Psyched About School

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) is an umbrella term used to describe the range of effects that can occur in an individual with prenatal alcohol exposure. These effects can have lifelong implications including physical, mental, behavior, and/or learning issues. The term FASD encompasses the following conditions: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) FAS is on the most severe end of the FASD spectrum. It describes people with the greatest alcohol effects, causing signs and symptoms so distinct that the diagnosis is based on special measurements and findings in each of the 3 following areas: Three specific facial abnormalities: smooth philtrum (the area between nose and upper lip), thin upper lip, small palpebral fissures (the horizontal eye openings) Growth deficit (lower than average height, weight or both) Central nervous system (CNS) abnormalities (structural, neurologic, functional, or a combination of these) Partial Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (pFAS) When a person does not meet the full ...

Way back in the spring, when Covid-19 began, we were all in a state of shock. What do you mean my children are learning at home? What do you mean my job is in the dining room instead of my office? What do you mean I can't go out to dinner or to the movies? At that time, I read an article called “ That Discomfort You're Feeling is Grief” (published March 23, 2020) in the Harvard Business Review. I recently reread this article and it still resonates with me. The beginning of the school year has always been full of  joy and anticipation,as well as a healthy amount of anxiety. This year, I don't think I'm alone in feeling an unusually high level of anxiety. This year is not starting as any of us would like it to. I have more questions than we have answers. When will my kids go back to school? When will I go to work? How do I balance all of this? When will the virus let up and let me get on with my ordinary life? So many questions!  In this article, ( That Discomfort You...

 September is National Suicide Prevention Month. The Suicide Prevention Lifeline uses #BeThe1To – a message to help spread the word about what we can do to promote healing, help and give hope to save lives and prevent suicide. Scope of the Problem A recent Harris Poll national survey found that 81% of respondents believe that suicide prevention needs to be a national priority because of COVID-19. 93% of those surveyed believe that suicide can be prevented and 95% said that they would act if someone closed to them was in crisis. Most (69%) were able to list barriers to doing something, including: not knowing what to say; feeling they don’t have enough knowledge; and not feeling comfortable with the topic. According to the CDC (2020), long-term school closure may lead to an increase in mental health issues as students have fewer opportunities to engage with each other. Adolescents with pre-existing mental illness may be more greatly impacted and not have the same mental health serv...