
appearance, behavior, interpersonal style, and thought (e.g.,
belief in psychic phenomena and having magical powers).
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Talk to Someone at School to Resolve Problems
For Your Information… 10 Personality Disorders
A Piece of the Puzzle
What’s Gifted?
Tips on Frostbite
Around the Country
Law Review
Developmental Assets
Spectrum Reflections
Assistive Technology TIPS
Every Child Can Write
Alaska’s Rural Health Week
How Can I Help My Child?
With Niemann-Pick
Families faced with a new diagnosis feel a wide range of
emotions but one of the strongest is the desire to help their
child as much as possible. Niemann-Pick disease is a hereditary,
congenital syndrome with onset in early infancy. A disturbance
of sphingolipid metabolism characterised by enlargement of
liver and spleen, anaemia, cherry red spot of the macula with
progressive blindness, lymphadenopathy, and progressive
mental and physical deterioration. Death usually occurs before
the third year. Faced with this dismal prognosis, there are two
things you can begin doing immediately to help your child and
yourself:
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Build strong relationships with caring
physicians. Niemann-Pick Disease is extremely
variable in its symptoms and progression. Each
child has different symptoms and unique reactions
to treatment. Families can often see changes in
their child before medical professionals. If a doctor
Student
with Diaetes
or The
specialist
is not responsive
to yourSucceed
concerns,
find one who is responsive. The quicker symptoms
are treated and side effects eliminated, the better
the results.
•
Help with raising funds for research. As one
parent said "When I first got the diagnosis, I was
lost and angry. I needed some way to fight this
disease. Fund raising was how I could fight back".
There is no cure for Niemann-Pick but aggressive
symptomatic and supportive treatments do maintain a higher
quality of life. Many doctors, therapists, and specialists may
be involved at different stages of the disease.
For more information click on the following sites:
http://www.nnpdf.org
http://www.whonamedit.com/synd.cfm/1029.html
http://rarediseases.about.com/cs/niemannpick/a/062
503.htm
http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=niemannpickdisease
http://www.health-nexus.com/niemannpick_disease.htm
Disruptive Behavior Disorders
(Oppositional-Defiant Disorder and Conduct
Disorder)
About 40 percent of individuals with ADD/ADHD have
oppositional defiant disorder (ODD). Among individuals with
ADD/ADHD, conduct disorder (CD) is also common, occurring in 25
percent of children, 45-50 percent of adolescents and 20-25 percent of
adults. ODD involves a pattern of arguing with multiple adults, losing
one’s temper, refusing to follow rules, blaming others, deliberately
annoying others, and being angry, resentful, spiteful, and vindictive.
CD is associated with efforts to break rules without getting
caught. Such children may be aggressive to people or animals, destroy
property, lie or steal things from others, run away, skip school, or
break curfews. CD is often described as delinquency and children who
have ADD/ADHD and conduct disorder may have lives that are more
difficult than those of children with ADD/ADHD alone. Academically,
students with both ADD/ADHD and CD are twice as likely to have
difficulty reading as other ADD/ADHD children. Children with both
ADD/ADHD and CD, (but not other children with ADD/ADHD,) are at
greater risk for social and emotional failure. Studies now suggest that
ADD/ADHD and CD may be a particular subtype of ADD/ADHD, since
multiple family members often have both of these disorders together.
Treatment of the person with ADD/ADHD and ODD/CD
requires efforts to discourage delinquent behaviors so that the person
will increasingly choose pro-social behaviors. ODD and CD usually
require strong, clear structure with reinforcement of appropriate
behaviors as well as a positive behavior management plan to
extinguish antisocial behaviors.
Medication remains important. Research has shown that
ADD/ADHD and CD students treated with stimulant medicines are not
only more attentive, but also less antisocial and aggressive. In addition,
medication combinations, such as a psychostimulant with an
antidepressant, appear to be very effective for these patients.
http://www.chadd.org
AUTISM, ASPERGERS and Autism Spectrum Disorders
Therapy, Special Programs, Schools, Counselors
and Services
It is estimated that one of every five hundred children suffers from Autism or an Autism Spectrum disorder.
