The special child
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"Charles Vitez" vi...@btinternet.com
I do not often bother to read the press releases that Robert puts on to this NG, but I did read his output on "bar mitzva for autistic children". While I am more than happy when any organisation does something to help the special child and they should get a big boost, the hubris of this press release from the Masorti was just a bit too much for me.
Both in Israel and in the UK, I support many organisations (eg Yad Sarah and Norwood Ravenswood, to name but two) that do phenomenal work in this field and have been doing so for years. To pen a press release which clearly suggests that somehow the Masorti in Israel are the only ones in the field and by implication the orthodox community ignores the special child is just perverse.
I suspect that the two care workers mentioned in the articles, if they are made of the right stuff (and I am sure they are) would be embarr***ed by this press release.
The only point where I am totally in agreement with the press release is that there is nothing quite as moving as to participate in any mitzva with a special child; to see the children reach for the highest level of their potential. That is as true whether they recite "motzie lehem", "al mitzvas tzitzit" or "natan hatorah". Each is a triumph over adversity and the purest expression of ahavat yisrael.
Charles Vitez
margal ...@yahoo.com (chiam margalit)
I have to agree. First, the story was off base in describing all the participants as 'autistic' when in fact autism is a spectrum disorder with many high functioning people who are designated autistic along with the barely functioning. In this day and age, using the catchall phrase of 'autistic' shows a lack of understanding of the disorder.
Secondly, throughout the US, and I ***ume most other countries, kids with special needs are receiving appropriate help to acheive bar or bat mitzvah status with accordance to their affiliation. It's not a big deal, it happens all the time. A close friend of mine is currently in preparation for her PDD son's upcoming bar mitzvah. There is absolutely no difference between his preparation and that of another child other than he started about 6 months earlier and he's learning more from rote than would be acceptable with other children.
To me, as a parent of to special needs children, this kind of announcement is self-serving and doesn't do a thing to help the special needs community. For me, I'd much rather that special opportunities were provided for kids with special needs, like day schools willing to deal with learning differences (for the most part, they are not), summer camps willing to put up with social differences (again, for the most part they are not), and better trained professionals in our synagogues who deal with special needs children in the after school programs (they are not looked upon as needed). I have children with moderate special needs designations, and they have been removed forcibly from day schools (3 of them), camps (2 of them), and after school hebrew cl***es (1) without any understanding or willingness to work with our special needs. Until I see that children with moderate special needs are not shunted to the side of Judaism, or even downright rejected over and over again, I'm not going to kvell about one group of autistic spectrum kids who might have recieved special processing while their less severely affected friends and neighbors are outright rejected all over America.
Marjorie
"Adelle D. Stavis, Esq." ade...@attbi.com
The tone bothered me, too. But a press release is supposed to slant things in the 'rosiest,' way. It is then up to the venue which receives the release to reuse or rephrase to suit its own slant.
Our synagogue is currently struggling as to how to service (in our synagogue based, after school ed program) a family whose children have learning disabilities. We seem to be addressing the learning issues well, thanks to some help/recommendations from their public school teachers about modalities. Our problem is that the parents don't want to acknowledge or deal with the children's behavioral issues. These kids have been with us for two years. But as time progresses, dealing with the increasing behavioral stuff has begun to take too much from the other students.
It's not that we don't 'need' a specialist. We would love to have one on staff. Its that we can't afford it. We sometimes struggle to meet payroll as it is, and we only have a full time Rabbi, and part time Ed. Director and Office Administrator.
Another family whose children have special need have opted to bring their kids to a specialized Judaic program located closer to Boston (about 25 miles away). It is geared specifically for special needs.
Adelle
"News Admin" n...@news.demon.net
Some very good friends of mine were put through hell by teachers (particularly the head teacher) at their high functioning autistic child's Jewish school where they had to fight tooth and nail to get the care for their child that was need. They never got it. The school, well the head teacher, acted illegally and my friends at the end of their tether, gave up and moved to Israel, where the child is not doing brilliantly, has learned Ivrit in just a couple of years and caught up with his school work. They are all very happy with the treatment and care they have received from both the state and the religious authorities in Israel.
Fiona
"Susan Cohen" flav...@his.com
I tried to change the subject header enough so that I don't take away from the other problem.
"Adelle D. Stavis, Esq." <ade...@attbi.com> wrote in message ...
This reminds me of something I have been thinking about.
What is a good *Jewish* way of dealing with kids who are brats? (Saying mean things to other children, deliberately shunning kids so as to hurt their feelings, things like that) Susan
"Adelle D. Stavis, Esq." ade...@attbi.com
The Ed director is better at this than I am.
