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NHHS Academy Parents Page
These pages present information of interest and concern to the parents of our on-campus and distance-learning (HomeWork Program℠) students.
Please check back as this page receives updates.
If you haven't already done so, please familiarize yourself with the material from our introductory manual, below.
aolhealth.com
Natural Ways to Overcome ADHD and ADD
Manage ADHD Without Medication
For decades, Ritalin and similar stimulants have reigned over other treatments for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, also known as ADHD or ADD. The meds are seemingly tried and true, with numerous studies backing their effectiveness. However, the latest results from the Multimodal Treatment Study of Children with ADHD, the largest investigation of the benefits of medication against behavioral therapy, found that stimulants' effects wane over time. In addition, the study found that more than 60 percent of the children on stimulants stopped taking the medication within eight years. What's more, the medications used in the study might have stunted participants' growth, researchers concluded.
http://www.aolhealth.com/condition-center/adhd/home-remedies-for-hyperactivity?ncid=webmail
articles.moneycentral.msn.com
& Kiplinger's Private Finance Magazine
The top private and liberal-arts colleges
These schools -- 5 in each category -- offer better deals on the costs of a quality education than their prestigious names may suggest.
Kiplinger's Best Values in Private Colleges
health.msn.com
Children With ADHD at Risk for Depression
October 4, 2010
By Amanda Gardner
Young children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are roughly four times more likely than their peers to become depressed or attempt suicide in later childhood, a new study suggests.
Researchers followed 125 children with ADHD for up to 14 years beginning at ages 4 to 6, and compared them with a similar group of children without ADHD. Thirty-nine percent of the children with ADHD were diagnosed with depression during the study period, versus 8% in the control group.
....
But the children in the study aren't necessarily typical of all children with ADHD, says Rafael Klorman, PhD, a professor of psychology at the University of Rochester Medical Center, in New York. It's relatively uncommon for ADHD to be identified in children as young as 4, he explains, and kids who are diagnosed at that age tend to have more severe symptoms.
"These kids were diagnosed earlier, which means that the researchers have a sample with especially higher severity," Klorman says. "They may be getting the high end of the spectrum."
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today.msnbc.msn.com
As home-schooling moves to mainstream, stigma fades
As numbers increase, many say past stereotypes aren't accurate
September 27, 2010
By Vidya Rao
Evidence suggests that home-schooling in America is a growing trend. In a weeklong web-only series, TODAYshow.com reports on the challenges and creative opportunities presented by this approach to education.
....the home-schoolers of yesteryear, stereotyped as socially awkward, religiously dogmatic and ill-prepared for the real world, aren’t representative of current home-schoolers who more closely mirror the mainstream.
“Whenever I meet new people or join a new group, I don’t usually tell them that I was home-schooled — it’s like a wild card in my back pocket,” said Brooks Nelson, a confident, outgoing 25-year-old from Iowa who was home-schooled for his entire pre-college education. “Once I get to know them and tell them, they are blown away, they are surprised that I’m articulate — a lot of people have a stereotype about home-schooled students because they haven’t interacted with us.”
Nelson graduated from Iowa State University and said that he had no trouble getting acclimated to college, taking leadership positions in many extracurricular activities. Today, he works in Washington, D.C., as a coordinator at the Business Civic Leadership Center.
“While home-schooling I learned to be independent, and having the flexibility allowed me to take advantage of a variety of opportunities,” he said. “And I traveled around the country and met all kinds of people — it was a springboard to my future.”
Like Nelson, many home-schooled students fare well in college, counselors say.
“We don’t typically see them having any problems beyond what traditional students face,” said Kedra Ishop, vice provost and director of admissions at University of Texas–Austin. “For them, the challenge is navigating the admissions process because their experiences are so individualized. The socialization factor isn’t as much of an issue — otherwise a campus of 50,000 students wouldn’t be for them.”