These disorders range from Autistic Disorder to Aspergers, a much milder form of the disorder on the same
spectrum. There are other related disorders such as Rett syndrome and PDD-NOS that are also included in the Autism
Spectrum. If your child suffers from one of these disorders, you are surely anxious to find him/her help. A new directory is
available for you to rersesarch services and service providers. While ISER does not vouch for or support any of the
professionals or organizations that are listed. It does present alternatives and make them accessible to you for treatment,
schooling, parent advocacy and parent education. Always research programs and individuals carefully before you commit your
child to their care. Check out the ISER website directory at: http://www.iser.com/autism.html.
WHAT IS GIFTED?
The quick response is that there is, as yet, no universally
agreed upon answer to this question. Giftedness, intelligence, and talent are fluid
concepts and may look different in different contexts and cultures. Even within
schools you will find a range of personal beliefs about the word "gifted," which has
become a term with multiple meanings and much nuance.
National Association for Gifted Children does not subscribe to any one theory of the
nature of human abilities or their origins. They assert that there are children who
demonstrate high performance, or who have the potential to do so, and that we have
a responsibility to provide optimal educational experiences for talents to flourish in as
many children as possible, for the benefit of the individual and the community.
Check out NAGc’s Gifted Program Standards and compare it to
your school’s program. The pre K through grade 12 standards can
be found at http://www.nagc.org/index.aspx?id=546
.
Tips about Frostbite
Frostbite results from exposure to low temperatures, wind and moisture over a
period of time. It can occur anywhere outside during cold temperatures. As a
parent you need to be aware of the causes and symptoms of frostbite in children
as well as other adults and know what to do when you suspect frostbite. For older children and teenagers,
it is also important educate them. SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION IMMEDIATELY if you suspect frostbite.
There are two degrees of frostbite:
• Superficial frostbite that looks like grey or yellowish patches on the skin, especially, fingers, toes,
face, ears but can occur on any exposed skin. The first symptoms are usually numbness or itching and
prickly pain. The skin remains soft but becomes red and flaky after it thaws.
• Deep or Severe Frostbite looks like waxy and pale skin and feels cold, hard and solid to the touch.
The areas turn blue or purple when thawing and large blisters may appear when the area warms up.
What to do if you suspect frostbite:
• As soon as you suspect frostbite, get out of the cold and to a warm place.
• Seek medical attention immediately.
• Warm affected area with warm body part.
• Remove any tight clothing to increase circulation.
• If affected area is partially thawed, place in warm (not hot) water (102 to 106 degrees Fahrenheit). If
the water is too cool, thawing will take too long. It takes about 20 to 40 minutes for tissues to
soften.
• Have the victim drink warm fluids to help increase circulation and warm the body - no caffeine or
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alcohol.
NEVER rub or massage the affected area and never put snow or
ice on the frostbite. The area can be protected with a fluffy clean
bandage and aloe-vera cream can be applied.
Owl Finding a Hoot for
Brain Researchers
Tiny RNA Molecules Fine-tune
The Brain's Synapses
THURSDAY, Jan. 19 (Health Day
News) -- Owls just got a little
wiser: Scientists say they've
detected a link between sight and
sound in the bird's brain, a
phenomenon previously reported
only in primates.
This finding, published in
the Jan. 19 issue of the journal
Nature, also advances knowledge
about how the brain is able to sort
out incoming sensory information.
"What our experiment
demonstrates is a fundamental
principle of how the brain pays
attention. The promise here is that
because we are doing this in owls,
we can get at the mechanisms of
how this works," study senior
author Eric Knudsen, professor of
neurobiology at Stanford
University School of Medicine,
said in a prepared statement.
In their research with barn owls,
Knudsen and a colleague
concluded that the circuits in the
brain that process sounds are
strongly influenced by the circuits
that control where the animal is
looking -- the direction of gaze.
"The ability to hear and the
direction of gaze aren't necessarily
linked," study first author and
postdoctoral scholar Daniel
Winkowski noted in a prepared
statement. He explained that
sounds originating from any
direction don't usually require
visualization to be heard.
