Franklin SEPAC Monthly Meeting – November 18, 2009

The Franklin Special Education Parent’s Advisory Council (SEPAC) had our third monthly meeting on November 18, 2009 in the 3^rd floor training room at Franklin’s Municipal Building.  The SEPAC President, Sharon Miller called the meeting to order at 7:04 PM.   There were 15 people in attendance in addition to the 4 officers and speaker. 

Introduction of Officers:

President: Sharon Miller

Vice President: Sarah Montani

Treasurer: Nicole Corliss-Williams

Secretary: Sara Madden

Parent to Parent Meetings:

Our next Parent to Parent meeting is Tuesday, November 24^th at 9:30 at the Franklin Panera Bread.  Terri Morgan will be there to help answer any questions you have in a more 1:1 social environment.  These meetings are great way for parents to support each other and a way to see that they are not alone.

Challenger League Basketball:

Sara Madden discussed the challenger league sports.  The Basketball season starts Saturday, November 28^th and runs from 5:00-6:00.  This is located in the Horace Man Blue Gym.  The basketball season runs till March 6^th.  This is FREE!  There will be a half court basketball game going on for the older kids and the other half will have 6’ high baskets & coaches to help teach basketball.  For more information, please see their website at www.franklincl.com.

Fundraising

Sarah Montani discussed our Comedy Night Fundraiser that was on Friday, November 13^th.  It was a huge success!!  After costs we raised a profit of $4343.28!!!  We are penciled in to do this event again next year on November 12^th.  We all want to thank Sarah Montani and the fundraising committee of Sharon Miller, Nicole Corliss-Williams, Sara Madden, John Forte, Ariel Doggett and Paul Montani for their hard work over the last few months with this event.  If anyone is interested in helping out next year, please contact Sarah Montani at FranklinSEPAC@gmail.com.

One of our sponsors from our fundraiser, Supahfans.com is offering Free Shipping and a 10% donation of your full purchase price to Franklin SEPAC!!!  Offer is good through Dec 20th with coupon code SEPAC!  Let's all plan some holiday shopping with SupahFans.com!!!!

Speaker:

Our speaker was Meghan Welsh, M.S., Director of Counseling at the Integrated Center for Child Development in Canton, MA. You can contact them at WWW.iccdpartners.org or 781-619-1580.  Her topic was Emotional Difficulties in Childhood and Adolescence.

Summation from her hand out:

Diagnosis such as “depression,” “bipolar disorder,” and “anxiety” are becoming increasingly common among children and teenagers.  These orders can manifest in very different ways, across different individuals and across different ages and stages of development.  They can also be accompanied by difficulties that affect other domains of functioning, including social problems and learning issues. 

Mood Disorders are disorders in which there is a disturbance in a child’s mood and overall presentation.  Depression is a common term used for children who present as sad, irritable, withdrawn, lethargic, and unmotivated.  In children and adolescents, irritability shows up in forms of tantrums, outbursts, frustration, and anger.  Children and adolescents with depression also typically present with a change in appetite/weight, disturbances in sleep, decreased energy, feelings of worthlessness, and trouble concentrating on tasks that they used to be ably to focus on.  Often have a hard time expressing how they are feeling and pinpointing what is making them feel different.  In children, somatic complaints are often reported as stomach ache, head ache, or body ache instead of feelings of sadness.  More often than not, depression in children and adolescents occurs in conjunction with disorders such as ADHD and anxiety disorders in younger children and ADHD, anxiety, eating disorders, and substance related disorders in adolescents.

Another type of mood disorder is Bipolar Disorder.  They have the above symptoms of depression, but also episodes of high energy, lack of sleep, and a persistently elevated or irritable mood.  Thoughts race, words come out quickly and pressured, distractibility is present, as are tantrums and outbursts.  (One minute is fine, the next not.)

Children and adolescents present somewhat differently than adults when it comes to Anxiety.  Most children don’t have the ability to communicate in words when they are feeling anxious about a situation, so instead, they show you in every other way possible.  More often than not, anxiety manifests in the form of somatic complaints, perfectionist behaviors, excessive dissatisfaction, and poor self esteem.  They are often constantly seeking approval, are unsure of themselves, and rarely are happy with the final product.  Their anxiety may also be related to a specific event, such as being away from a caregiver, being around strangers, or academic/social/athletic abilities and performance.  Adolescents are much more capable of matching words with their feelings and therefore can express when they feel anxiety so the negative behaviors come mostly when the anxiety is not being fully managed.  Anxiety becomes an issue when it is not being managed and therefore interferes with the individual’s level of functioning.

Treatment for anxiety disorders typically includes psychotherapy, most specifically cognitive behavior therapy.  This consists of anxiety rating scales, self soothing techniques, calming sequences, the teaching of self talk, and certain other techniques to help manage the feelings and behaviors.

Attention Deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD/ADD) is a commonly diagnosed disability typically first notices in childhood or early adolescence.   Common characteristic include inattention, impulsiveness, excessive energy, irritability, and an inability to control one’s behaviors.  Impulsivity is a large part of ADHD, and often effects a child’s social interactions, thus causing them to present with less developed social skills.  They often have issues with executive function, so they have trouble keeping organized, putting their thoughts down on paper, and, especially when younger, controlling their body movements.  Some also experience OT issues.

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, including PDD NOS and Asperger’s typically have traits of mood, anxiety, and ADHD.  Certain medications that help treat the emotional difficulties of a spectrum disorder are typically prescribed to children with this kind of diagnosis and are more often than not used in conjunction with ABA or individual therapy. 

How do you know the difference?  It is hard to determine if a child or adolescent has one of these disorders or a combination of a few of them.  At times it is difficult to know which disorder a child has due to the overlap in numerous symptoms.

Treatment of the disorders and difficulties typically involves testing and individual therapy (CBT) as well as behavior modification plans, medication management, family therapy, and a team of people ready and willing to come together to brainstorm other possible ideas.  Neuropsychological testing is often performed to get a better idea of where the child in functioning and what treatments should be put in place.  Some areas of treatment are Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Therapy, Medication, Diets, and Biofeedback.  Meditation, karate, and Yoga are 3 other popular treatments/therapies for children and adolescents with emotional difficulties.

Book Recommendations:

When you Worry About the Child You Love: Emotional and Learning Problems in Children By, Edward Hallowell

After the Tears: Parents Talk About Raising a Child With a Disability By, Robin Simons

Discipline That Works: 5 Simple Steps By, Joyce Divinyi

The Child with Special Needs; Encouraging Intellectual and Emotional Growth By Stanley I. Greenspan, M.D. and Serena Weider, PhD.

Don’t Swear with Your Mouth Full!  When Conventional Discipline Fails Unconventional Children  By Cary S. Chugh

There will be no December Meeting/Speaker due to the Holidays.  Our next meeting is Wednesday, January 27, 2010 which will be a MCAS Workshop.

Respectfully submitted,
Sara Madden