Ishop says that in the past seven years, she has seen a steady increase in the number of home-schooled applicants, though the percentage is still minuscule. And those are only the home-schoolers who identify themselves as such. Overall, it’s hard to tell exactly how many apply, she explains.
“Home-schoolers can identify themselves as home-schoolers when they apply, or they can be affiliated with one of the many schools and consortia that have programs they are a part of. If they select the latter, we can’t identify them as home-schooled.”
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health.usnews.com
9 Drug-Free Approaches to Managing ADHD
August 12, 2009
By Megan Johnson
"Experts have a lengthy list of techniques other than prescription drugs that may help manage ADHD symptoms. Here's a quick look at some of them:"
- Positive Parenting
- Treatment Programs
- Neuro Feedback
- Interactive Metronome training
- Meditation
- A Natural Environment
- Better Sleep
- Diet
- Exercise
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health.usnews.com
Skip the Ritalin and Treat Parents Instead
September 29, 2008
By Nancy Shute
With that, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence is giving a big "Whoa, Nelly!" to the recent trend toward increased use of Ritalin in the United Kingdom, saying instead that the first response should be to give parents training on how to handle kids who are inattentive, hyperactive, or impulsive.
What would ADHD treatment look like here if the United States adopted the same national standard? With as many as 10 percent of children here medicated, that's no small question.
The news about England's new ADHD treatment standard comes at the same time that a new report says American children are three times more likely to be prescribed stimulant drugs like Ritalin than are children in Europe. American kids probably aren't more hyper than their European counterparts; indeed, international surveys have shown that there's ADHD in every corner of the world. There are a lot of reasons for the differences in prescribing among countries, including direct-to-consumer drug advertising, different government restrictions and insurance reimbursements, and most important, cultural beliefs. If an American doctor diagnosed a child with ADHD and recommended counseling, most parents would presume it was for the kid.
"Sometimes, parents make that presumption, but when you're talking about counseling—behavior management, proper rewards, consistency in parenting—it's really a parent-focused therapy," says Andrew Adesman, the chief of developmental and behavioral pediatrics at Schneider Children's Hospital in New Hyde Park, N.Y., who is active with CHADD, an advocacy organization for people with ADHD. In other words, change the parent's behavior, and the child's behavior will change, too. The parent training recommended is not specific to ADHD but rather teaches behavior management skills that could be used with all children: having realistic expectations for a child's behavior, clearly explaining goals and rules, identifying behavior that's inappropriate, and following through with sanctions for rule violations and rewards for good behavior.
Earlier this year, I spent a lot of time trying to figure out the secrets to raising great kids and learned that we know what works; it's just that in the heat of the moment, we parents often do the wrong thing. A lot of what works is counterintuitive. Scientists have conclusively proven that nagging doesn't work, for instance, but we all do it.
Saying that parents of a child with ADHD need training doesn't mean that the parents are the problem, Adesman says. "But maybe they need to change their approach to the child, or be more realistic. The parents can oftentimes improve the child's behavior."
(article continues at link below)
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CNSNews.com
Home Schoolers Top National Average on ACT
Tuesday, September 01, 2009
By Karen Schuberg
(CNSNews.com) – Compared with other students, homeschoolers scored higher than the national average on this year’s ACT, a national standardized test used to gauge educational development and college readiness.
The national average for 2009 graduating high schoolers reported by ACT (American College Testing) officials is 21.1 on a scale from 1 to 36. Homeschoolers scored a national average of 22.5.
Like the SAT, ACT scores are used in the college admissions process to evaluate applicants. Virtually all colleges accept either test, Ed Colby, spokesman for the ACT, told CNSNews.com.
Scores are based on the 1.48 million students who graduated in 2009, Colby said. Among those students were 11,535 homeschoolers, he said.
Ian Slatter, director of media relations for the Home School Legal Defense Association, said the one-on-one attention home-schooled students receive is conducive to learning.
“Parents can tailor-make an education program to suit the child. The child can then advance at their own pace,” he said.
