Family Support Network of North Carolina

The Family Support Network of North Carolina has an Outreach Library for families and professionals who need information regarding children with special needs.  They have up-to-date information on a variety of topics ranging from Autism Spectrum Disorder to social skills.  It is a free service and they will send you information and you just send it back when you are done.  I have called them and they sent me information on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome a few years back and it was very helpful.  The Outreach Library is supported by NC Department of Social Services and UNC School of Medicine, Community Pediatrics.

Family Support Network of North Carolina
CB# 7340, University of NC
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7340
1-800-852-0042 (TDD/Voice)
Phone 919-966-2841
Fax 919-966-2916
www.med.unc.edu/commedu/familysu

The Importance of Post Adoption Services

Celebrate National Adoption Month by...encouraging and supporting families who are fostering or adopting from foster care!

Thousands of children each year find themselves in the U.S. foster care system due to abuse and/or neglect and are unable to return to their birth parents.  For those unable to return to their birth parent(s), many are adopted by their foster families, relatives, or newly recruited families. 

A number of studies have found that many foster children have emotional and behavioral problems.  Post-adoptive services play a key role in supporting children and their adoptive families toward health and healing. It is important for communities to support families who adopt children from foster care.  In addition to support that agencies provide, adoptive families report that friends, family, and other adoptive parents are instrumental in their family success.

To learn more about the importance of post-adoption services visit this link to an article by the North American Council on Adoptable Children.  http://www.nacac.org/adoptalk/postadoptpaper.pdf

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month and Autism Awareness Month

April is a busy month in the lives of those working to bring awareness to two important mental health issues facing children in America.  It is through the work of agencies that the public is educated about children and families that have impact in every facet of our society.  Autism is on the rise as is child abuse.  The statistics are shocking and we all need to take a look at what we can do to raise awareness so that research and prevention services are funded.  Join with me and celebrate Autism Awareness Month and Child Abuse Prevention Month. 

Autism

The increase in the prevalence in autism as been all over the news lately.  This is the latest information regarding the prevalence rates.   Here are the highlights from the new report by CDC as summarized by Medscape.  I will be blogging about autism followed by information regarding child abuse.

Did you know this about autism?

A new report by the CDC last month shared the following findings. The new estimates are published in the March 28 issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

-  New estimates put the figure at 1 in 68 children aged 8 years (or 14.7 per 1000) ― roughly 30% higher than previous estimates reported in 2012 of 1 in 88 children (11.3 per 1000) having an ASD, the agency said.  "The criteria used to diagnose ASDs and the methods used to collect data have not changed," the CDC noted.

- "Over the last decade, the most notable change in the characteristics of children identified with autism is the growing number who have average or above average intelligence, from one third in 2002 to nearly 50% in 2010," Dr. Boyle said.

- "To better understand why, there is an urgent need to do more research. It could be that doctors are getting better at identifying these children. There could be a growing number of children with autism and higher intellectual ability, or it may a combination of better recognition and increased prevalence," she added.

- The data continue to show that ASD is almost 5 times more common among boys than girls: 1 in 42 boys vs 1 in 189 girls. White children are more likely to be identified as having ASD than are black or Hispanic children, the CDC said.

- "Community leaders, health professionals, educators and childcare providers should use these data to ensure children with ASD are identified as early as possible and connected to the services they need," said Dr. Boyle.

- New Initiative Announced
         Birth to 5: Watch Me Thrive! program will help families look for and celebrate milestones; promote universal screenings; identify delays as early as possible; and improve the support available to help children succeed in school and thrive alongside their peers, she [Dr. Beckman] noted.  The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is a partner in the initiative.

 MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2014:63;1-21. Full article

Stress Management Tip #2: Time Management

This is too funny.  I should not be writing about time management since I am the world's worse time manager. I excel at the art of procrastination and if there were an award, I would win.  All joking aside, it is important to take time to look inward, to identify our strengths and weaknesses, and commit to make needed changes. When thinking about time management all that comes to mind is that there is not enough time.  By the time we get out of the bed it seems like we are in a race against the clock.

Here is a day in life of a parent... get out of bed, get dressed, get the kids dressed, get the kids to school, get self to work, work, get the kids from school, get home, get dinner, get homework completed, get baths, get kids to bed, talk to your spouse for 5 seconds about the next day, and fall into bed... anyone with me? How do we all get it done?  The answer is we don't!

For years I have held onto an index card of the time management matrix developed by Covey.  I have used this matrix to prioritize and further divided it into categories at home, work, and social activities.  It has not "cured" me from a life-long battle with this thing called procrastination, but it has been a helpful tool. Procrastination is a form of avoidance and it just leads to anxiety.  I have often told myself that I work better under pressure and often times that is true.  When you do well under pressure, it only reinforces the belief, "I can wait until the last minute."  The fallacy of this line of thinking is that it is highly probable that you would have done even better if you had not waited until the last minute.  In addition, you would not have been in a state of sheer panic or high anxiety.  If you struggle like I do with procrastination, I encourage you to start working on it today.  Don't wait!

Figure 1 or 2

NC State Middle and High School Study Skills Summer Program Information

Parents of Middle and High School Students,

 

I received information on the NC State Study Skills Camp for this summer.  For more information, please visit the website: www.ncsu.edu/psychology/studyskills or call the clinic 919-515-1713. 

 

For grades rising 6-8 options are :June 23-27 from (9:30-11:30am) or July 14-18 (9:30-11:30am) or August 4-8th (9:30-11:30 or 1-3pm).

 

For grades rising 9-10 July 28-August 1 (9:30-11:30am or 1-3pm)

 

The fee is $185

 

There is a parent meeting on the first Monday of each session.

Family Support Network of North Carolina

Do you know that the Family Support Network of North Carolina has a lending library of books and videos for all families and professionals?  All you have to do is call the toll free number, request one to two books and return them when you are done.  They even include free return postage!  It is a great way to get up-to-date information on issues like ADHD, Autism, Child Abuse and Neglect, Down Syndrome, FAS, foster children, HIV/AIDS, medically fragile children and much, much, more.  

Family Support Network of North Carolina
CB# 7340, University of North Carolina
Chapell Hill, NC 27599
1-800-852-0042
www.med.unc.edu/commedu/familysu

TEN QUOTES ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF PLAY

“Play is the work of the child.” – Maria Montessori

“Play is the highest form of research.” – Albert Einstein

“It is a happy talent to know how to play.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning.” – Mr. Rogers

“The playing adult steps sideward into another reality; the playing child advances forward to new stages of mastery.” – Erik H. Erikson

“Children learn as they play. Most importantly, in play children learn how to learn.” – O. Fred Donaldson

“The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct.” – Carl Jung

“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” – George Bernard Shaw

“Do not keep children to their studies by compulsion but by play.” – Plato

“Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.” -  Fred Rogers