This week, the Special Needs Blog has included a wide range of topics. I guess that makes the Special Needs Blog Week in Review a little bit more interesting. This time, we have blogs about mercury, Halloween related allergens, Homecoming, medications for kids who don’t need it, and a font that can be read by people with dyslexia.
“No Candy Halloween” Safer for Kids With Food Allergies
This Halloween, consider offering a non-food item to the trick-or-treaters that come to your door. Halloween candy often contains allergens that children who have food allergies cannot safely consume. Everyone can enjoy a Halloween pencil, or Halloween stickers, instead.
Study Links Mercury Levels in Mom to ADHD in Child
A study found that moms who had high mercury levels shortly after birth had a higher risk of having their children develop ADHD by the time the child was eight years old. This doesn’t mean that women should stop eating all fish, though, because fish have omega-3 and other good things.
ADHD Medications for Kids Who Don’t Have ADHD?
A doctor in Georgia is prescribing Adderall for children who are from low-income families and who are struggling with school. The children do not have ADHD. The doctor is prescribing the medication specifically to help the child improve his or her grades.
Beware of Allergens on Halloween
Halloween candy can be deadly to kids with food allergies. Other children can have an allergic reaction to the latex in costumes, masks, and makeup. Fog machines make it difficult for kids who have asthma to breathe. Beware these allergens on Halloween!
Homecoming King Wins by a Landslide
This one is a happy Homecoming story. A teen who has Down Syndrome decided to run for Homecoming King. His fellow classmates made sure that he won the election by a landslide. One of the girls who was running for Homecoming Queen said it would be an honor to stand next to him.
Open-Dyslexic Font Makes Reading Easier
There is an open source font called Open-Dyslexic. It is designed to make it easier for people who are dyslexic to read. You can download it to your computer for free, and use it with your browser. The Instapaper app started using the helpful font. This would be great for schools to use on their school computers and the computers in their Special Education classrooms.
Image by happy_serendipity on Flickr