Homeschoolers are further prepared for college because they must take initiative to accomplish projects, Slatter said. “Typically, in the home-school environment, the teen is self-directed in their learning because parents set a topic or task, and the student will then do their own research.”
http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/53292
Georgetown mother fights to stop school bullies
By: Karina Kling
A Georgetown mother is taking legal action to try to stop school bullying.
After almost six years of what she calls bullying and sexual harassment against her son, Kime Mitchell filed a federal lawsuit against the Georgetown Independent School District for failing to protect her son at school.
When we first spoke with Mitchell and her son back in April, she brought out all the letters she'd written to Georgetown ISD, played harassing phone messages left for her son, and even showed doctor's notes documenting physical abuse.
"It doesn't matter what I do to protect my son, nothing ever gets better," she said.
It was abuse her son said made him scared to go to school.
"When I get on the bus and go to school, I already know what's going to happen," Mitchell's son said.
Now, she's taking action. Mitchell filed a federal lawsuit against the district Wednesday.
Jim Harrington and Kime Mitchell
"This issue has become a lot more significant and serious problem with schools in Texas and across the country," Texas Civil Rights Project Director Jim Harrington said.
Harrington said, since presented with Mitchell's case, he tried to work with the district to change its bullying and sexual harassment policies,
"Georgetown is aware of this very serious, dangerous problem," Harrington said. "It has and hasn't taken any action."
The district superintendent responded through a statement.
Dr. Abbe Boring said she cannot comment on the case, but said "the Georgetown Independent School District takes all allegations of harassment and bullying very seriously. The Board has in place and enforces numerous policies that prohibit such behavior by students and employees of the District."
The U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights also recently investigated a complaint issued against the district of alleged discrimination. The case, however, was closed back in May, due to insufficient evidence.
Mitchell said her son has been tripped, choked and called gay or racial slurs. She said he now suffers from severe depression.
"Emotionally my son, he has changed. He used to have the type of personality that would light up this room and that has definitely changed," Mitchell said.
She hopes through this lawsuit, she can not only help make her son's final years of high school a little better, but keep such harassment from happening to other kids.
Mitchell's son will be entering a different school within the district this year. Mitchell said she's unable to move him to a different district, due to her health and financial situation.
School district officials said anti-bullying and anti-harassment programs are in place at all schools within the district.
Operation No Gangs
Common Success Pitfalls for Teens
by Rob Gallardo
http://www.operationnogangs.org
1. Hanging with a crowd that does illegal things
2. Hanging with a crowd that is always bored
3. Hanging with a crowd that tries to be noticeably different from others in the locale
4. Staying out beyond curfew
5. Having too much free time on your hands
6. Having too much privacy and non-adult input
7. Using any illegal substance – alcohol, tobacco, other drugs
8. Neglecting school
9. A boyfriend/girlfriend who takes all your time/attention
10. Neglecting family and home
11. Allowing anger to dictate how you respond to people and circumstances
12. Not learning how to resolve conflicts, problems
13. Not holding on to morals, religious values taught by parents
14. Becoming consumed with self, want of money, things
15. Thinking you are “better” than or “above” others
16. Disregarding policies, rules, laws
17. Taking risks you know are not reasonable because you want to feel good
(Copyright © 2009 Rob Gallardo. Presented here with permission of the author.)
FREE AudioAccessSM Individual Membership
For Any Qualified Student!
We are pleased to announce that you may be eligible to receive one year of digitally recorded audiobooks, including children's literature and textbooks, FREE, from RFB&D®*.
Beginning on January 26, 2009, through January 25, 2010, any student with a qualified learning or print disability in the U.S. can sign up for 12 months of free access to RFB&D's CV Starr Learning Through Listening® Library of more than 46,000 textbooks and literature, via Internet download.
This special offer, in celebration of RFB&D's 60th anniversary, is made possible by the generous contributions of RFB&D's donors and major funding from the U.S. Department of Education.
