Educators praise new standards for students with disabilities

Florida children with severe cognitive disabilities will get new science-education objectives as part of the state's new standards. Standards in broad goal areas are tailored to three levels of complexity depending on student skills. The Palm Beach Post

Ohio girl wins award for academic success despite Down syndrome

Sarah Wilkins, 14, has Down syndrome, but has nonetheless made the honor roll at her Ohio school. This helped win her a CEC Yes I Can award for academic achievement. "She's smart as a tack, witty and fun," said Sarah's special-education teacher, Leigh Salsbury. "Sarah is living proof that you can triumph over anything." Lancaster Eagle-Gazette (Ohio)

Feds say 11 Kentucky housing complexes may violate ADA

More than two dozen Kentucky developers and architects allegedly violated the Americans With Disabilities Act and the Fair Housing Act by building 11 multifamily housing complexes with insufficient facilities to accommodate people with disabilities. One of the developers said he received no resident complaints, and that state building codes conflict with the federal laws. The Courier-Journal (Louisville, Ky.)

Ohio parents win IDEA case without attorney

A Ohio family that last year won a ruling to represent themselves in an IDEA case won the five-year-old suit on Friday, with a hearing officer calling for the school district to reimburse them for their son's $68,500 private-school tuition. School officials said they were doing their best for the 10-year-old boy, who has autism, on a limited budget. "We're trying to balance between being fiscally responsible and doing what's best for kids," said Superintendent Sarah Zatik, who said the board is considering an appeal. "We think we provide a very good program." The Plain Dealer (Cleveland)

Student aids others with hearing impairments

Stagg High School senior Rabiya Ghani mentors students who are profoundly deaf and hard of hearing.
High school senior Rabiya Ghani, who has a cochlear implant, mentors other students with hearing impairments to help them meet their goals. "I like it the best because I see the other students, and they have disabilities, and I understand them very well. I help them out. It makes me feel great when I help people," she said. The SouthtownStar (Chicago)

Volunteers aid others with disabilities at Japanese Special Olympics

Seventeen-year-olds Yumi Abiko and Miyuki Watanabe, who both have disabilities, are among 400 volunteers helping the winter games of Japan's 2008 Special Olympics run smoothly. It's the first time students with disabilities have played such a major role in a Japanese sporting event. The Daily Yomiuri (Japan)/Associated Press

Fun Free Science Lesson Link

This was sent to my email and I found it interesting so I want to share this here:

We would like to bring to your attention a hands-on science lesson that captures students’ attention when they used crystals that disappear when placed in water and reappear when removed from the water. These crystals (actually a hydro-gel) are used to teach the concept of refraction of light and the basic chemistry of crystal growth. The lesson is written for teachers of upper elementary and middle school age students. The activity is posted on a commercial education products website, but the lesson plan is free for use by teachers. To view the lesson visit www.scienceinabag.com/lesson.html

Formerly institutionalized residents placed in own homes

Melvin Wilson takes immaculate care of his apartment. He learned how to clean his home and now diligently does his chores each morning. A closet contains neat rows of shoes and jeans that are folded with precision. At a former group home, he said, people used to disturb his belongings.

A new Washington, D.C., program is placing people who previously lived in institutions into small houses and apartments where they can become more independent. "I think one of the biggest problems that disabled people address is how they see themselves and how others see them -- see us," said Judith E. Heumann, director of the D.C. Department on Disability Services, who herself uses a wheelchair. "And when you live in a community in a more integrated setting like other people, you begin to be seen less as the oddity and more like a member of the community." The Washington Post

Ohio girl with Down syndrome excels in mainstream classes

Sarah Wilkins, an 8th grader at McDowell Exchange School, works in the school library each day in lieu of taking a study hall. Sarah will be recognized with a national “Yes I Can” award for academics in Boston April 4.

Sarah Wilkins hasn't let her Down syndrome keep her from the athletic fields or the honor roll -- and that spirit has won her a CEC Yes I Can award for academics. "For a student with Down syndrome to not only participate in general education classes but actually lead the way in some of them, that is just remarkable," said CEC spokeswoman Lynda Van Kuren. "It becomes an instance when students without disabilities actually look up to the student with disabilities. They see her not complaining, doing the work and often mastering it and think, 'How can I complain?' " Circleville (Ohio) Herald

Drug without stimulant side effects aids some with ADHD

A naturally occurring substance without known side effects may control ADHD in children with fragile X syndrome, according to a new Italian study published online by the American Journal of Medical Genetics. Further study may determine whether the new drug is also effective in treating ADHD in children without fragile X syndrome. Yahoo!/Reuters Health

Lack of affordable housing difficult for those with disabilities

Monica Spann, who has multiple sclerosis, helps her son Brandon Joyner with homework in their new home in Capitol Heights, Md.