But, he said, "It's exciting to find
that the circuits in the brain that
control gaze direction affect how
the brain processes auditory
information," Winkowski said.
The finding that this occurs in
owls as well as primates means
there are many more opportunities
for research in different kinds of
animals.
"This paper opens the
floodgates for studying a wide
range of species. The fundamental
mechanisms are probably going to
be the same in all vertebrates, as
even frogs and fish have gaze
control," Knudsen said.
Learning more about brain
mechanisms that control attention
may help improve scientists'
understanding of human attention
and learning disorders, as well as
schizophrenia, the researchers
said.
Non-coding regions of the
genome - those that don't code for
proteins - are now known to include
important elements that regulate gene
activity. Among those elements are
micro RNAs, tiny, recently discovered
RNA molecules that suppress gene
expression. Increasing evidence
indicates a role for micro RNAs in the
developing nervous system, and
researchers from Children's Hospital
Boston now demonstrate that one micro
RNA affects the development of
synapses - the points of communication
between brain cells that underlie
learning and memory. The findings
appear in the January 19th issue of
Nature.
The U.S. National Institute of
Neurological Disorders and Stroke
has more about learning
disabilities.
"This paper provides the first evidence
that micro RNAs have a role at the
synapse, allowing for a new level of
regulation of gene expression," says
senior author Michael Greenberg, PhD,
Director of Neuroscience at Children's
Hospital Boston. "What we've found is
a new mechanism for regulating brain
function."
The original news release can be
found at:
http://www.childrenshospital.org
January 18, 2006
Magazine Honors UAB
Researcher for Study of
Dyslexia
Science Magazine has
honored a study involving the
University of Alabama at
Birmingham's Grier Page as one of
the top breakthrough studies of
2005.
Page, a biostatistician,
examined a gene linked to the
development of dyslexia, a brain
disorder that causes reading
disability.
His was one of nine
such studies collectively
ranked No. 5 on the
magazine's top 10
discoveries list for the year.
Page says the
research revealed "extensive
evidence" dyslexia is
associated with a gene
identified as DCDC2.
"DCDC2's expression
is localized in the parts of
the brain related to reading
and language," Page said in
a statement released
Tuesday afternoon. "Our
study shows that
interference with this gene
results in altered migration
of neurons involved in the
structural formation of the
brain."
Page was part of a
research team led by Dr.
Jeffrey Gruen, an associate
professor of pediatrics at
Yale University. The
findings were first reported
during an Oct. 28 meeting
of the American Society of
Human Genetics in Salt
Lake City. The first
published account
appeared Nov. 22 in
"Proceedings of the
National Academy of
Sciences."
As a group, the
studies offer clues about
the development of diverse
brain disorders including
schizophrenia, Tourette's
syndrome and dyslexia.
Science contends in its
ranking that a clearer
understanding of these
complex disorders could
ultimately lead to early
identification and
intervention programs for
children, especially those at
genetic risk for developing
them.
According to Science,
the collective brain disorder
studies indicate crossed
genetic signals in the womb
might be responsible for
brain alterations linked to
an increased risk for
eventually developing one
of the disorders.
For more information,
visit www.sciencemag.org.
Development
Assets
Supreme Court to Hear Case on
Reimbursement for Special
Education Experts
The U.S. Supreme Court has granted
review of an appeal that will determine
whether parents can be reimbursed under
the main federal special education law for
the fees of experts they hire as part of a
challenge to a student's individualized
education program.
The justices agreed on Jan. 6 to add
Arlington Central School District v. Murphy
(Case No. 05-18) to the docket for their
current term. The case will be argued in
April, with a decision likely by late June.
It will be the second case interpreting
the Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act to be heard by the court this term. On
Nov. 14, the court ruled 6-2 that the burden
of proof in IDEA legal disputes rests with the
party seeking relief (which is usually, but not
always, the parents).
The new case also has broad
implications for school districts and parents
of children in special education.
