Teens Often Stop Taking ADHD Meds, Study Shows

"NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Children who begin taking medication in elementary school to control attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) tend to quit taking the medication in junior high or high school while they still have symptoms of the disorder. They may start up again in college."

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AccessWorld Survey on Identifying Paper Money

Recent court rulings have brought the subject of the independent identification of paper currency by people who are visually impaired into the public spotlight. We at AccessWorld would like to gather information directly from those who are affected by this issue. Responses will be anonymous.

To complete this survey, please go to www.afb.org/accessworld and select the link "Answer our survey on identifying paper money." Or you can select the following link to go directly to the survey http://www.afb.org/Section.asp?Mode=survey&SurveyID=18

Thank you for your time and opinions.

Jay Leventhal
Editor in Chief, AccessWorld

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Autism Center Built on Families' Desire for Support, Help

"Anna Wang worries about dying."
"What would happen to her 16-year-old autistic son, Lawrence?" " Who would care for him the way she does?" "How would someone else handle his tantrums, spot his distress and help him fit in?"
"I realized it's all up to me to care for my child," she said.

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Taste Perceptions May Aid Depression Treatment

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - "Taste sensitivity is altered by changing levels of so-called neurotransmitters that are thought to be involved in depression, British investigators report."
"In a press release from the University of Bristol, Dr. Lucy F. Donaldson said, "we hope that using a taste test in depressed people will tell us which neurotransmitter is affected in their illness," and thus assist in treatment decisions."

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The Social-Cue Reader

"People with autism tend to have difficulty understanding other people’s emotional states, which can turn even casual conversation into a minefield of missed emotional cues and inadvertent faux pas." "But last spring, two computer scientists at M.I.T.’s Media Lab unveiled a new device that promises to help people with autism perform the kind of everyday “mind reading” others take for granted."

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ADHD Raises Kids' Health Costs Even Before Diagnosis

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 4 (HealthDay News) -- "In the two years before and after they're diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), children with the condition typically use more health-care services than other children, U.S. research shows."

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Court: Make Currency Recognizable to Blind

"WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government discriminates against blind people because American currency is not designed to be distinguishable to visually impaired people, a federal judge said on Tuesday...

...Robertson was ruling on a lawsuit filed by The American Council of the Blind against the U.S. Treasury Department. The council accused the department of violating the Rehabilitation Act, which was passed by Congress to ensure that people with disabilities can maximize their independence and 'inclusion and integration into society.'"

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Actors Summons Tears of LA CAST of Characters:Gifted in Special Ways, This Troupe of Laughter ... and Pride

"Erin O’Neill is an actress."
"Sure, she never has been in a dramatic production, but when you watch her do improv as an employee at a retail store return counter, it’s hard to imagine anyone’s learning more in just eight acting classes."

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Video Games for ADHD

"SAN JOSE, Calif. (Ivanhoe Broadcast News) -- As much as 6 percent of the American population has attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, a disorder that makes it hard to focus. The usual treatment is medication that can have serious side effects. But now, some doctors are successfully treating ADHD with video games. "

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Cell Transplants Restore Sight in Blind Mice

"Blind mice regained some ability to see after getting transplants of cells taken from the eyes of other mice, strengthening the prospect that it may someday be possible to restore vision in some people who have lost most or all of their eyesight, scientists reported yesterday.

Researchers in London and Michigan who did the work warned that it would be years before similar efforts might be tried in people who have lost their vision from macular degeneration or other kinds of blindness that might respond to the treatment."

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Anxiety Sensitivity a Risk to Mental Health

"NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The fear of fear itself may make people more vulnerable to developing certain psychiatric disorders, a study suggests.

Researchers found that people who are especially sensitive to the physical signs of anxiety - from sweaty palms to a pounding heart - have a higher risk of developing anxiety disorders, including recurrent panic attacks."

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Students Work on Life Skills

"There is no textbook to teach someone how to function in everyday life, but Beth Tuten has found a curriculum."

"Every day in her special education class, students simulate life on their own in an apartment, step-by-step."

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Can Caffeine Protect Against Alzheimer's?

"Connie Lesko's not looking for the jolt that a cup of hot java offers."
"Instead, she's hoping new research that shows caffeine may protect against Alzheimer's pans out: The 56-year-old from Wimauma, Fla., has two parents with this incurable disease."

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