According to a national survey conducted in 2012 by The Partnership at Drugfree.org and the MetLife Foundation, 24% of high-school students—approximately 5 million teens—have abused prescription medications. The figure represents a staggering 33% increase from the previous survey conducted in 2008. Of those who admitted using prescription medications without a prescription 20% claimed their first experience occurred before age 14.

 Misinformation & Misperceptions

Experts speculate that the problem stems largely from misconceptions about the dangers associated with prescription drug misuse. The survey showed that 20% of teens who abused medications believed that prescription drugs were safer than “street drugs.”

An alarming number of parents surveyed shared this misperception, while nearly one-third also bought into the notion that Ritalin and Adderall improve school performance even if the child does not have ADHD.

In a recent HealthDay article about the survey results, Partnership president and CEO Steve Pasierb noted:

The key here is that kids and often their parents are buying into the myth and misunderstanding that prescription drug abuse is a safer way to get high, a safer alternative to street drugs, and that they can control it. And it’s very important to note that, on this, kids and parents are in the same place. Kids say that they don’t think that their parents are going to be upset if they know about this, and parents are essentially saying the same thing. Now, if cocaine or heroin use was going up the way prescription drug use is parents would certainly be freaking out. And they should be now, because prescription drug abuse is no better.”

Addressing the Problem Begins At Home

Given that more than half the prescription medications that teens abuse come from their family’s medicine cabinet, the role of parents is clear: Says Pasierb, “Parents need to intervene. They need to control supply and demand by locking up their medicine cabinets and throwing out old expired drugs. And they need to constantly weight in, starting at a very young age…They need to tell their child about the risks, and make clear how upset they will be if their child abuses these drugs.”

The new service, appoLearning, allows users to search for apps using a common-sense approach—something that’s been conspicuously missing from the educational app world to date. Now, instead of scrolling through an endless swath of “educational apps,” users can search according to category (e.g. reading, life science, social interactions, etc.) and by stages (e.g. Early Childhood, Middle School, etc.).

Quality Counts

To ensure that quality apps rise to the top, reviewers rank each app according to uniform criteria designed by Appolicious. As explained in the TechCrunch article, here’s what happens when you look for Physical Science apps for Middle Schoolers:

Within a section, a selection of five apps are shown, each rated on a scale out of 100. These are meant to represent the five best applications within that particular category, as chosen by an educational expert whose bio appears on the site, detailing their experience. This section also includes an explanation about why these apps and the skills they teach are important, also written by the educator.

As with many entrepreneurial ventures, this one came about when Alan Warms, the founder of Appolicious, wanted to find apps for his seventh-grade daughter. “I wanted to find an app for her that would help her practice fractions, decimals, and reciprocals. It was a horrific experience,” Warms told TechCrunch, referring to how difficult it was to find the quality apps.

App development is like the Wild West, with rules and practices being forged reactively leaving the end user to muddle through a chaotic experience. But if appoLearning is as good as it sounds, parents and teachers alike will be flocking to it, grateful for an orderly experience in an otherwise chaotic environment.

Another $236 million is requested for Special Education technical assistance, training, dissemination and other activities to assist states, local districts, and parents to improve the results for children with disabilities.

Education Priorities

Under the 2014 proposal, the Department of Education has prioritized six areas on which to focus: Early childhood education for all; K-12 teacher and learning improvements; school safety; career-readiness; postsecondary education affordability and quality improvements; and Ladders of Opportunity, which is an initiative aimed at high-poverty communities.

To learn more about the President’s Education Budget proposal, see Fiscal Year 2014 Budget Summary and Background Information

The proposed accommodations are now available in full draft format, and are open for public comment.