Monica Spann's multiple sclerosis makes it impossible for her to work or climb stairs. However, there is little left of her $2,010 Social Security check after paying for the cheapest Washington, D.C.-area apartment without steps she can afford. "I never even thought that would be a concern because there are a lot of people living on Social Security or disability," Spann said. "I see this is nothing someone can live off of." The News Journal (Del.)/Associated Press

Vaccines may have caused autismlike symptoms in Georgia girl

Childhood vaccines worsened a rare, previously existing disorder in a Georgia girl, leading to autismlike symptoms, government health officials said, emphasizing that the case is an exception. Those who believe vaccines are tied to autism see the decision as a victory. "It's a beginning," said Kevin Conway, a Boston lawyer representing 1,200 families in vaccine cases. "It shows to me that the government has conceded that it's biologically plausible for a vaccine to cause these injuries." The Plain Dealer (Cleveland)/Associated Press

Brain-decoding software may someday aid in communication

Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, have decoded brain waves to determine which images test subjects were viewing, according to a study published online Wednesday in the journal Nature. The findings may someday help people with disabilities use their thoughts as a means of communication. "Perhaps it will be possible for you to visually imagine an object, and then use a brain decoder to translate your underlying brain activity into an actual image that other people can see," said graduate student Kendrick Kay. Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)/Chicago Tribune

Fourth-grader expresses herself with music

Anais Martinez, 10, of Hurst, sings 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star' while she plays during practice at Snow Heights Elementary School in North Richland Hills on Feb. 22. Because of a disorder, her eyes never formed. But the fact that she cannot read music has never held her back. Swaying back and forth in rhythm, she plays by ear -- from Christmas carols to Bach -- and on March 25 will give her first performance away from school for the NE Richland Lions Club during a luncheon in Haltom City.
Anais Martinez, 10, cannot see or read music. Instead, she plays by ear, and on March 25 will give her first public performance away from her school thanks to the local Lions Club, which has pledged to buy her a piano. "She'll listen two or three times and practice until she gets it right," said her teacher, Kay Boland. The Daily Sentinel (Nacogdoches, Texas)/Fort Worth Star-Telegram

College within grasp for those with disabilities

Jennifer Galjour, left, who has a form of autism and other medical issues, had been told that she probably wouldn't be able to go to college. A program is helping her prove naysayers wrong. Galijour, shopping with friend Lindsay Anderson above, is now a student at Austin Community College.

Jennifer Galjour overcame a host of disabilities to earn a 3.0 GPA in her first semester of community college with the help of College Living Experience, a growing program that helps students with disabilities transition into college. Cornell University findings indicate that just 12.5% of adults with disabilities hold bachelor's degrees. Austin American-Statesman (Texas)

School employee gets 6 months for stealing autistic girl's lunch money

The special education assistant at Camarillo High School was convicting of lifting $5 from the student's lunch box on each of 57 occasions.
Every morning, Shawn Spitzer sent her 13-year-old daughter off to school with a lunch box of snacks and $5 to buy a hot meal.Every afternoon, Spitzer noticed that her daughter, who has severe autism and cannot speak, would head straight for the refrigerator when she came home. Spitzer wondered if it was a growth spurt. Maybe the cafeteria food was bad. But the reason for her daughter's hunger, authorities learned, was more disturbing: The special education assistant was stealing her lunch money. LA Times

Higher rates of disabilities found in children born prematurely

A premature baby is cared for at a hospital. More than a third of children born before the seventh month of pregnancy are disabled, and the degree of disability rises the earlier they are born, according to a new study published in Saturday's Lancet.