We had this problem with a kid whose family joined the congregation last year. Brilliant but emotionally problematic kid (oldest of the family about which I was referring before) who did scary and outrageous things to try to get attention, and thus 'impress' the extremely tight knit group in that cl***.
But we integrated the issue into cl***room discussion and tried to sneak it in to weekly lessons on the parasha, or other themes. The teachers worked hard at trying to promote mutual respect. We talked about 'kehillah,' what it means to be part of a community. What it means to be new to a community and how someone might try to integrate into an established and close knit group. We also talked about individual choices and how our own behavior might lead to negative impressions. Throughout we emphasized that in our community, we are menschlich. We do not tolerate cruelty. We act in respectful ways to one another, irrespective of our personal opinions, etc.
It worked on the kids whose families 'bought into' the approach. It did not catch on with the kids of the families who are not active in the school and just drop their kids off. Coincidence? I dunno.
Adelle
"Chano" ch...@blueyonder.co.uk
Get the parents to set a better example!
Chano
Joel Shurkin j...@nasw.org
We had a service at our C schul for girl with autism and the synagogue made every allowance possible to make sure she did well, even having her mother stand beside her as a coach when necessary. She goes to a school for disabled kids and many of her schoolmates came and were treated with great hospitality. The family thankfully provided boxes of Kleenex at the entrance because it was a two-hankie job if ever there was one. We have a girl with moderate learning disabilities coming up next year and we will do what we can to make sure she does well. Is there any other way?
J
"Creedmoor Chronicles" serjac...@yahoo.com
Tell them that since they are acting like Muslims, if they are boys, they will get another bris at 13, and if they are girls, threaten them w/female circumcision! That should stop them!
Ian, committed to never having children.
"Susan Cohen" flav...@his.com
Sure, I'll just wave my magic wand!
Susan
"Fiona" fi...@intxtdoc.nospam.demon.co.uk
And here's one reason why we should never give up on the autistic (on any level); according to Simon Baron-Cohen of Cambridge University, both Einstein and Newton were very probably autistic, both showing signs of Asperger Syndrome.
http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99993676 Shabbat Shalom :-) 88ii Fiona
Micha Berger mi...@aishdas.org
I like the lower case "i". I'm switching.
But unlike you, I got rid of the "88", with its confusion with antisemitic signatures.
:-)BBii
-mi
--
Micha Berger Today is the 15th day, which is mi...@aishdas.org 2 weeks and 1 day in/toward the omer.
http://www.aishdas.org Chesed sheb'Tifferes: What is the Chesed in Fax: (413) 403-9905 harmony?
"Rick Rubenstein" rrubenst...@mycomcast.com
So, basically, Robert posted an uplifting story about the effort of some caring Jews to find a place within Jewish ritual for some very challenged children in Israel.
Objecting parties found fault with the imprecise diagnosis, the emphasis, the tone and the "hubris" (I always thought the hubris had to wait at least 8 days) I have yet to find a single movement within Judaism that does not engage in shameless self-promotion, save the Creedmorer sect.
No doubt each one of those objections carries with it some validity.
No doubt we can each find something wonderful to say about fellow Jews, of any denomination, who give unselfishly of their time and effort to help fellow Jews, particularly children with challenges.
Wouldn't it be wonderful if the latter motivation came as easily, quickly, and naturally as the former.
I wish the Commandment, "Thou shalt not speak ill of a fellow Republican," so ***iduously followed in my childhood, applied with equal vigor to our people.
Ok. I'm done. Now attack me.
Sigh.
"Susan Cohen" flav...@his.com
I suppose what I meant was "what can I do to kids that *aren't* *mine*?" Susan
"Susan Cohen" flav...@his.com
[snip Josh's excellent medical advice] If the parents acknowledged at all that their children did these things, there might not be a problem in the first place, as the problems are merely those that can/should be solved with normal discipline. I wanted to know if there was a *Jewish* response to the problem, since it is happening in a Jewish school. I was specifically told that "answers in kind" only proliferate the behavior, but since none of remedies *they* provide have stopped it (such as asking the child directly why s/he does/says such things), I am looking for another.
Of course, the other major part of the problem is a universal. I was in public school when I was a child, and here is it (mumble) years later, & teachers are still denying that anything is really going on.
Susan
Joel Shurkin j...@nasw.org
I??ve had! No, it is not serious.
There is not the slightest scientific evidence to support the above and whoever the consulting editor of the Journal of Pediatric Endocrinology is, he or she ought to be ashamed of themselves.