A recent article in Education Week summarizes the suggested changes:

The manual outlines five categories of accommodations available to students with disabilities intended to provide “equitable access” to the tests:

• Presentation accommodations include allowable changes in the method or format in which the test or test questions are provided to the student. These may include, for example, the use of Braille or sign interpretation of test items.
• Response accommodations include allowable changes in the method used by the student to provide responses to test questions. These may include dictating responses to a scribe or using a Braille note-taker.
• Timing and scheduling accommodations include extending the duration of time allowed for testing, allowing a student to take frequent breaks, or [allowing a student] to take the test at a certain time of day.
• Setting accommodations include changes to the location or conditions in which the test is administered, including separate location or group size.
• Special-access accommodations include accommodations that expand access to the test for a small number of students with disabilities in the areas of reading, writing, and calculating who require additional supports and meet certain criteria, as noted by the IEP/504 plan teams.

There are also a number of universal design elements and accessibility features that will be available to all students, either by the student’s choice or at the discretion of a school. Those features include computerized pop-up glossaries, spell-checkers, or magnification.

Test Changes

The changes are an attempt to streamline the number of accommodations currently offered to students with LD and other disabilities and English-language learners. While cutting back on the increasing number of accommodations being offered—some experts suggest as many as 100 different accommodations are available nationwide— test developers are working to ensure that the assessments are designed to be accessible to as many students as possible regardless of their learning profiles.

But some disability advocates are concerned that before limiting accommodations, test developers should figure out if particular accommodations impact the test results. If not, the implication is, why should they be limited.

Take Action

To learn more about the proposed test accommodation changes access the PARCC Accommodations Manual and Frequently Asked Questions.

You can also weigh in with the developers who are accepting comments from the public until 5 p.m. on May 13^th by accessing Public Feedback on PARCC’s Draft Accommodations Manual

A new study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health found that the more a family eats together, the greater emotional well-being adolescents have. As noted in an article about the study in USA Today, “With each additional dinner, researchers found fewer emotional and behavioral problems, greater emotional well-being, more trusting and helpful behaviors toward others and higher life satisfaction, regardless of gender, age or family economics.”

The new findings are based on a correlation study that included more than 26,000 Canadian adolescents. Participants, ages 11 to 15, were asked how often they ate dinner with their family, and how well they communicate with their parents. They were then asked to evaluated their emotions, behaviors, and life satisfaction.

Association—Not Causation

Study co-author Frank Elgar, an associate professor of  psychiatry at McGill University, is quick clarify that these findings do not suggest a cause-effect relationship. “We don’t know if family dinners contribute to mental health, or if mental health and other behavioral problems cause some teenagers to avoid the family dinner.”

What we do know is that this research supports many—but not all—earlier studies that have found a similar correlation between children’s emotional well-being and spending family time together around the dinner table. The USA Today article cites the work of James White, a British researcher whose studies found that “frequent family meals and a positive atmosphere at the dinners are associated with lower risks of smoking, binge drinking and drunkenness.”

Why this is the case is not known though some experts speculate the ritual itself might be important. Says Sharon Fruh, an associate professor of nursing and researcher in the field, “Rituals are very important to everyone—especially children. They provide security and structure and they give a sense of belonging.” But, as Fruh notes, not all family dinner experiences are equal: “What researchers are encouraging is turn off all the electronics and not just the television. There have been quite a few studies that found the more distractions, the less beneficial the communication around the table.”

A greater percentage of students with learning disabilities are enrolled in two-year colleges than they are at four-year colleges. There’s no mystery to their allure:

• Community colleges have an open-admissions policy; anyone with a high-school diploma or GED may attend regardless of academic history.
• SAT and ACT exams are not required.
• Remedial classes are offered.
• Classes are often capped at around 25 students.
• Parents can continue to oversee teens not yet ready for a residential college experience.
• Community colleges offer certificate programs in various trades, as well as transferrable Associate degrees.
• Tuition at community college, subsidized by the state and often the county, is affordable.