Preterm babies have more severe disabilities the earlier they are born, according to a new National Institute of Health and Medical Research study published in The Lancet medical journal. Researchers found that more than one-third of babies born before the seventh month of pregnancy had disabilities. Yahoo!/Agence France-Presse

Report ranks states on mental health, substance abuse

A state-by-state report shows Vermont has the highest marijuana use in the country while Utah has the most people with mental health issues. One expert said, "Our hope is this report will allow people to do strategic planning to address specific issues." The Washington Post/Reuters

Family to receive federal settlement over vaccines

A federal court that handles claims for vaccine injuries has awarded compensation to the parents of an autistic child for symptoms that indirectly resulted from childhood vaccines. NBC's Pete Williams reports.

Terry and Jon Poling's 9-year-old daughter Hannah landed in the media spotlight this week as the federal government agreed to settle their case that childhood vaccinations allegedly complicated an underlying disorder in the child, resulting in autismlike symptoms. Jon Poling, a neurologist, called for thimerosal to be removed from flu shots: "Why take a chance?" he asked. MSNBC/Associated Press

Childhood mental illnesses confusing for parents

More young children are being diagnosed with depression and other mental illnesses, with about 10 million fighting some sort of psychiatric disorder, according to New York University's Child Study Center. Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Inventions garner N.Y. girl Yes I Can award

Liz Rhoades) Shirley Alvarez of Whitestone is the recipient of a national award for overcoming her handicaps.

Shirley Alvarez, 17, who loved to dance as a child, was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease when she was 9 that has greatly limited her movement. But she has invented several devices to regain some of her independence, and for her perseverance she has won a CEC Yes I Can award Queens Chronicle (N.Y.)

1888 photo depicts Helen Keller, teacher

This 1888 photo released by the New England Historic Genealogical Society in Boston shows Helen Keller when she was eight years old, left, holding hands with her teacher, Anne Sullivan, during a summer vacation to Brewster, Mass., on Cape Cod. A staff member at the society discovered the photograph in a large photography collection recently donated to the society. When Sullivan arrived at the Keller household to teach Helen, she gave her a doll as a present. Although Keller had many dolls throughout her childhood, this is believed to be the first known photograph of Helen Keller with one of her dolls. (AP Photo/Courtesy of the Thaxter P. Spencer Collection, R. Stanton Avery Special Collections, New England Historic Genealogical Society-Boston)

Boy with Tourette's syndrome wins CEC award

Thomas Ostric, 12, won a speaking role in his school play and performed flawlessly despite his Tourette's syndrome and obsessive-compulsive disorder, earning him a CEC Yes I Can! Award. "The Yes I Can! Awards were developed to honor students who achieve despite their disabilities," says Lynda Van Kuren, CEC's senior director of communications. "With [Thomas'] outstanding accomplishments, perseverance, and hard work, he exemplifies the spirit of the Yes I Can! Awards." Germantown (Tenn.) News

Dyscalculia - Not Only Troubles With Math

Dyscalculia is not just about math.

BBC show searches for model with disabilities

A new BBC show, "Britain's Missing Top Model," will seek a new model with disabilities to enter the mainstream fashion world. "Our intention is to empower both the women featured in the project and thousands of others, who shouldn't be invisible to the fashion industry just because they are disabled people," Creative Director Richard McKerrow said. "We're also looking to challenge preconceived notions of beauty." The Guardian (London)

Urban math teacher helps students overcome barriers to success

Georgia math teacher Basil Lee's students have far different problems than most average high schoolers: children of their own, ankle bracelets that allow law enforcement to monitor their movements and neighborhood violence. But Lee, who was selected to be part of USA TODAY's 2007 All-USA Teacher Team, nevertheless inspires his students to learn advanced math and use it as a tool to improve their lives. USA TODAY

You Can't Make Me! (CEC Blog)

This week’s topic is compliance, student compliance, that is,…not legal compliance... I had been keenly aware prior to this conference that every time I make a request (or a demand) of a student, I give that student the opportunity to defy me, because “no” is always an option. If the teacher admits to the students, “I can’t make you do anything” (which is SO true), then you gain some credibility with them because they already know that! Dr. Maag asks the question, do we want compliant students or do we want to develop students who are independent thinkers? If the answer is the latter, then perhaps we can rephrase our demands as questions (e.g., “What do we do next?”) Doing so puts the student in a position of power, which by the way, does NOT diminish the teacher’s power. They will only respect you for that. One more point that he makes: Compliance in one area leads to compliance in another area. If you can get the student to agree with you on ANYTHING, such as the fact that you’ve never been able to get the student to complete any work, then at least you’ve made some progress. More...

