Take time to chill!

My grandson Sean started a new magazine in Houston called, “Chill.” The magazine’s concept is to teach people how to “chill” out, to relax. I think it’s a great idea. Everyone needs to have ways to relax and unwind. The most important thing is to actually take the time to do it. There are so many things in a day that have to be done, that it is often easy to neglect doing something that doesn’t seem like it HAS to be done, but actually for survival, NEEDS to be done. Taking some time for yourself, quiet time to just relax and unwind is truly one of those things that HAS to be done. You have a week-end coming up! Take time to have fun and to “chill.” You deserve it. You are a difference maker.

Have a wonderful day and a wonderful week-end.

Maryln

"Attachment Disorders and Television"

When I was studying for my doctorate in psychology, I spent an entire quarter learning about attachment disorders. To put it simply, this is something that occurs when children fail to bond with a caregiver in the early years of life. The effects can be devastating. It is something that is totally preventable! Children need love!

Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) has symptoms similar to those of Autism. While recently doing research for a chapter in one of my books on Autism, I learned of a study of children who had been diagnosed with Autism who really had RAD. They found that when they interviewed the parents that eighty percent of these children were exposed to intensive television viewing for approximately seven hours every day, and many of these children were left alone for as much as five hours a day. Fortunately, these researchers found the true cause of their symptoms and they did something about it. The treatment for these children was teaching their parents new behaviors to use with their children over a three-month period. As they bonded with their children, the children markedly improved.

I am definitely not saying that children with Autism in reality have RAD. If it could be that simple, it would be so much more treatable. I only hope that the day comes when they do find the cause of Autism and then the cure! However, what I am saying is that there are other disorders, and RAD is one of them, that can be caused by neglect and too much television!
Television has become a family member in most homes today. Children sit in front of it transfixed beginning when they are very young infants. It holds their attention. It moves. As they get older, they are so accustomed to it and the noise it makes, that they need it more and more. It can become an addiction that takes them away from other activities that would promote their growth and development. It is not a substitute for hugs, for love, or for two-way communication. All this made me think about how important each of you are in the lives of the children in your care. You are real! You are so much more than a character on television. You are often the ones that children bond with. You are a difference maker.

Have a wonderful day.
Maryln

P.S. This is the reference for the study that I read. Mukaddes, N.M., Bilge, S., Alyanak, B., Kora, M.E. (2000). Clinical characteristics and treatment responses in cases diagnosed as Reactive Attachment Disorder. Child Psychiatry & Human Development, 30(4), 273-287.

Listening is a gift of life.

Everyone needs someone who will listen to them. There are times you just need to talk—to vent. You need someone there who will listen. Children need that too. They need someone who will listen to them as they prattle when they are small, who will smile with joy at their first words, who will be there for them when they learn to tie their shoes for the first time, who will be there for them when they start school and have so much to say, who will be there for them when they are failing a subject and feel despair, who will be there for them when they are hormonal and don’t make much sense, who will be there for them when they go on their first date, who will be there for them when they talk about what to do after graduation, who will be there for them when they launch their careers, who will be there for them when they meet that special someone, who will be there for them when they take the steps down the aisle of marriage, and who will listen to them when they talk about the impending birth of their own children. And if they have had that special person to listen to them, to cherish them, to love and accept them through their ups and downs of life, they too will pass on the cycle and listen to the sweet and cherished voices of their own children. Listening is a gift of life.
While you cannot be there for all of those special moments, you sure can be there for them in your classrooms, listening and caring, and making a difference in their lives.
You are a difference maker.
Have a wonderful day.
Maryln

Hi and welcome!!!

I am so excited that we have this way to communicate. I want to share with you something that concerns me a lot. I am very concerned about the rising number of children diagnosed with autism. The figure used to be 1 in 2500 children. It has grown to 1 in 150!!! Yesterday, I read an article that said in New Jersey that number was 1 in 94. There was no reason given for the even bigger increase in New Jersey.
Last week I did a talk for a group, and I asked the group, all teachers, how many of them have now or have had children with autism in their rooms. Almost every hand went up. I am curious about your experience with both autism and asperger's syndrome.
Are you seeing the numbers increase? What do you think is the reason?
Looking forward to reading your comments.
Maryln