Contrary Opinion

Having been on the inside for 13 years—as a Learning Specialist and adjunct instructor at a highly regarded community college in Pennsylvania—I’ve come to see these two-year colleges in a different light: I now view them as “failure tanks”—particularly for students with learning disabilities. Here’s why:

• While open enrollment does provide a fresh start, community college often attracts unmotivated students who attend by default. Unable to find full-time employment, they give college a shot, with no particular goal in mind. Without something to work toward, they drift aimlessly and apathetically, infecting classrooms with ennui as if it’s an airborne virus.
• Students attracted to community college because admission exams aren’t required either did poorly on them or never took them because college wasn’t in their plans. The former often have learning disabilities (diagnosed and not), while the latter are usually slackers. 
• One would think that because students with LD often graduate high school under-prepared for college-level work, they would benefit from remedial classes. However, it’s difficult to become proficient with 12 years worth of grammar and math concepts in a 15-week semester. The failure rate for these classes is exceedingly high.
• Small classes are a good thing. But there’s no benefit to them when students sit as far back as possible, slumping in their chairs, avoiding eye contact, and seeking little engagement with the instructor. (There’s that contagious apathy again.)
• Among students with LD, especially those with college-educated parents, trade programs still carry a stigma. These kids aim instead for a transferrable Associates Degree, yet are unable to attain it because of one or more factors:

-       They choose to be anonymous by not disclosing their disability to the college, thereby foregoing accommodations they relied on in high school.

-       They lack the study skills required for college-level work.

-       Community colleges don’t provide the level of support or appropriate personnel for students with LD to succeed.

• Because tuition at community college is considerably more affordable, parents consider it low cost/low risk. Students feel it’s a non-issue if they fail a course. I wish I could tell you how often I’ve heard students say, “It’s no big deal… my parents will just pay for it again.”

Few Winners

Some highly motivated students with LD find a way to rise above the malaise and chart a path to success—most likely with the consistent help of a private outside learning specialist or tutor. And to be sure, some community colleges are more  “disability-friendly” than others. By law, all must offer accommodations to qualified students who submit documentation. Some offer “services,” usually in the form of group or peer tutoring specifically for this cohort. Be forewarned, however, that these services are free of charge—and you get what you pay for. As a result, most community college students with LD find themselves in an environment more conducive to failure than success.

And when students fail, everyone loses: After years of struggling academically, students come away suffering yet another blow to their self-esteem; discouraged parents are left to pick up the pieces, and often pay the bill with nothing to show for it; even society pays a price when taxpayer dollars are wasted and young adults without college degrees are relegated to low-paying jobs, often with loans to repay. Worst of all, some discouraged teens turn to illegal activities as a means of support

Community college for students with LD?  In my opinion—not a good option.

Joan M. Azarva runs Conquer College with LD, a website for parents of college-bound students with learning differences. She also has a private practice in the Philadelphia suburbs that focuses on students making a successful transition from high school to college.

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In our family room during my high school senior year, there was a pile of college handbooks and brochures several feet high. I diligently researched and then narrowed my choices to 13 schools—10 “highly selective” colleges that admit less than 15% of applicants plus 3 “safety schools” in case my top 10 didn’t work out.  I made sure that all of those schools had good LD support programs.

Because my top-choice schools were far away, I decided to wait until I knew where I was accepted before I visited. I was accepted at five of my top schools, so now I had to decide which “Admitted Students Days” I could attend in the four weeks before the acceptance deadline.

Here’s where I made my first mistake.  I was sick of my snowy hometown, so I chose the school with the best weather for my first visit.

Once I saw that campus glowing in sunshine, it was all over. I crossed the other schools off my list without a look.

At this point, I am sure that my Mom would want me to mention that she didn’t go along with my decision because the campus was pretty. I attended two classes and reported back to Mom that the classes were small and the professors were interesting. We also had a meeting to check out the services for LD students. What I didn’t tell Mom (second mistake) was that the students at this school were not very friendly. When I asked for directions, I received awkward stares and uncomfortable, mumbled answers. This campus was sunny, but the students were not.

Before you judge me for judging, I can tell you that I have now visited dozens of college campuses as a member of a college team, and my school still stands out for having a much higher number of unusual types. I am not talking about piercings, tattoos or combat boots, because those are all normal college sights. I mean staring at the ground, dressing completely in  black, and carrying Pokemon backpacks. While those are perfectly valid social and fashion choices, they are not the people I hang with. I am proud to say that my college is a haven for a large number of students who were left out in high school, but that reality means there is a much smaller pool of potential friends for me.