Entrepreneurs say disabilities helped them succeed

Disabilities helped three entrepreneurs succeed as they learned early on how to solve problems that stood in their way, they say. "If you are blind, jumping over hurdles becomes a way of life," said Amar Latif, who operates a successful tour service that helps others without sight explore the world on their own. Financial Times

Michigan teen wins CEC award

Michigan student Joshua Stump, 18, who has learning disabilities and an anxiety disorder, has won a 2008 Yes I Can! award for his honors-level academic work. Stump is also active with his school's student council. WZZM 13 (Grand Rapids, Mich.)

McCain says "strong evidence" ties vaccines to autism

Senator John McCain and his wife, Cindy McCain, were joined Monday at a news conference at the Phoenix airport by former Senator Phil Gramm of Texas and his wife, Wendy Gramm.

Presidential candidate and U.S. Sen. John McCain injected himself into the debate over autism while campaigning in Texas recently, rejecting numerous medical studies that dismiss the mercury-based preservative thimerosal as a cause. "It's indisputable that autism is on the rise among children," McCain said. "The question is, What's causing it? And we go back and forth, and there's strong evidence that indicates that it's got to do with a preservative in vaccines." The New York Times

Technology allows students to focus on concepts in class

Mt. Carmel High School senior Ashlee Apodaca used her iPod during lunch last week to listen to her AP government teacher's review session. "If you miss something, you can just replay it back as many times as you need to," she said.

More high-school and college students are able to review their teachers' lectures on their iPods and certain cell phones, thanks to new recording technology that some say allows them to focus on listening and understanding rather than simply taking notes. "If you miss something, you can just replay it back as many times as you need to," said senior Ashlee Apodaca. San Diego Union-Tribune

Overbearing parents target special educators

About 60% of teachers in one well-off Maryland county say they have been harassed by so-called "helicopter" parents, according to the local union's job-satisfaction survey. "The workload is bad, but coupled with over-demanding parents, the job is horrible," said union president Ann DeLacy. "Teachers are leaving teaching because of parents. ... The turnover is incredible. I have teachers who refuse to teach special education." The Sun (Baltimore)

Musical helps students, families better understand dyslexia

Massachusetts teachers Shea Schatell and Bruce Pasha's new musical, "Breaking Through," is based on students' experiences with dyslexia, and is being performed throughout the state this spring by students with learning disabilities. A DVD version of the musical may be distributed nationally. The Boston Globe

New grade-level tests may lower special-education scores

Parents and educators fear changes to Texas' standardized tests may cause the scores of students with disabilities to drop because they are based on students' actual grade level rather than their instructional level. "Why would you teach some of these fourth-graders the solar system if they don't understand the concept of their own neighborhood?" asked parent Laurie Snyder, whose son has autism. "It's not realistic." Star-Telegram (Fort Worth, Texas)

Audio description translates TV action for people without full sight

Television can help with social interaction for the visually impaired

Digital television's new audio-description capabilities might revolutionize the medium for people with visual impairments, says Britain's Royal National Institute of Blind People. About 86% of those surveyed said they would watch more TV programming if the availability of the service, which describes action and nonverbal communication, was expanded. BBC

When Schools Close, They Get Out The Word

On Call: Craig Croson and Ian Warshak run schoolsout.com and TheCampusWire.com.

After the remains of Hurricane Fran struck in 1996, two Frederick County parents were caught unaware when schools let out early and their children were dropped off at neighborhood bus stops without their knowing.
So the parents, who were colleagues at a Germantown data technology firm, devised a bare-bones Web site to alert Maryland parents of unexpected school closings. Those two founders have since moved on, but Craig Croson and Ian Warshak now run Schoolsout.com as an emergency-notification service for almost 300 schools systems, day-care centers and organizations nationwide, many in this area.
What began as a free community service is blossoming into a business. The Washington Post

Student deejay with cerebral palsy wins awards

Traviean Finley expresses his passion for music as a part-time disc jockey, which helped the Milwaukee high-school senior win a CEC Yes I Can! award. Finley also won his district's monthly Excellence in Education award last week. MyFox Milwaukee

Studies link immune system proteins to brain disorders

ANOTHER AUTISM CLUE: Researchers are finding more evidence linking immune proteins to disorders such as autism and Alzheimer's.