The Bush administration had
recommended last month that the court take
up the case to resolve a split among the
federal appeals courts over whether the
IDEA authorizes a court to award fees for
experts employed by the parents of a child
with a disability who are the victors in a
dispute with a school district.
http://www.civilrights.org
External Assets
The first 20 Developmental Assets
focus on positive experiences that young people
receive from the people and institutions in their
lives. Four categories of external assets are
included in the framework:
• Support-Young people need to experience
support, care, and love from their families,
neighbors, and many others. They need organizations
and institutions that provide positive, supportive
environments.
• Empowerment-Young people need to be valued by
their community and have opportunities to contribute
to others. For this to occur, they must be safe and feel
secure.
• Boundaries and expectations-Young people
need to know what is expected of them and whether
activities and behaviors are "in bounds" and "out of
bounds."
• Constructive use of time-Young people need
constructive, enriching opportunities for growth
through creative activities, youth programs.
Internal Assets
A community's responsibility for its young people
does not end with the provision of external assets. Caring
adults must make a similar commitment to nurturing the
internal qualities that guide positive choices and foster a
sense of confidence, passion, and purpose. Young people
need this wisdom to make responsible decisions about
the present and future. The framework includes four
categories of internal assets:
• Commitment to learning-Young people need to
develop a lifelong commitment to education and
learning.
• Positive values-Young people need to develop
strong values that guide their choices.
• Social competencies-Young people need skills and
competencies that equip them to make positive
choices, to build relationships, and to succeed in life.
• Positive identity-Young people need a strong
sense of their own power, purpose, worth, and
promise.
Identifying Behaviors to Improve [article]
If you are in pursuit of well-behaved, well-adjusted children, you need to
understand how your behavior is connected to your child's behavior. Behavior
does...
“Calgon, take me away….”
or How to Get FREE Respite Money Just by ASKING!
I know we all have days when we wish we could just escape it all and take some time for
ourselves. However, if you are a grandparent raising a grandchild(ren) I want to MAKE
SURE this can happen for you! My name is Pat Cochran and I am the Director of
Prevention and Intervention Services here at Volunteers of America. I oversee the
Grandfamilies Network Project and the Alaskan Grandfamilies Respite Development
Project, as well as several other inter-related programs. While I’m not personally raising a
grandchild, our daughter and granddaughter do live with my husband and me, so I do have
real appreciation for what you all are doing. You have my respect and admiration; it cannot
be easy.
There is help! Each “grand”family is eligible to receive up to $300 per grandchild for
respite-related expenditures (until the funds are exhausted or until June 30th, 2006 –
whichever comes first!) Some of you have already tapped into the respite funds. PLEASE
NOTE: If you have not used the entire $300, the unused portion is NOT RESERVED for
you. If you wish to utilize those dollars, you must submit a request specifying the
activity/event of how you want to use them. With Spring Break just around the corner,
NOW is the time to sign up for special day-camps… like skiing or snowboard lessons at
Hilltop, Camp Fire programs, sports programs, swimming, etc. … If you have never
received funds or have requested, but not used funds – HURRY – they won’t last forever
and, like I mentioned, there are no reserved funds.
So what if you live in the Bush? Brainstorm with me a few ideas of how you could get
some respite with $300… is it enough to fly “Junior” to “Auntie’s” in another village for
a break?... how about paying a trusted caregiver to stay with the children while YOU go
fishing or out to catch game... maybe there’s a field trip sponsored by the school or
church that would provide your grandson or granddaughter a safe adventure and YOU
some quiet time… Talk with the school teachers or counselor for more ideas. You deserve
a break, and it might as well benefit both YOU and your grandchild(ren).
If you would like to apply for these funds you can call TERESA or TAMI toll-free at
(888)522-9866 and they can even help you do it OVER the PHONE! Then all you will have
to do is provide a signed letter from someone in your community attesting to your status of
raising grandchildren, and a receipt/document for services and costs. It really is that
SIMPLE!
