ADHD or Trauma?

Diagnosis: ADHD—or Is It Trauma?
"Though we tend to think of traumatic experiences as rare, in fact, by age 16, seven of 10 children have been exposed to at least one potentially traumatic event—such as a natural disaster, severe car accident, child abuse or the loss of close family member—according to a study of a representative sample of more than 1,400 children living in North Carolina published in 2007."

This article discusses the symptoms of trauma and how they are similar to ADHD or ADD, and so are often mistaken by pediatricians who don't have sufficient training, or who haven't received the information they need to do a proper screening for the REAL cause of the behavioral issues.

This is an area where the parents and care-givers need to be observant and stay attuned to their children: if you see a change in how your child behaves, such as nervousness, a strong startle response, increased aggressive behavior which seems out of character - then you need to look around at the people and circumstances of your child's environment and see if you can find some clues, and you need to get your kid screened by a professional. There are a lot of great child psychologists out there, and a lot of insurance companies cover a certain number of visits per year, especially when you have behavioral disruptions. Many of these psychologists and counselors are available through school districts.

Remember, younger kids have 'magical thinking'. If abuse starts before the kids are more logical thinkers, then they probably assume that you know about it, or that you can pick up on the tiny little clues that they drop, which are often disguised as erratic behavior.

Talk to your kids, follow up on random statements, and don't let erratic or unusual behavior go un-discussed and dealt with.

Washington update for June

Member Update for June, 2008
Hello Everyone!
We've had a lot happen in the last 4-6 weeks.

• Welcome to Colorado, our newest chapter. Jane from California forwarded us a news story about a man in Western Colorado who needed some help, and a few days later Jason started the process to create a chapter. Really nice people, and already getting a lot done. If you have relatives for friends in Colorado, let them know they have a resource for safety education and advocacy.


• Safe Child Week was a great success. Regional Library systems, the Attorney General's Office, the Governor, the Legislature, the PTA, several pediatric clinics, Moms' clubs, PEACE of Mind... all told, we reached approximately 30,000 people with the message of preventative safety education, using the Take 25 program from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. And that's not counting the people reached with media coverage! Tremendous thanks to everyone who participated, and -if you missed the chance- there is more coming up with the Safe Child Effort:


• Town Hall meetings are scheduled in 7 Legislative Districts so far, starting in September. These Town Halls are in further observance of Missing Children's Day, and will cover children's safety issues and crime prevention. Local legislators and elected officials, local law enforcement, and experts in crime prevention will be attending as speakers and for Q&A. If you would like to participate in this effort, or would like more information, please contact us.


• Our agenda for 2008-09 is on the website. Our focus this year is on the Safe Child project, Increased Penalties in School Zone legislation, Statute of Limitations on Felony crimes committed against kids, and Predatory Exposure.


• Paula is going on hiatus for the rest of the year. We wouldn't be here without her dedication and hard work: she spent hundreds of hours getting this non-profit up off the ground, offering support, driving to Olympia to testify, etc., and all the while being a great parent and finding success in her demanding career.
  
  This leaves an opening in our organization for a Director. It's an unpaid position, and time commitments range from 10-30 hours per week. Higher-level project management skills are necessary, along with some experience in, or knowledge of, law enforcement, social work, legislation, or fund raising. If you're interested, send in your resume and cover letter.

Enjoy your summer, and keep safe! Here are Summer Safety Rules from NCMEC - a very good read. Print the .pdf and talk to your kids about it.

Washington update for May

May 06, 2008
Safe Child Week Update
For Immediate Release:

National Missing Children's Day is on May 25. This is the 26th National Missing Children's Day, which was first proclaimed by President Reagan in observance of the disappearance of a young boy in New York, and in observance of the thousands of children that are abducted in the US every year.

Washington Communities Against Predators, and Washington State, are observing National Missing Children's Day with the creation of Safe Child Week, which will occur May 19-25.

Safe Child Week is a week of prevention education across Washington State, working with the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children's Take 25 program. Our goal is that Take 25's common-sense and non-scary message will reach every single care-giver and parent in Washington State.

We're off to a great start.

The Governor's Office, Attorney General's Office, the State Senate, the PTA, the Association of Washington Cities, several of the regional library systems, Moms' Clubs of Washington, a number of hospitals, Safe Streets and other community based organizations, have all signed on to raise awareness, educate, and empower communities, families, and children.

But will it be enough? In 2006, 58,000 children were abducted by non-family members. 67% of reported sex crimes were committed against children under 18, 33% were committed upon children under 12. 14% of all reported sex crimes were committed upon children under 6 years old. And that's the crimes that were reported. Law enforcement indicate that a large number of these crimes go unreported as the criminal is in a position of authority over the child.

The effects of this type and amount of child victimization are felt by the family, the community, and society. We would ask that society 'Take 25' to realize that it is a serious risk to society: 33% of girls, and 20% of boys will experience sexual assault as children, and the damage will be lasting.

We can prevent it, and Safe Child Week, with Take 25, is a solid step in that direction.