Try a Medline search under ADHD and herring. Or is the the onions or bay leaves?
J
--
"Those are my principles. If you don't like them, I have others." Grouch Marx ? Joel Shurkin Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions Baltimore
bac ...@vms.huji.ac.il
Thank you for slandering me publicly.
Here are some MEDLINE abstracts: 1: Pharmacol Res 1999 Sep;40(3):211-25 Health benefits of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) Horrocks LA, Yeo YK.
Docosa Foods Ltd, 1275 Kinnear Road, Columbus, OH 43212-1155, USA, Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is essential for the growth and functional development of the brain in infants. DHA is also required for maintenance of normal brain function in adults.
The inclusion of plentiful DHA in the diet improves learning ability, whereas deficiencies of DHA are ***ociated with deficits in learning. DHA is taken up by the brain in preference to other fatty acids. The turnover of DHA in the brain is very fast, more so than is generally realized. The visual acuity of healthy, full-term, formula-fed infants is increased when their formula includes DHA. During the last 50 years, many infants have been fed formula diets lacking DHA and other omega-3 fatty acids. DHA deficiencies are ***ociated with foetal alcohol syndrome, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, cystic fibrosis, phenylketonuria, unipolar depression, aggressive hostility, and adrenoleukodystrophy.
Decreases in DHA in the brain are ***ociated with cognitive decline during aging and with onset of sporadic Alzheimer disease. The leading cause of death in western nations is cardiovascular disease. Epidemiological studies have shown a strong correlation between fish consumption and reduction in sudden death from myocardial infarction. The reduction is approximately 50% with 200 mg day(-1)of DHA from fish. DHA is the active component in fish. Not only does fish oil reduce triglycerides in the blood and decrease thrombosis, but it also prevents cardiac arrhythmias. The ***ociation of DHA deficiency with depression is the reason for the robust positive correlation between depression and myocardial infarction.
Patients with cardiovascular disease or Type II diabetes are often advised to adopt a low-fat diet with a high proportion of carbohydrate. A study with women shows that this type of diet increases plasma triglycerides and the severity of Type II diabetes and coronary heart disease. DHA is present in fatty fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel) and mother's milk. DHA is present at low levels in meat and eggs, but is not usually present in infant formulas. EPA, another long-chain n-3 fatty acid, is also present in fatty fish. The shorter chain n-3 fatty acid, alpha-linolenic acid, is not converted very well to DHA in man.
These longchain n-3 fatty acids (also known as omega-3 fatty acids) are now becoming available in some foods, especially infant formula and eggs in Europe and Japan. Fish oil decreases the proliferation of tumour cells, whereas arachidonic acid, a longchain n-6 fatty acid, increases their proliferation. These opposite effects are also seen with inflammation, particularly with rheumatoid arthritis, and with asthma. DHA has a positive effect on diseases such as hypertension, arthritis, atherosclerosis, depression, adult-onset diabetes mellitus, myocardial infarction, thrombosis, and some cancers. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.
Am J Clin Nutr 2000 Jan;71(1 Suppl):323S-6S Dark adaptation, motor skills, docosahexaenoic acid, and dyslexia.
Stordy BJ.
School of Biological Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, United Kingdom. Jac...@sjnc.freeserve.co.uk Dyslexia is a widespread condition characterized by difficulty with learning and movement skills. It is frequently comorbid with dyspraxia (developmental coordination disorder), the chief characteristic of which is impaired movement skills, indicating that there may be some common biological basis to the conditions. Visual and central processing deficits have been found. The long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs) are important components of retinal and brain membranes. In the preliminary studies reported here, dark adaptation was shown to be impaired in 10 dyslexic young adults when compared with a similar control group (P < 0.05, repeated-measures analysis of variance); dark adaptation improved in 5 dyslexia patients after supplementation with a docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)-rich fish oil for 1 mo (P < 0.05, paired t test on final rod threshold); and movement skills in a group of 15 dyspraxic children improved after 4 mo of supplementation with a mixture of high-DHA fish oil, evening primrose oil, and thyme oil (P < 0.007 for manual dexterity, P < 0.02 for ball skills, and P < 0.03 for static and dynamic balance; paired t tests). The studies were small and had designs that did not allow firm conclusions to be made. However, when considered with other evidence from another closely related condition, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, for which reduced ability to elongate and desaturate the essential fatty acids linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid to arachidonic acid and DHA, respectively, has been proposed, the studies suggest that more research, including double-blind, placebo-controlled studies, would be useful to clarify the benefits of LCPUFAs in dyslexia and other closely related conditions.