Signing up is easy. Just apply online at https://custhub.rfbd.org/Registration
For more information on AudioAccess visit www.rfbd.org/audioaccess
RFB&D's Free Individual AudioAccess Membership in brief: Who is eligible?
* Any student in the U.S. with a certified print disability such as a visual impairment, learning disability or other physical disability
* Grades K-12, post secondary education program (college, graduate or professional school, trade or vocational school)
* Public, private or home-schooled
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PHC Scholarship Deadline Approaching
In keeping with its mission to serve the home schoolers of Texas, Texas Home School Coalition has established a scholarship fund for Texas home school graduates who attend Patrick Henry College (PHC) their freshman year. The amount of the scholarship depends largely on the amount of money THSC has in the fund and how many students are awarded THSC PHC scholarships in a given year. In the past, scholarships have ranged from $1000-$3000.
The recipients of these scholarships will be notified early in March and recognized at the THSC Annual Awards Banquet, to be held in Austin in the spring. The deadline for submission of an application is Friday, February 6, 2009 (postmark date).
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Save Texas History Essay Contest
The Texas General Land Office Save Texas History Program is sponsoring a contest to promote the preservation of Texas history. The Save Texas History "Texas Travels" essay contest encourages seventh grade students to explore and write about a Texas town or city with historical significance to the development of Texas. Students should give reasons why they believe that particular community is important to the development of Texas and why it is of historical interest. They will need to find or draw a Texas map showing the location of the town they have chosen.
Essays will be judged on originality of idea, cohesiveness of thought, and organization. Proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation will count.
There will be ten finalists and one grand prize winner announced in March, in celebration of Texas History Month. All winners will be recognized on the Save Texas History Web site. The grand prize winner's family will receive four round-trip tickets from a Southwest Airlines destination to San Antonio, a two-night hotel stay, a VIP tour of the Alamo, and other gifts.
Please note that applications must be postmarked by January 30, 2009, and received by February 6, 2009. You may also call Amy Ellsworth at (512)463-0309 for information.
More information (opens in new tab or window).
Texas Leads the Way in Growth of Home Schooling
According to a recently released report by the U. S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics, the number of home schooled students reached 1.5 million in 2007. This represents a 74% increase since its first report in 1999 and a 36% increase since its 2003 estimate. The percentage of the school-age population being homeschooled increased from 2.2% in 2003 to 2.9% in 2007, according to the Department of Education.
However, Dr. Brian Ray, President of the National Home Education Research Institute, believes these estimates are low because home schooling parents are significantly less likely to answer government-sponsored surveys, and his organization estimates over 2 million home school students in 2008.
Tim Lambert, President of the Texas Home School Coalition, says that Texas leads the country in the number of home schooled children, with an estimate of well over 300,000 children and close to 120,000 families. “Since the Texas courts clarified that home schooling was legal in 1987, we have seen a robust growth of about 6-8% per year,” he said.
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Study Shows State Regulation of Home Schooling Not Necessary
The National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI) has published a new study comparing the performance of college admissions tests of home schooled students from highly regulated states to those from states with little or no regulation. As reported in an Aug/Sept 2008 article of Academic Leadership The Online Journal, the results are well worth your while to read.
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States Have Trouble Passing “Tebow” Laws
When Tim Tebow, a former home schooled high school football star, won the Heisman Trophy, states were faced with the introduction of "Tebow" laws, which would allow home schoolers and other students in alternative education situations to participate in public school sports' programs. Opposition is heavy from public school officials and parents, most of whom believe that students should either "get in or get out."
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Home Schooled author Christopher Paolini hits the big time….
At the age of fifteen, Christopher Paolini was working on his epic novel. At eighteen, he and his family hit the road to promote and sell it. Now, at age 24, he has hit the big time with his third book in the series and a worldwide release in September of this year. In October, he was interviewed and appeared in People magazine.
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