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at times but damaging when used pervasively.
The demand for specificity in the knowledge in school communities. These tal disorder may certainly need treatment, kids often suffer the stigma of the label but that’s not the point. It’s how these kids among teachers, counselors, other students and behavioral health in recent years, and these kids as “eccentric.” That implies researchers continue to tell us more. Most ten overlook the child’s many mainstream clinical terms such as “ADHD,” “anxi- ety disorder” and “developmental disor- are the authors of Quirky Kids: Under- standing and Helping Your Child Who Doesn’t Fit In — When to Worry and When Not to Worry (available at book- least so specifically and clinically. While public’s attention in major news media.
and behavioral problems as “different,” “quirky” or “eccentric.” A May 2004 Newsweek article (“Why Don’t We Call Klass said in the Newsweek article.
sity School of Medicine pediatrician Perri Klass: “The terminology has real value, on learning problems, said clinical labels but it is also terrifying” to parents and young person in school and socially.
edges that young people with clinical di- Calling All Adults: What’s Your Grade on Teen Activism Alcohol and Drug Prevention? social ills it’s that these issues are driv- ing teens to activism to combat them.
eral issues, asking them to grade adults’ ing a quality education, creating job op- were meted out for really listening to and Beach, Calif., 15 teenagers went to a townmeeting with an 8-foot high plastic tubefilled with cigarette butts collected from beaches to underscore their support of asmoking ban on area beaches.
complacent and unengaged,” said Kelly.
“They want the world to know they are a vention (CDC) report revealed that be-tween 1997 and 2002, a total of 2,335 were riding with a driver who had beendrinking.
1270 Rankin Dr., Suite FTroy, Michigan 48083-2843 Wendy Hamilton. “It must not be tolerated.” Editor: Susan HipsleyGraphic Designer: Barbara Kubert Please send suggestions or contributions to the port: Every Child Deserves a Designated editor at the above address or through your student Driver calls for stricter enforcement of HELPING HAND is published monthly (September-May) to provide timely information to readers; its contents are not intended as advice for individual problems. Editorial material is to be used at thediscretion of the reader and does not imply endorse- ment by the owner, publisher, editor, or distributors.
tered on the question, “What is the best tions from the National Institute of Men- • After a 16-year-old Ohio boy died from mixing Ritalin and inhalants, statehealth officials issued a public healthwarning. It’s one that could be useful in all states. Inhalants are most com-monly used among middle school and early high school-age students. Thisage group also has a higher concentra- that increase. At the same time, the num- scribed Ritalin use as well as abuse.
ing to a new study by the Centers for Dis- with a firearm tripled, even as the total number of murders remained constant.
ers, that suicide is linked to other social come to understand that suicide is not just starting to view suicide as a broad public an isolated mental-health issue, they are health issue rather than as an individual the National Strategy for Suicide Preven- a link between social ills and suicides.
“sniffs” or “huffs” (inhales toxic potential is great that one of those sniffs problem, solutions can be developed.
or huffs will be his/her last. Warn chil- for all age groups, however, firearms are still the most frequently used method for school’s student assistance specialist, school’s student assistance specialist, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” It’s an old saying that’s lasted because it’s so true. But it’s important to remember that we can’t tella thing about who a person is inside from looking at his/her physicalfeatures — eyes, nose, mouth, skin color, size, or physical differ-ences. We also can’t know what’s in a person’s heart based onhis/her culture of origin or religious faith. And even though wemay think we can size up a person by the clothing s/he wears,that’s not always the case. Some kids dress according to thedemands of their parents, economic situation or religion.
The following activity from www.teachingtolerance.org will help you think about how we experience discrimina-tion based on looks.* • Explore feelings and attitudes about discrimination based on 1. What aspect of your appearance was disrespected? • Discuss strategies for dealing with this kind of discrimination.
2. Who were the participants in the event or situation? • Discuss effects and outcomes of this kind of discrimination.
3. How did you respond to the incident at that time? 4. Was your response effective in minimizing or ending the • Pen and paper or copies of the handout.
5. Did you experience any effects from the incident later? 6. Were there any positive outcomes or changes in you as a 7. Exchange your thoughts with the person sitting next to • Write for five minutes about experiences you had being dis- criminated against based on your appearance (size, shape, col-oring, visible disability, features, etc.). Use the questions on this * Adapted and reprinted with permission from Teaching Tolerance, a project of the Southern Poverty Law Center. For more activities and information, go • Exchange your thoughts with partners and discuss them.
For more information, contact:

Source: http://middle.usm.k12.wi.us/parents/helping_hand/HH_3.pdf