Am J Clin Nutr 1995 Oct;62(4):761-8 Essential fatty acid metabolism in boys with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Stevens LJ, Zentall SS, Deck JL, Abate ML, Watkins BA, Lipp SR, Burgess JR.
Department of Foods and Nutrition, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907-1264, USA.
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the term used to describe children who are inattentive, impulsive, and hyperactive. The cause is unknown and is thought to be multifactorial. Based on the work of others, we hypothesized that some children with ADHD have altered fatty acid metabolism. The present study found that 53 subjects with ADHD had significantly lower concentrations of key fatty acids in the plasma polar lipids (20:4n-6, 20:5n-3, and 22:6n-3) and in red blood cell total lipids (20:4n-6 and 22:4n-6) than did the 43 control subjects. Also, a subgroup of 21 subjects with ADHD exhibiting many symptoms of essential fatty acid (EFA) deficiency had significantly lower plasma concentrations of 20:4n-6 and 22:6n-3 than did 32 subjects with ADHD with few EFA-deficiency symptoms. The data are discussed with respect to cause, but the precise reason for lower fatty acid concentrations in some children with ADHD is not clear.
Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids 2000 Jul-Aug;63(1-2):79-87 The potential role of fatty acids in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
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mos ...@mm.huji.ac.il
I can verify that in Isreal, "special education" is given much attention and support. My youngest daughter is a special ed teacher so I hear about many of her "successes". When there is a strike in Israeli schools (which happens much too often) an exception is always made for special ed.
Moshe Schorr It is a tremendous Mitzvah to always be happy! - Reb Nachman of Breslov May Eliyahu Chayim ben Sarah Henna (Eliot Shimoff) have a refuah Shlaima.
May Mikhah Shemu'el ben Lei'ah Yesharah (Michah Berger) have 1 2!
mos ...@mm.huji.ac.il
I won't attack you. I'm just "kvelling" that my use of the word "sigh", has made it into SCJM jargon!
Moshe Schorr It is a tremendous Mitzvah to always be happy! - Reb Nachman of Breslov May Eliyahu Chayim ben Sarah Henna (Eliot Shimoff) have a refuah Shlaima.
May Mikhah Shemu'el ben Lei'ah Yesharah (Michah Berger) have 1 2!
mos ...@mm.huji.ac.il
So what? Joel Got a Pulitzer prize for reporting. Or _knows_ somebody who got a Puitzer prize for reporing. So obviously Joel knows all that can be known about medicine. Simple, isn't it?
Moshe Schorr It is a tremendous Mitzvah to always be happy! - Reb Nachman of Breslov May Eliyahu Chayim ben Sarah Henna (Eliot Shimoff) have a refuah Shlaima.
May Mikhah Shemu'el ben Lei'ah Yesharah (Michah Berger) have 1 2!
"Rick Rubenstein" rrubenst...@mycomcast.com
I hate to disappoint you, but I was using the "sigh" expression on rec.music.artists.springsteen years before I knew there WAS a SCJM.
Joel Shurkin j...@nasw.org
By coincidence, I just finished editing the ADHD section in a database for the dean of Johns Hopkins Medicine (my job) and just spent a great deal of time looking at treatments, good ones and quackery. As I apparently have a minor case of ADHD, I was more than a little interested.
The U.S. National Institute of Mental Health (NIH) and the psychiatry department of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, which apparently haven?’t lost their critical faculties, disagrees with you and do not believe there is sufficient scientific evidence to support your suggestion to treat ADHD. They have nothing against herrings per se.
Those interested in a lay description of ADHD and what works and doesn??t work can go see http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/adhd.cfm#adhd10 If you find herrings, let me know. It??s NIMH??s site on the web.
Another excellent resource is CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) which gives a really good description of how to ***ess suggestions for treatments for ADHD. See http://www.chadd.org/fs/fs6.htm They seem unimpressed as well.
You may have the last word. We can then return to the subject of this list serve and you can stop practicing medicine on line for patients you have never seen.
Joel, who edits the database at a medical school.
j
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"Those are my principles. If you don't like them, I have others." Grouch Marx ? Joel Shurkin Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions Baltimore
talq ...@aol.com (Talqcom)
Or their stuffiness, bias and general nonreceptiveness to anything not official, They do have something against individuality, though. Ask Thomas Szasz.
He's not. You should stop exaggerating like a bush league Philadephia lawyer.
And it wouldn't hurt to stop tooting your horn. We're not first generation immigrants. We all went to school.
Ray
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