Bottom Line

The Mistakes:  Liking one terrific aspect of a college so much that I ignored many of the other equally important areas. Keeping my concerns to myself, instead of sharing them with my family.

The Solution: I joined a team on campus where I have made some good friends. And I have asked them to introduce me to some of their new friends, too. It took a lot more time and effort than I expected.

How to Avoid this Situation: 

1. Visit many schools, and don’t choose a school because the campus is gorgeous.
2. Be honest with your family. You need help making such an important decision, so share all of your reactions so they can give some badly needed perspective.

An alarmingly high proportion of teens are currently on a path that may lead to heart disease. This was a key finding from a comprehensive five-year national assessment of teen health. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES), found that a “disconcertingly high” rate of poor eating habits and inadequate physical activity “may contribute to unacceptably high rates of adult-onset cardiovascular disease.”

According to an article in the Los Angeles Times, the results of the NHANES Survey clearly show that poor eating and exercise habits established in childhood can “powerfully redirect” an individual’s health in adulthood: 

In children as young as 6 years old who died of causes not related to heart disease, pathologists have detected fatty streaks in the large arteries in autopsies. By early adulthood, atherosclerosis–a narrowing of the arteries with fatty build-up–begins to turn into calcified coronary plaque. And by middle age, heart disease can be at an advanced stage.

Move-More Strategies

For parents who struggle to find exercise options for their children with LD and ADHD, experts suggest the following strategies:

• Forgo team sports for individual sports (e.g. swimming, diving, martial arts, etc.)
• Select activities appropriate for your child’s emotional development
• Consider one-on-one coaching
• Find ways to modify training and activities to keep your child engaged

In reaction to the growing number of test accommodations being used by students with LD and English-language learners in public schools today—some experts estimated up to 100 different accommodations—designers of the new assessments are hoping to curb the need for many of the special accommodations now requested.

As explained in an article in Education Week:

Test developers are aiming not only to streamline the types of testing supports offered to special education students and English-language learners, but also to make sure the tests are designed to be as broadly accessible as possible to all students, regardless of their profiles.

Daunting Task

Because states do not have consistent policies regarding test accommodations, a patchwork of supports exists throughout the country, including reading questions aloud, reading directions aloud, and allowing the use of dictionaries to name a few. The challenge is in reaching consensus among the 22 states involved in the development of the Common Core Standards, and the 24 states working on the assessments.

We’ll all be a lot smarter when both groups release details of their policies in the coming weeks. Stay tuned.

In numerical terms, the CDC’s new figures indicate that 6.4 million children, ages 4-17 have been diagnosed with ADHD, which is a 41% increase over the past 10 years.

These figures fuel increasing concerns among experts that ADHD is being overdiagnosed and children are being medicated for a condition they do not have. “Those are astronomical numbers. I’m floored,” Dr. William Graf told a New York Times reporter. Graf is a pediatric neurologist in New Haven and a professor at the Yale School of Medicine. “Mild symptoms are being diagnosed so readily, which goes well beyond the disorder and beyond the zone of ambiguity to pure enhancement of children who are otherwise healthy.”

The CDC’s ADHD findings are part of a large government study of children’s health, involving interviews with more than 76,000 parents nationwide.

While some doctors and advocates applaud the findings as evidence that ADHD is finally being recognized and addressed by parents, medical professionals, and schools, many others are concerned by the increase as noted in The NYT article:

Experts cited several factors in the rising rates. Some doctors are hastily viewing any complaints of inattention as full-blown A.D.H.D., they said, while pharmaceutical advertising emphasizes how medication can substantially improve a child’s life. Moreover, they said, some parents are pressuring doctors to help with their children’s troublesome behavior and slipping grades.

“There’s a tremendous push where if the kid’s behavior is thought to be quote-unquote abnormal — if they’re not sitting quietly at their desk — that’s pathological, instead of just childhood,” said Dr. Jerome Groopman, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and the author of How Doctors Think.

To learn more about the CDC study results see ADHD Seen in 11% of U.S. Children as Diagnoses Rise.