Studies revealed that disruption of immune system proteins -- major histocompatibility complex class I molecules and C1q -- during brain development can cause neural disorders such as autism and Alzheimer's. The findings could shed light on molecular processes that play a role in neurodegeneration and offer new targets for drug development, researchers said. Scientific American

Device may allow users to control electronics with their eyes

The Apple Store in Tokyo. A Japanese researcher says he has developed a system that will soon let people run their iPods with the flick of an eye

A Japanese researcher has invented a system known as the Kome Kami Switch that will allow people with disabilities to control their iPods based on eye movement. The switch could also be used to control televisions, lights and other common electronics, the developer says. Yahoo!/Agence France-Presse

Bikers with disabilities adapt motorcycles to stay on the road

Dave Willett of Ormond Beach lost his leg after a motorcycle accident in 1998, but continues to ride with some adaptations to his motorcycle.

Robin Donnelly, whose spina bifida keeps her from walking, loves the freedom her adapted motorcycle gives her, so in 2004 she launched the Disabled Riders of America. The organization networked many bikers who once thought they were alone in retrofitting their motorcycles to meet their needs. Orlando Sentinel (Fla.)

Graduate sues over lack of vocational training

West Virginia's Supreme Court of Appeals has taken on the case of a high-school graduate who doesn't want his diploma. Thomas P. Sturm, who has ADHD and is functionally illiterate, says his school should have provided him with vocational training or other services rather than keeping him in mainstream classes and allowing him to graduate. Charleston Gazette (W.Va.)

Overcoming childhood illness inspired special educator

Bernice Lewiton and her grandson Dan Jackson. (Tom Herde/Globe Staff/File 1998)

Special educator Bernice Lewiton, who died last month at age 82, defied expectations that she would never walk again after a childhood bout with polio. She used that same determination later to help Massachusetts children overcome their learning disabilities even before special-education laws were enacted. The Boston Globe

Pennsylvania church finds place for those with disabilities

At the Most Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church in Pennsylvania, volunteers hold special religious-education classes for children and adults with disabilities, who show off their progress every year by reading and serving at the church's disability-awareness mass. "We try to look at their abilities, rather than their disabilities," said the program's coordinator. Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

RTI credited with shrinking Georgia's special-ed population

Educators in one Georgia district say early intervention has reduced its special-education population in the past five years, a trend reflected across the state. Georgia school boards may have been quicker to adopt Response to Intervention and similar techniques, which were not adopted elsewhere until after the IDEA reauthorization in 2004, educators say. Brunswick News (Ga.), The

Cheerleading team draws out, tones up students with disabilities

Megan Black, 11, kicks with a cane as part of a competitive cheerleading squad exclusively for those with physical and developmental disabilities. The St. Louis-area team is one of about 170 of these squads across the United States. St. Louis Post-Dispatch

More parents seek to avoid vaccines for their children

SECOND THOUGHTS Jaime Polatsek, of Trumbull, Conn., stopped allowing vaccinations for her children, Coby and Sophie, after Sophie was found to have autism.

More families are seeking exemptions from required vaccinations for their children, even after scientists and health experts have confirmed that vaccines do not cause autism. Some parents believe vaccinations should be a "personal choice," but a health expert said that the national schedule for vaccinations should still be followed because the benefits outweigh the risks. The New York Times

Adoptive family struggles to contain girl's rages

Kristi Phillips talks to her daughter, Rosie, at their home in Sartell before leaving to see their new home.

Elizabeth "Rosie" Phillips' congenital rubella syndrome stripped her of her hearing, most of her vision and gave her profound mental disabilities, autism and a host of other physical disabilities. But a progressive neurological disorder is making the teen increasingly violent while giving her the strength to effortlessly throw her 240-pound father across the room. A contractor is helping the family build a new home with a safe room to keep Rosie from hurting herself or her family. St. Cloud Times (Minn.)

