SIS: Children and Youth
Should Asperger Syndrome and PDD-NOS be taken out of the new DSM-V?
Some of you have read about the latest change in the upcoming DSM-V. Recently the American Psychiatric Association (APA) proposed revisions to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. They are recommending that Asperger Syndrome be taken completely out of the DSM-V.
MEDICAID OTA ALERT- Your Membership Dollars at Work
NYSOTA has worked over the summer with the NYS Department of Health to secure a change in the Medicaid coverage policy for OTA services in schools and pre-schools. That work has resulted in Medicaid Alert #10-2 "Clarification of Credential Requirements for Occupational Therapy Assistants," dated August 25, 2010.
Is there a PANDA on your caseload?
PANDAS/PITAND is a recently- identified disorder autoimmune disorder resulting in the child’s own antibodies targeting the basal ganglia and interfering with function. Children with PANDAS/PITAND frequently have problems with tics, OCD, sensory defensiveness, and handwriting deterioration.
Classrooms trade in chairs for a well-rounded experience
Canandaigua, N.Y. — In Julie Marie Smith’s second-grade classroom at Canandaigua Primary School, the chair has taken a backseat. While there are chairs in her room, most students in Smith’s classroom utilize a more rotund and colorful sitting device: stability balls. “We began using stability balls in 2008,” she said. “Stability balls enhance the learning environment by providing seating that allows for active sitting, which improves attention, concentration, posture, blood flow, flexibility, coordination and balance.”