CAT DOG PIG
ON
Assistive Technology TIPS
IN
OUT TOP HAT
Putting It in Perspective: Desktops VS Handhelds
Desktop readers versus handheld readers? What is best? There is
no answer for every situation. To suggest that handheld units are superior to
desktop systems, or vice-versa would be inappropriate. Rather, each technology
must be considered relative to the needs of the specific individual, task,
and setting. For example, there are individuals who may need almost every word
read to them aloud, an operation that is easier to perform on a desktop unit. Or, a
person might use a more portable OCR device if he/she needed to use the
technology in multiple settings. Other factors such as cost, compatibility, ease of
use, technical support, and reliability should also be considered when selecting
any assistive technology. For more information on matching technology to
student’s needs go to Schwab Learning.org. It is a great website with lots of
information for parents and caregivers of children with learning disabilities.
Every Child Can Write: Strategies for Composition and Self-Regulation
in the Writing Process
Few people-either children or adults-would describe writing as a very
easy process that they complete without much effort. Writing is a highly complex and demanding
process. While negotiating the rules and mechanics of writing, the writer must maintain a focus on
factors such as organization, form and features, purposes and goals, audience needs and
perspectives, and evaluation of the communication between author and reader. Self-regulation of
the writing process is critical; the writer must be goal-oriented, resourceful, and reflective.
Even highly skilled professional writers speak to the demanding and complex mix of
composition and self-regulatory abilities involved in writing. For example, Susan Sontag has said
that when writing On Photography, she often drafted each page 30 to 40 times (Burnham, 1994).
Joseph Heller, author of Catch-22, carried index cards in his wallet so that he could write down ideas
whenever they came to him (Plimpton, 1989).
Research on expert writers has further clarified the importance of self-regulation in writing. For
skilled authors, writing is a flexible, goal-directed activity, scaffolded by a rich source of cognitive
processes and strategies for planning, text production, and revision. Skilled authors also engage in
purposeful and active self-direction of these processes and strategies. As Flower and Hayes (1980)
note, "a great part of skill in writing is the ability to monitor and direct one's own composing
processes" (p. 39). Research on and descriptions of expert writers-both children and adults-has
been an important factor in understanding and improving children's writing abilities (Harris &
Graham, 1992).
Karen R. Harris, Tanya Schmidt, & Steve Graham University of Maryland reprinted with permission
from Teaching Every Child Every Day: Learning in Diverse Schools and Classrooms
For more information about writing or to read this complete article go
To:
http://www.ldonline.org/.
Alaska Rural Behavioral
Health Conference
March 13th through 15th, 2006
From 8:00 am to 5:00 pm each day.
Anchorage Marriott Hotel (www.marriott.com/ancdt)
Hear Dr. Lisa Najavits talk about the “SEEKING SAFETY” curriculum.
Listen to a review by Joan Wilson, JD, of the DHSS and DBH structures and functions including related
initiatives, policies, procedures and protocols affecting grantees.
Learn from Dr. Teresa LaFramboise about indigneous psychology, and bi and cross-cultural issues.
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Other topics include:
Assessment and Discussion about Suicidal Youth
Healing Wounds of the Generations: Multigenerational Trauma and Healing for
Alaska Natives
Methamphetamines: Working with Clients
Recovery from Co-occurring Mental Illness and Addictive Disorders
Understanding the Psychodynamics of Self-mutilation
Positive Behavioral Supports
The Triune Brain in Recovery from Addictive and Mental Disorders
For more information or to register go to:
http://www.codi-ak.org/Rural%20Behavioral%20Health%20Conference.html
Navigating the Rapids:
Doing What Works in
Practice
May 4-6, 2006
The Coast Plaza Hotel and
Suites, Stanley Park
1760 Comox Street
Vancouver, BC, Canada
For more information
or to register go to:
http://www.interprofessional.ubc.ca
Community Activity Calendar
The events listed on the following Community Activity Calendars shown below are
sent to the STEP CENTER by service providers, community agencies, organizations
and individuals. If you, or your agency/organization would like to list an event,
support group meeting, training opportunity, etc., just e-mail your listing to Jullie
Zook, Alaska Family Directory Assistant ([email protected]) or call 907-7423872 to list by phone.
The Alaska Family Directory is only as good as YOU make it!
For details of
events shown on
these calendars,
visit our website
at :
http://www.asdk
12.org/AFD/