Canadian ruling limits responsibility for special services

The highest court in British Columbia has overturned a 2005 ruling that advocates hoped would give children with learning disabilities new educational support. A lower court had ruled that the North Vancouver school board and the province's education department discriminated against such students by not providing them with needed services. The Vancouver Sun (Canada)

Reforms may have hurt, rather than helped

Janella Williams died in restraints at Cherry Hospital. 'I just miss her, but I know there's nothing I can do to bring her back,' says her mother, Calvin Williams. Staff Photos by Juli Leonard

More than 80 patients at North Carolina's 14 mental institutions have died under questionable circumstances, Raleigh, N.C.'s News & Observer found as part of a five-part examination into the state's care of patients with mental illnesses. "The staffing and crowding conditions that may have contributed to the deaths are a consequence of reform," said Harold Carmel, president of the North Carolina Psychiatric Association. "Mental-health reform in North Carolina was a grandiose plan, with great-sounding rhetoric about how well things would go, but with little substance behind it." The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.)

North Carolina special educator in running for national CEC award

Perry Slade teaches exceptional children at Woodlawn Middle School in Mebane.

Perry Slade, who has taught children with disabilities for more than a quarter of a century, won the N.C. Council for Exceptional Children's 2008 Excellence in Teaching Award and will compete for the national award. "I teach [students with disabilities] the same things everybody else teaches. We just do it at a slower pace," she said. "They just have to learn in a different way or in a different style. It's challenging to find out how they click or what way they need to learn." Burlington (N.C.) Times-News

Advocates seek to close special-education achievement gap

Keith P. Jones was keynote speaker at the Federation for Children with Special Needs annual conference yesterday. Jones, who has cerebral palsy, has spent years pushing for changes in educational policy and public attitudes toward the disabled. (David Kamerman/Globe Staff)

Parents and advocates say schools need to do more to educate children with disabilities to reach the same standards as their peers, according to those attending an annual conference focusing on those with disabilities. "What is the vision of our community? Ultimately, the lifeblood of our community is a healthy, educated, well-motivated, highly engaged [populace]," said keynote speaker Keith P. Jones. "We cannot do that if we chronically undereducate, chronically undermotivate, chronically underprepare a whole segment of our [populace]." The Boston Globe

Boy with autism wins Mississippi county spelling bee

Tex Davis displays the word that won him a spelling bee this week but will not be competing at the next level. Due to a mistake in paying a $99 fee, David will not be competing on the state level. Davis's mother had hoped a state championship could had led to scholarships.

Tex Davis, 13, has autism, but that didn't keep him from winning a countywide spelling bee and advancing to the state competition. Unfortunately, because Tex's district was unaware of a new charge for the state competition, the payment wasn't sent in on time and that's keeping Tex from advancing. "I feel like my child is being punished for something that is not his fault," said Rachel Davis, Tex's mother. "Why not let us pay the fee and compete?" The Sun Herald (Biloxi-Gulfport, Miss.)

Response to Intervention

The federal regulations for IDEA 2004 say that states MUST allow schools to use Response to Intervention and CAN'T make them use the discrepancy model...

Read what the US Dept of Education says and watch this Windows Media files (it's a lengthy one but I hope you will learn something, I learned a lot!).

Response to intervention (RTI) strategies are tools that enable educators to target instructional interventions to children’s areas of specific need as soon as those needs become apparent. There is nothing in IDEA that prohibits children with disabilities who are receiving special education and related services under IDEA from receiving instruction using RTI strategies unless the use of such strategies is inconsistent with their individualized education programs (IEPs). Additionally, under IDEA, a public agency may use data gathered through RTI strategies in its evaluations and reevaluations of children with SLD. However, children with disabilities who are currently identified as needing special education and related services may not receive RTI services that are funded with IDEA funds used for EIS pursuant to 34 CFR §300.226. This is because EIS is “… for students in kindergarten through grade 12 (with a particular emphasis on students in kindergarten through grade three) who are not currently identified as needing special education or related services, but who need additional academic and behavioral support to succeed in a general education environment.” US Department of Education

Kentucky student wins CEC award for photography

Stephany Oaks, 19, who has hearing and mental impairments, has won a Yes I Can! award for her photography. "I like people to look at my photos and see the looks on their faces," she said. "My dream for the future is to be a professional photographer." The Times Leader (Princeton, Ky.)

ADHD medications not linked to later substance abuse

Drugs used to treat ADHD do not increase the risk of future drug or alcohol abuse in young adults, according to a National Institutes of Health study published in the March issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry. "Parents should be reassured that the use of psychostimulant medication for the treatment of ADHD in children and adolescents does not increase the risk for substance abuse in later life and remains the most effective treatment for this condition," said Dr. Jon A. Shaw, the University of Miami's director of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Science. The Washington Post/HealthDay News